Try These Hard Seltzer Brands Brewed with Real Fruit
Western makers are pushing past the oversaturated market by using natural techniques.
Courtesy of New Belgium Brewing
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It’s no secret that hard seltzers are having a moment. The carbonated beverage now comprises nearly half of the U.S. alcohol market, according to the International Wines and Spirits Record. But with such rapid popularity, the drinks market quickly became oversaturated.
Enter West Coast brewmasters, who are working to create healthier hard seltzers made with real fruit instead of artificial flavors.
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Companies like San Diego-based JuneShine are branching out with hard kombuchas, while another California brand, St. Hildie’s Botonica, creates spiked tincture tonics. And established companies like New Belgium Brewing Co. from Fort Collins, Colorado, and AMASS Botanics from Los Angeles, are expanding their respective craft beer and spirit portfolios because they see a lack of high-quality seltzers and know they can fill the gap.
“Unlike other hard seltzers on the market, AMASS utilizes natural botanical extracts to reinvent the seltzer experience for premium drinkers,” said Morgan McLachlan, master distiller for AMASS Botanics. “Our Botanic Hard Seltzers have the complexity of a cocktail, while still being easy to sip like a seltzer.”
Hard seltzers initially boomed due to their low-calorie, low-sugar, and low-carb attributes. However, because they are typically made from a fermented grain base, carbonated water, and artificial flavors, they can leave a metallic taste in your mouth—and often suffer from too-subtle fruit flavors.
But for West Coast companies that infuse real fruits and ferment with a cane-sugar base, the carbonation of their hard seltzers elevates the flavors while still maintaining a low level of alcohol.
“When developing each flavor, the key for us was starting with classic ingredients—raspberry, mandarin, orange, hibiscus—and then layering each one with other herbs and spices, from holy basil to bay leaf to star anise,” McLachlan said.
A common misconception is that hard seltzers are a combination of a spirit (like vodka), carbonated water, and flavoring—which would instead be more similar to a canned cocktail. While some companies do use these methods, it strays from the now-standard process, which involves using yeast and grain or sugar cane to produce carbonation and alcohol and infuse flavoring.
New Belgium Brewing Co., for example, ferments sugarcane and later adds fruit juices like strawberry, mango, raspberry, and lime, to maintain balanced sugar levels. The company established Fruit Smash, its hard seltzer line, to make the category better.
“The big difference for us is we wanted to use real juice, like we do with our beers,” Fruit Smash brand manager Dave Knospe and innovation brewing manager Cody Reif said of their company. “We’re trying to appeal to the fun vibe of the category itself.”
In the West, there are multiple brands breaking through the hard seltzer market. Here are the ones we love the most.
AMASS Botanics
For herbal, balanced flavors, look no further than AMASS Botanics. Originally a spirits and wellness company, AMASS released a hard seltzer line that aims to taste like a cocktail while having a low-ABV with just the right amount of carbonation. With AMASS on your bar cart, you’ll be sure to impress your guests.
No-Li Brewhouse
Huckleberry lemonade, oh how we love you. And we love you even more in hard seltzer form. No-Li Brewhouse maintains a low-sugar profile while balancing the tart lemonade, making the seltzer addictively easy to sip. We’ll be packing No-Li in our picnic basket all year.
Fruit Smash
Fruit Smash packs a punch with its range of flavors. With Tropical Punch, Berry Blast, and Pink Lemonade in the pack, your tastebuds will thank you for the variety.
Golden Road Brewing
This California-based beer company is known for infusing real fruits in its beers, and stuck to its roots in creating the Original Hard Seltzer Pack. The flavors include classic watermelon and mango, and interesting inventions like strawberry pineapple and cucumber lime. Sip these for a refreshing taste of summer.
Whitewater Craft
Just as exciting as whitewater rafting in Colorado, the Whitewater Craft’s hard seltzer series proves experimenting with flavor is a must. The Mango + Ginger hard seltzer balances sweet, rounded notes with a hint of spice, and the Pomegranate + Lime is a tart concoction fit for being used as a mixer. Whitewater Craft makes great hard seltzers on their own and in cocktails.
This Came from the 2021 Waters of the West Issue—Read It Here!
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