February 17, 2021
Hard seltzers are currently the fastest growing alcohol category, thanks to White Claw, which has really accelerated the growth of this drink craze. It’s no wonder so many different brands and varieties have appeared on the market over the past few years, with each brand vying for your love and attention.
While White Claw remains the most popular brand (among the best ordered online). Is it really the best taste? We decided to find out the answer to this question by conducting our own blind taste test. Our tasters tried the 25 best-selling flavors (based on alcohol delivery sales on sipsy.com), from popular brands like White ClawAnd Really to more boutique brands like Flying Embers. Our 5 tasters ranked them among the top 5 hard seltzers based on flavor alone:
This slightly sweet and slightly tart white claw flavor came in at number 5. Taste testers liked the refreshing taste that wasn’t overly lemony. This flavor comes in the original variety pack, so the plus side is that you get 3 of the other most popular White Claw flavors in one pack.
This boutique brand promises healthy ingredients that make you tick. And if you’re going to drink, you might as well take advantage of all the great benefits of your drink, like antioxidants and vitamins. Our tasters loved this almost candy flavor. One taster said it reminded him of a happy watermelon rancher with a hint of cucumber but without the overly sweet taste. This brand is also available in an Enriched Cactus and Enriched Coconut flavor. With a strength of 5.5% abv, it has the highest alcohol volume (abv) of any hard seltzer on the market.
Our tasters raved about this tequila seltzer (although it technically qualifies as a canned sparkling cocktail). With most other hard seltzers using vodka or another neutral-flavored alcohol, this drink really highlights the welcoming flavors of a blanco tequila. While tasters noted this drink was on the sweeter side, the tequila complements the sweetness and tartness of the grapefruit perfectly. Plus, another key difference here is that there are 2 servings per can so you can share them with a friend (or not).
Truly a home run with their lemonade variety pack and our tasters couldn’t agree more. Although our tasters liked all 4 flavors in the variety pack, the mango lemonade outperformed the others…by far! Tasters agreed that this flavor tasted tropical and “juicy” and reminded you of childhood favorites. So you will definitely become a little nostalgic while drinking this seltzer.
It was the number one product due to its complex flavor profile. Of all the hard seltzers, this one tasted the most “grown-up,” as one taster noted. You immediately taste the acidity of the black cherry then a pink aromatic sweetness that lingers a little on the tongue and it finally finishes with a lemony/citrus burst. It’s tangy, slightly sweet and refreshing without the usual seltzer aftertaste. This makes this particular flavor the winner among the 25 flavors our tasters tried. This comes in the Fruit and Flora variety pack, so you get two more fruity and complex flavors to try at Flying Embers.
Although White Claw ranked among the best (well, at least one of the flavors did), other brands beat it based on taste alone. So if you’re feeling adventurous and want to try something new and tasty, get one of these hard seltzers delivered in 30 minutes.
Sipsy is an alcohol delivery service in Los Angeles so you can get other products too…not just hard seltzers. Cheers!
Sipsy offers free alcohol delivery in Los Angeles, specifically in Sherman Oaks, Studio City, North Hollywood, Van Nuys, Valley Village, Burbank and Toluca Lake.