The Spiked Seltzers You Need To Be Drinking This Summer
Summer is unofficially known as spiked seltzer season. If you're not at the beach or chilling on an oversized inflatable with a cold hard seltzer in hand, did you even do summer right?
Those lazy and hazy fun-in-the-sun kind of beach days, tailgates at your favorite sporting events, patio or rooftop cocktail hangouts, and all kinds of seasonal celebrations are right around the corner. And that means one thing: You need to be on your A-game — aka, in the know of the trendiest, tastiest spiked seltzers available. That's why we've rounded up the best spiked seltzers you absolutely need to have in your cooler throughout summer 2022 and beyond if you're in the 21-and-up crew.
This low-calorie carbonated drink is a favorite of the health-conscious crowd and others who want to keep it light.
Whether or not you and your friends already have a favorite go-to spiked seltzer, you'll definitely want to taste some, if not all, of these select brands. They'll quench your thirst, start the party, and show your favorite people that you know what's up when it comes to trendy drinks.
High Noon Sun Sips are just the treat for vodka soda lovers
When it comes to High Noon Sun Sips, which are essentially a variety of lightly flavored vodka sodas, the classic flavors and that we can try them all in one pack is what landed it on our list. If you can't decide between pineapple, lime, grapefruit, black cherry, watermelon, or peach, it's easy to do your own tasting since you can purchase a variety eight or 12-pack to sample them all. High Noon hard seltzer is made with "real" juice, vodka, and sparkling water. Considering the classic formula and variety packs, it'll surely have you covered for any social plans this summer.
Influenster describes this "fan-favorite" as "fizzy, citrusy, and slightly sassy, but so refreshing," and we couldn't agree more.
Mighty Swell can be enjoyed straight up or in a cocktail
"Grab life by the cans" is Mighty Swell's motto. And when you do, you'll find they're bursting with unique flavors that can be used on their own or in one of the brand's cocktail recipes. Guilty Eats included Mighty Swell in their best spring drinks roundup for 2021, and it's clear as to why.
Mighty Swell's original variety pack includes blackberry, cherry lime, watermelon mint, and peach. If you like to tropic like it's hot, the tropical variety pack includes pineapple, grapefruit, mango raspberry, and blood orange flavors. If you're a bourbon fan, you may want to mix up the mighty bourbon smash. Showing your crew some sizzling bar skills this summer is a lot easier with these cans on hand, and for that, we had to give Mighty Well a spot on this list.
Volley seltzer is a must-have for tequila fans
If you're a tequila fan, you will absolutely fall in love with Volley. Volley is comprised of 100% blue agave tequila, organic juice, and sparkling water. The brand prides itself as "the first clean tequila seltzer," while its drinks contain 5.25% ABV (similar to the average American beer), are sugar-free and gluten-free, and the calorie count ranges from 100 to 110 (versus about 150 calories for an average beer).
Volley's unique flavors — including Spicy Ginger, Tropical Mango, Sharp Grapefruit, and Zesty Lime — are bright with a kick, so they're a great way to satisfy tequila cocktail fans. In fact, Drinkhacker compared the Zesty Lime flavor to "a sugar-free margarita," (but rated the Sharp Grapefruit with quite possibly having the most flavor). So, if you or a friend are in the mood for a margarita, but you just don't feel like making one — we've all been there — we recommend reaching for Volley's zesty lime.
Eight, 16, 24, 48 ... no, we're not talking beach volleyball scores — we're talking about how Volley seltzer is packaged. This is another brand that provides variety packs, so sampling the flavors is a cinch.
Willie's Superbrew is cleaning beaches
Believe it or not, the tale of Willie's Superbrew started with a surfer and a local goat farmer in Cape Cod. This unlikely duo whipped up their first batches of hard seltzer in a Cuisinart. True story! After achieving success with their creation, the founders decided to give back to the environment.
While the history of this company is super cool, its hard seltzers are even cooler. Delish actually dubbed Willie's "basically a spiked seltzer, kombucha, and cider all in one." They're also crafted with "real" fruit and "alcohol from cane sugar," according to the company. We also like that the flavors come in combinations, which adds some complexity to the seltzer's taste: grapefruit and lime, blueberry and lemon, pomegranate and açai, ginger and lemon, and mango and passionfruit, to be exact.
In May 2021, Willie's debuted a limited-edition Juicy-Hazy-Hopped-Seltzer, which is a "dry-hopped blend" of mosaic and citra hops, with tropical notes of pineapple, guava juice, and mango — it's a must-try.
Taffer's Sparkling Craft Cocktails are for elevated tastes
There's so much to say about Taffer's sparkling craft cocktails. First off, they're only 100 calories a pop, or much lower than your average beer. They're also low in carbs, have 5% ABV (a bit lower than with average beer), and no added sugar. Plus, who better to create a higher end and socially fun beverage than entrepreneur Jon Taffer? After all, he's helped restaurants, hotels, and businesses be their absolute best.
If your get together includes an older or more sophisticated crowd, Taffer's Mixologist might be a good choice for cocktails. The brand's creations come in flavors that could suit guests of all ages and occasions: Cherry lime, strawberry basil, pineapple coconut, grapefruit moon, elderflower, and cucumber jalapeño are some notable offerings. While our top pick is the casual and classic pineapple coconut, each of the seltzer flavors is a must-try.
Each box also comes packed with four 12-ounce cans, making them easy to sample, and you can also have them delivered for added convenience. These versatile flavors would go down oh-so-nicely on their own or when enjoyed with your loved ones' favorite appetizers, steaks, or burgers.
Ashland Hard Seltzer is great for health-conscious drinkers
If you love Halley Elefante (aka, The Salty Blonde) and The Bachelor's Lauren Lane, then you absolutely have to try Ashland Hard Seltzer. The two co-own this brand with other notable figures. But no matter your celebrity preferences, you should know Ashland Hard Seltzer is serving up a gluten-free, sugarless, no-carb concoction. So, if you or yours want to enjoy the party while heeding dietary restrictions, this hard seltzer might be the one to try.
And if all that's not enough to make you want to try this made-in-San-Diego drink already, they also come in some tasty flavors, and you may have a difficult time trying to decide which one to sip first. The thirst quencher is available in blackberry lemonade, lime, tangerine, pineapple, mango strawberry, tropical cherry, watermelon, and raspberry lemonade. For a limited period, it's also available in flavors like Malbon fruit punch, ginger peach, and orange pineapple, among others.
BON V!V is sugar-free and great for those who love their brunch bubbly
Gotta love a drink that is only 90 calories per serving and has zero sugar, are we right? BON V!V spiked seltzer is made with champagne yeast, in addition to flavors of natural fruit, including cranberry, mango, black cherry, coconut pineapple, pear elderflower, grapefruit, lemon lime, and clementine hibiscus.
And once again, you don't have to stress over which flavor you want to buy: You can just grab a 12-can variety pack and enjoy sampling the different flavors. BON V!V seltzer would be a great addition for your next brunch, lunch, dinner, or anything in between, considering the champagne-like texture, which is refreshing and sparkling, and light and fruity taste.
The Pursuit of Cocktails did their own review of BON V!V spiked seltzer, and of the four flavors they tasted, grapefruit came in number one. And as the writer points out, they despise grapefruit, but had to admit the drink was still really tasty. So, whether or not you like fruit with your sparkling, it might be worth trying out some BON V!V for a change.
Smirnoff Spiked Seltzer will make your sunny season extra bubbly
You've likely mixed up some cocktails with Smirnoff vodka before, but have you tried the Spiked Sparkling Seltzers? If not, you're missing out and should really fix that ASAP. The sheer variety and reliable flavors, along with its low-calorie odes to rosé, the wine of summer, is what places Smirnoff on this list of must-try seltzers. As a matter of fact, Good Housekeeping actually voted Smirnoff's spiked sparkling raspberry rosé the "best rosé hard seltzer" in 2020.
From its red, white, and berry flavor to the fruity rosés, berry lemonade, cranberry lime, piña colada, blackberry, and blood orange flavors, your cooler will never be out a trendy refreshment for any taste. And if rosé is your jam all summer long, Smirnoff even has a 4 Ways To Rosé box that comes with its raspberry, white peach, strawberry, and pink apple rosé seltzers. They contain zero sugar and 90 calories and taste as refreshing as a glass of chilled wine at brunch. If you're a rosé lover who doesn't necessarily want to deal with choosing a bottle, this will hands-down become your new drink of choice.