Justine Sterling
What is the best hard seltzer? Over the course of many taste tests, we tried over 100 cans and we can confidently say these are the nine best hard seltzer brands to buy—both single flavors and mixed cases.
How we evaluated the best hard seltzer
The best hard seltzer is hard to define because, after tasting through so many cans of hard seltzer, I am more confused than ever as to what people are looking for in the category. What is hard seltzer? While some of the hard seltzer brands I tasted were essentially canned Vodka Sodas, others were straight up flavor-blasted malt beverages. How is something that tastes like carbonated Dimetapp a hard seltzer? I can assure you, it didn’t make our list. Technically speaking, hard seltzer (or “mature seltzer,” according to Wikipedia) is simply a drink made with sparkling water, booze, and optional fruit flavoring that typically comes in around 5% ABV.
That’s pretty vague.
So, here’s what I looked for in the best hard seltzer: A drink that tasted more like seltzer than juice or soda; a pleasant flavor (it didn’t have to taste totally natural, but it did have to taste good); no prominent alcohol flavor; and a little something extra—an exotic flavor, nice packaging, an antioxidant—certainly didn’t hurt.
How we updated this list of the best hard seltzer
Every year, we source a fridge-ful of new hard seltzer or hard seltzer we missed the previous year in search of more great tasting hard seltzers to add to this list. This year was no different. We tasted Kylie Jenner’s hard seltzer (Sprinter), new hard seltzers from Vizzy, and the pleasingly labeled but strangely flavored Ashland hard seltzer, among others. Only one new brand made our list of the best hard seltzers: Suntory -196. We also took one brand off the list: Bud Light. Originally, it earned a spot as the best hard seltzer brand you could find everywhere, but these days better brands are more prolific.
Here are the best hard seltzer brands to buy right now.
Best hard seltzer brands, ranked
- Vizzy Hard Seltzer Variety Pack #1
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I give Vizzy an A+ for packaging. I love the colors, I love the pop-art fruit, I love it. Vizzy hard seltzers also contain antioxidants—so it’s the best spiked seltzer to drink during cold and flu season. (Please don’t only use hard seltzer to protect yourself from illness. Please get a flu shot.) But what about the flavor? It’s definitely a hard seltzer brand for people who want more flavor in their drink. These fall on the fruitier side of the hard seltzer spectrum. Out of the variety pack, Pineapple Mango is my personal favorite. It has a wonderfully tropical flavor and makes me wish I was lying on a beach—or, in my case, hiding under a full-coverage umbrella with a giant hat and sunglasses and probably a coverup…on a beach.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Nutrl Raspberry
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Nutrl isn’t a malt beverage. It’s a real deal canned Vodka Soda made with real vodka and real juice. So I really thought I would like more of their flavors. But while the others disappointed, the Raspberry hit it out of the park. It tastes like someone dollopped a bar spoon of raspberry jam into a Vodka Soda. It has a bold but still natural raspberry flavor. Raspberry is a really hard flavor to capture (unless you’re talking blue raspberry) but Nutrl has done it with style. Give this a go if you’re looking for the best tasting hard seltzer that could totally pass for a cocktail you’d get at a bar.
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine
- White Claw Mango
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Yes, this is the only White Claw flavor on here because it is the best White Claw flavor. While the others are fine and totally inoffensive, Mango is actually worth recommending. If you’re a White Claw Strawberry stan, I’m not going to change your mind. You like what you like. But if you’re coming to this ranking with an open mind and are genuinely looking for suggestions for the best spiked seltzer, then I can earnestly say that White Claw Mango is good. It tastes like a beach vacation, refreshing and crisp.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Suntory -196
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Do you like Fresca? Then boy oh boy, I’ve got the best hard seltzer for you, and it’s a new addition to this list. Suntory -196 Grapefruit tastes almost exactly like Fresca—even more than the spiked Frescas they sell now. It’s sweet and tart—plus, there’s only 2.5g of sugar in a can and it’s 6% ABV, which is higher than most standard hard seltzers. And it’s made in a really cool way. To get the fruit flavors, they freeze whole fruit with liquid nitrogen at -196ºC (hence the name). Then, they crush the fruit and infuse it into the alcohol. Boozy science! The other flavors that come in a mixed pack are Peach (very, very sweet but definitely peachy) and Lemon (closer to a lemon soda than a lemon seltzer). If you’re hoping for hard seltzers that taste like flavored Vodka Sodas, keep scrolling. But if you’re looking for boozy Fresca, this is the best tasting hard seltzer around.
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine
- Kirkland Signature Variety Pack
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If you like the flavor of White Claw, save your money and just buy Costco’s hard seltzer instead. They taste like a mainstream, name brand hard seltzer but they’re cheaper. Essentially, they taste like spiked LaCroix flavors. The Grapefruit tastes like LaCroix Pamplemousse. The Lime tastes faintly of Lime Jell-O (a good Jell-O flavor). The Mango is refreshing. The Black Cherry is the best of all—it actually tastes like real cherry. This is the best hard seltzer if you’re stocking a giant cooler for a beach trip or a party. It’s cheap and it’s tasty.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Quirk Splash of Citrus Mix
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I love when a brand chooses more out-of-the-box hard seltzer flavors, leaving the basic mango, lime, and cranberry to the masses. Quirk, made by Kansas City’s Boulevard Brewing, is the best hard seltzer for folks who are tired of the same old flavors. They really go for it with flavors like Watermelon, Salt & Lime, Hibiscus Lemonade (the best hard lemonade seltzer we tasted), and Pear Yuzu. Okay, they also include a Grapefruit Twist in this mixed pack, but I can’t blame them for staying safe with at least one flavor. And these flavors aren’t just fun on paper. They taste great. The Watermelon, Salt, & Lime, in particular, is incredible. It’s tangy and subtle with a touch of watermelon sweetness followed by actual fresh lime flavor and just a touch of salt. If you’re not drinking this near a body of water, you aren’t living life right—even a baby pool will do.
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine
- High Noon Sun Sips
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If you like Vodka Sodas, this is the best tasting hard seltzer for you. It tastes exactly like a blend of vodka and good flavored seltzer water. It’s just that easy to make a decent drink. (And yet so many fail!) The Pineapple, in particular, is, as Sporked managing editor Gwynedd Stuart put it, “so delightful.” It’s not too sweet and has a lovely, roasted pineapple flavor. And the Grapefruit made a grapefruit convert out of Gwynedd. “This is the best iteration of that flavor,” she said. The Black Cherry actually has some tartness—something many black cherry flavored drinks lack. Even the Watermelon is good—it doesn’t just taste like a Jolly Rancher. It tastes like actual watermelon with a spritz of lime. Good job, High Noon!
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Nectar Lychee Hard Seltzer
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We tried a few of the Nectar flavors—and the rest of them aren’t bad. If you can only find the mixed pack, you’ll be okay (especially with the Mandarin and the Asian Pear). But the best Nectar by far is the Lychee. It really, really tastes like lychee. It’s floral and perfumed and just a hint sweet but not outright sweet. It’s a super tough flavor to nail, but Nectar did it. If you’ve been drinking hard seltzer for a while, you’ve had plenty of mango and black cherry and grapefruit. It’s time for a change. This is the best hard seltzer for the job.
Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine
- Spindrift Spiked Sparkling Water
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I love Spindrift’s non-alcoholic seltzers, so I had high expectations for this mixed case of Mango, Pineapple, Lime, and Half & Half (the brand’s take on an Arnold Palmer). And, oh boy, Spindrift more than lived up to my hopes and dreams. Just like the original Spindrifts, these alcoholic versions are made with real fruit juice and no added sugar, so all you taste is that vibrant hit of real fruit flavor. The Mango is gentle and tropical. The Pineapple is zesty. The Lime is very tart and crisp (though, probably the least impressive of the bunch). And the Half & Half is genuinely the best hard seltzer I’ve ever tasted. “It’s the biggest format buster,” Gwynedd commented. “They did something interesting. I am so impressed.” I need everyone to drop what they’re doing and try these spiked seltzers right now. On top of being the best tasting hard seltzer, these also happen to be the best low calorie hard seltzer we tried, with some of the flavors coming in under 90 calories. You really do get it all with Spindrift Spiked!
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
Best Maybe Good for You
Best Vodka Soda Dupe
Best White Claw
Best Almost Soda
Best Cheap Hard Seltzer
Best from a Brewery
Best Real Fruit Flavor
Best New Flavor
Best of the Best
Other hard seltzer brands we tasted:
Mike’s Hard Seltzer, Ashland, Ranch Water, Bang Mixx, Corona, Flying Embers, Topo Chico, Truly, Michelob Ultra, Nutrl Watermelon, Nutrl Pineapple, Nutrl Mango, High Noon Tequila Seltzer, Simply Spiked Mango Peach, Simply Spiked Strawberry Peach, Simply Spiked Kiwi Peach, Kona, Press, Mamitas Lime, Mamitas Paloma, Mamitas Pineapple, Nectar Yuzu, Nectar Mandarin, Nectar Asian Pear, Maui Hibiscus Lime, Maui POG, Maui Dragon Fruit, Grown Folks Ambrosia, Lake Hour Watermelon Cucumber, Lake Hour Peach Jasmine, Lake Hour Honeysuckle Ginger, Mamitas Mango, Grown Folks Peach Cobbler, Bud Light Seltzer Classic Variety Pack, Ashland, Nutrl Lime, Sprinter, Vizzy Cream Pop
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