Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct the origins of BON & VIV. 225 regrets this error.
Ain’t no law for the Claw. If you haven’t seen that phrase at least a few dozen times in the past three months, you probably haven’t been on Twitter much this summer. White Claw, a brand of alcoholic or “hard” seltzer, has blown up recently, sparking memes and a nationwide trend. Sales of the drink grew 283% in July compared to the same period last year, marking a rise in popularity and causing the brand to announce on Friday a shortage across the United States.
Don’t worry, though, because Baton Rouge hasn’t run out of White Claw—yet. And, even if the time comes where we may have to put away our Claws, there are still plenty of hard seltzer brands for you enjoy. Brands have been filling up shelves at local grocery and liquor stores and sparking an interest in improving the taste and quality of canned cocktails and even canned wines.
After all, for those who aren’t a fan of beer, there’s no better tailgate drink than something light and sweet but not overpowering. Here’s a list of hard seltzer brands that might serve as a refreshing drink for hot days in Death Valley.
|
|
|
They’re also available in most Baton Rouge grocery stores.
Truly Hard Seltzer
This hard seltzer brand originates from Boston Beer Company—the same folks behind Samuel Adams beer. Like White Claw, Truly sports a 5% alcohol-by-volume and offers an array of fruity flavors. The flavors—including Colima lime, pomegranate and Sicilian blood orange—give off scents so fresh the drinks almost smell like real fruit.
Henry’s Hard Sparkling Water
This alcoholic spin-off of Henry’s Hard Soda is available in three flavors: lemon lime, passion fruit and strawberry kiwi. The sugar-free, 88-calorie beverage has the highest nutritional value, but it contains 4.2% alcohol-by-volume rather than 5%. The brand was inspired by Henry Weinhard, a “quirky, fun-loving” German-American brewer who opened a Portland brewery in 1862.
|
|
|
White Claw
White Claw didn’t become a social media sensation overnight. The brand comes from the owner of Mike’s Hard Lemonade and debuted in 2016 as the 100-calorie, 5% alcohol-by-volume beverage we know today. You can try White Claw’s four different fruity flavors or, if you want something less sweet, opt for the unflavored Pure Hard Seltzer.
Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer
At 90 calories, these drinks are only two calories away from having the lowest count. The purified malt beverage has been “crafted to remove gluten” and sports no sugars or artificial sweeteners. Flavors include cranberry lime, orange mango, raspberry rosé, berry lemonade and watermelon, a perfect variety for a large group of friends. The brand originated from none other than Moscow, Russia.
BON & VIV Spiked Seltzer
BON & VIV consists of purified water and natural fruit flavors with 4.5% alcohol-by-volume. With no barley or wheat, this spiked seltzer brand is gluten-free and 90 calories. Flavors include black cherry rosemary, clementine hibiscus, grapefruit and lemon lime. This brand was founded by Connecticut’s Boathouse Beverage company in 2013 as SpikedSeltzer and later acquired and rebranded by Anheuser-Busch.