Ranking Every White Claw Flavor From Worst To Best

Since the brand's debut in 2016, White Claw has dominated the hard seltzer market. The original variety of slim cans emerged on the scene full of lightly flavored bubbly water at 5% alcohol by volume (ABV) and only 100 calories. For non-beer drinkers, or those avoiding gluten, the invention of hard seltzers, especially the many flavors of White Claw, totally shook up liquor options. 

White Claws have been the unofficial drink of summer every year since they've hit U.S. liquor store shelves, but that hasn't stopped them from doubling down and releasing new tropical hard seltzer flavors. The White Claw brand is light and refreshing, with enough flavor options to help you land on something you're sure to like. Most flavors don't taste very boozy, as the alcohol content is derived from malt liquor and a specific fermentation process (via Hard Seltzer News). The brand has also expanded its line to include White Claw Surge, a seltzer with higher alcohol content, as well as a line of hard sparkling iced teas. 

White Claw was the best-selling spiked seltzer brand in 2021 (via Backbar). Considering the company's success and expansion in recent years and the season's warm weather parties, you should be prepared to know which flavors of White Claw are worth a dive into the cooler. And, which cans you should let float on by.

After the initial buzz about the hard seltzer trend began to wane, brands started to introduce new varieties of canned drinks to keep customers interested (via Vinepair). The company Truly saw success with a line of refreshing hard lemonade seltzer. White Claw followed suit with a variety pack of hard iced tea flavors because, alongside lemonade, it's a rejuvenating drink made for higher temperatures. Out of the four that come in this White Claw variety pack, the least tasty option is the lemon-flavored hard tea.

This flavor falls victim to coming off like a really bad glass of iced tea at a restaurant. It's like White Claw Iced Tea Lemon was made with weak tea and a spoiled lemon. In fact, you almost can't call this tea — the liquid in this can is an unusual flavor mashup all of its own. Overall, the White Claw Iced Tea style fairs better when flavored with other fruit influences because the lemon isn't doing this can any favors.

Like the Surge Natural Lime, the White Claw Surge Cranberry is like another bar classic gone wrong. Vodka soda with a splash of cranberry juice might be basic, but the real thing tastes much better than this knock-off canned version. The biggest issue with this is that it doesn't resemble the real taste of cranberry at all. This can is like the nondescript, artificial fruit flavoring you might expect to taste if you're getting your teeth cleaned at the dentist — or eating a chalky antacid tablet. As you might expect, that quality does not translate well into a drink meant for downing during a daytime party. 

White Claw Surge Cranberry is also flat and metallic tasting. All you can detect is unpleasant alcohol poorly accompanied by a lackluster seltzer. This drink should be entered as solid evidence as to why White Claw shouldn't have made an original variety of cranberry seltzer, let alone a Surge style. Unless the company completely reinvents its flavor recipe, that is. 

Food Network reports that White Claw released the lemon variety as part of a new flavor drop in 2020 after fans called for new styles of seltzer. The choice shouldn't have been a confusing one. White Claw Lemon was released alongside flavor options like tangerine, and watermelon, which are arguably pretty creative additions. However, White Claw Lemon happens to be just as boringly simple as it sounds. Sure, it makes sense for a company with so many flavors to have a classic like lemon in its lineup. Sadly, the White Claw iteration is just a bummer. It's a below-average spiked seltzer to be drinking this summer (malt liquor aside) and definitely not anything to seek out at a bar or liquor store if you haven't sampled it yet. 

This is an example of a White Claw flavor that takes the "hint of fruit" claim to a literal level. There is barely any flavor here — the smell of lemon is more present to the drinker than any of the taste. A better way to amp up the fruit flavor would be to drink vodka mixed with lemon-flavored La Croix, and that's saying something.

The "best" option out of the White Claw Surge line is the blackberry flavor, but that isn't really saying much. Honestly, unless you're looking to feel your liquor after a single drink, White Claw Surges are worth skipping altogether because they taste that unpleasant. We find it's worth it to drink an extra can or two of original White Claws instead. Still, blackberry is at the top of the Surge line because it actually somewhat succeeds at hiding the undesirable liquor essence. 

While the flavor does help mask the alcohol, it can't exactly be described as blackberry. It tastes closer to an indistinguishable berry jam, with none of the typical tartness of real blackberry fruit. Additionally, this drink truly contains just the slightest hint of fruit flavor. If the berry flavoring were doubled, this White Claw variety would stand a chance of being ranked higher on the list. Unfortunately, like the fellow hard-hitting cans in this variety pack, the Blackberry Surge is ultimately unsatisfying. 

Earlier this summer, White Claw launched a new line of lemonade hard seltzers (via PR Newswire). The new flavors promise an exotic, unique combination of flavors in which the creation took time and passion. These new lemonade flavors include a hint of additional enhancements adding to the refreshing citrus base without overpowering the crisp, clean aspects of the drink. And, for the most part, White Claw's new REFRSHR line delivers thirst-quenching cocktails, each with 5% ABV, 100 calories per can, and 1 gram of sugar. Unfortunately, not all the flavors live up to the expectation. 

White Claw's REFRSHR Lemonade Blood Orange with black raspberry lacks the bite of tart orange we love about the fruit. NPR shares that the taste of blood oranges is similar to sweet navel oranges with an infusion of tart cherry, berry, and grapefruit. Adding natural blood orange with a hint of black raspberry flavoring to citrusy lemonade water should result in seltzer with a pop of acidity and a balance of sweet and sour flavors. Instead, it only delivers the sweet and no sour, revealing a slightly cloying, artificial taste lacking the zesty pop of acidity needed to balance the beverage.

Just in time for summer 2022, White Claw has released a new variety box dubbed the White Claw Surf pack (via PR Newswire). Marketed to be your new variety pack of summer, White Claw Surf is the brand's initial try at bringing a more robust taste to their offerings. The can art advertises a "smash" of fruit flavor rather than a "hint." For the first time, White Claw is incorporating more than one fruit flavor into each of its four new styles.

Out of the newest flavors, Watermelon Lime Smash comes out on the bottom. It's a step-up from White Claw's original watermelon flavor, thanks to the addition of lime. But, it still ends up tasting phony. Compared to the original, this can of Claw does pack a flavor punch — so beware if you're not someone who is into strongly flavored beverages. It's not a bad can to grab out of the cooler whatsoever, especially if you're someone who can't get enough of watermelon everything. 

White Claw Ruby Grapefruit is one of the brand's original flavor options, but it's arguably the worst out of the four classics. Accordingly, some Claw drinkers have even voted the can as the worst flavor of White Claw on the market, if that gives you any indication of what to expect with this flavor (via Mashed). 

Luckily, White Claw keeps the grapefruit flavor in this can very subtle. However, the taste that does come forward is not enjoyable. It doesn't taste anything close to the fresh bite of grapefruit and relies on a strange sweetness that makes it taste more like an unknowable citrus flavor. To make matters worse, this option tends to leave an unpleasant aftertaste in your mouth, and you might have to reach for a better White Claw flavor to get rid of it. Some people would die on the White Claw Grapefruit hill, and those people will always be invited to the party to drink all of the leftovers in the cooler. 

VinePair shares that the mango flavor has been a consumer favorite since the brand launched. Combining refreshing iced tea with the tropical fruit favorite, White Claw's REFRSHR Iced Tea Mango brings a taste of the islands together with floral, fresh, herb-filled black tea. This creates an enjoyable, refreshing drink with more complexity than other White Claw options. 

The taste of ripe mango combines peaches, pineapples, and oranges, reports Robust Kitchen. Combining the fruit's sweetness of candied mango and honey with the tea's aromatic floral notes and herbal flavor creates a balanced taste with a smooth, easy-drinking palate.  

Unlike in the original version, the mango taste is much more pronounced and balanced in the REFRSHR, which we appreciate as we love any excuse to be transported to the tropics. Even with the slightly more robust flavor profile, the drink remains refreshing and clean, with the same 100 calories, 1 gram of sugar, and 5% ABV of all the iced tea flavors. 

With a juicy sweetness showcasing a taste of the islands, this is a delicious option to enjoy with fried salmon tacos with fruit salsa or sweet and spicy barbecue baby back pork ribs with a side of mango slaw.

The reigning king of all the White Claw Iced Tea flavors is Peach. Southern peach tea is just one of those beverages that consistently tastes refreshing, especially if you add a little spirit into it. It may be ubiquitous in a state like Georgia, but White Claw managed to capture juicy stone fruit flavor in a can so that everyone can enjoy it, regardless of where they're buying a case. 

White Claw Iced Tea Peach has a pleasant sweetness thanks to the fruity flavor, but it doesn't overpower the slight bitterness of tea, and the fizzing bubbles keep the beverage balanced. As is the case with all of the White Claw Iced Tea flavors, this is a drink best served ice-cold. Honestly, White Claw should come out with a pack solely filled with this peach tea-flavored style. It would be a much better option than picking up a variety box and only liking half of the cans. 

We had high hopes for the Lemonade Limón with a hint of calamansi REFRSHR, especially from the company that initially brought mike's Hard Lemonade to the world (via VinePair). We hoped the drink would deliver a highly refreshingly tart and sweet combination. However, the flavor oddly tastes more sugary, even though the total grams of sugar in the beverage is lower than the original White Claw offerings. It is not that the seltzer is flawed or poor tasting. It just could be so much more, given the piquant flavors it promises.

EatingWell describes the taste of Filipino lime, calamansi, as very tart citrus that combines the flavors of lemon, lime, and orange. Similarly sized to key limes, the calamansi fruit delivers an intense pop of mouthwatering acidity from its tiny shell. A single squeeze of the fruit into a vodka soda transforms the cocktail into a zesty sensation. 

Adding a hint of the sharp-tasting fruit juice to citrusy lemonade seltzer should produce a lip-smacking flavor. This one is more like a soft ping than a pop. 

But with the subtlety of the fruit, the drink will mix nicely into an updated version of a French 75 cocktail, skipping the simple syrup and sparkling wine and topping the lemony gin-based cocktail with the REFRSHR instead. The seltzer's soft palate will allow the botanical flavors of juniper-filled gin to shine.

When we said Citrus Yuzu Smash could be more complex, the White Claw Surf Wildberry Acai Smash is exactly what we had in mind. Imagine if black cherry, blackberry, and a splash of cranberry-flavored White Claws were mixed and then infused with light-years more flavor than any of those original tastes have when alone. 

The addition of berries to this recipe adds just the right amount of sweetness while keeping a pleasant tart mouthfeel, thanks to the inclusion of acai. In our opinion, this specific flavor profile has us convinced that White Claw should consider boosting all its other cans with added hints of acai. It would give a welcoming complex sharpness. Being in the top-10 of our list is proof that the brand (White Claw Surge cans aside) has never met a berry flavor that it couldn't knock out of the park. If you're a White Claw newbie, picking any of the berry flavors out of the cooler is generally a safe bet. 

Speaking of berries, we should talk about how the White Claw Strawberry is underrated. Some people (who may not be in love with all things strawberry) will miss the hype. However, strawberry is a sweet and light flavor that easily compliments the bubbling nature of seltzer water. White Claw fully understands that, and they've nailed it with this can. Thankfully, the recipe doesn't overdo the sweetness, keeping it fresh and subtle. Compared to other flavors, this is one of the rare types of White Claw that actually resembles the real fruit taste, making it even more tempting to down several cans in one sitting. 

One of the best options of variety packs that White Claw sells is the box that comes with blackberry, pineapple, mango, and strawberry. Aside from the mango, of course. If you bring that case to a party, there will likely be a scramble for the strawberry flavor, followed by someone required to take one for the team and claim the mango cans. 

The absolute top-tier White Claw Surf flavor is the Tropical Pomelo Smash. This flavor mixes pomelo, which per MasterClass tastes like a flowery variation of grapefruit, with other breezy, tropical flavors. With this can, White Claw has made a drink that is somehow more refreshing than ice water. Pomelo Smash is one of those flavors you would be able to drink an entire case of in one day because it's executed so well it becomes crave-able. 

White Claw blends in orange, lime, and lemon flavors to truly reinforce a cheerful citrus character full of many notes. Even though you have to crack open a can to enjoy the combination, you may feel like you just peeled into a juicy fresh fruit pulled right from the tree. That's a hard sensation to capture in a product, but White Claw succeeded. Tropical Pomelo is the best, but you can't go wrong with trying any of the latest White Claw Surf flavors. They are all something new and inventive from the brand and prioritize taste over everything else. 

One of the best of the brand's new lemonade options is the perfect twist on a summertime favorite, REFRSHR Lemonade Strawberry, with a hint of kiwi. This match is made in the summertime, sipping heaven, as strawberries and lemonade go hand in hand. Though the brand notes a hint of kiwi in the flavoring, it is so subtle we couldn't taste it. We didn't miss it, though, as the ripe, red berry elevates the sweetness of the zesty, slightly tangy lemonade.

With refreshing fresh-cut berries and lemon blossom aromas, REFRSHR Lemonade Strawberry brings a complexity to this selection that wasn't apparent in several others. As with all White Claw options, the flavor is present without overpowering, resulting in a drink that balances fruity sweetness with citrus-infused freshness.

This is the seltzer we want to enjoy with spicy shrimp pad thai, as the refreshing berry notes will highlight the sweetness of the shrimp and tame the heat of the Thai chilis. And, with only 100 calories and a low alcohol level, they are a light addition to the rich and spicy dish, especially when enjoyed ice cold.

From our perspective, the pineapple-flavored White Claw may be the most consistently underrated flavor of all time. Pineapple and liquor are always a good match — the acidic, tangy fruit overwhelms the taste of even the heaviest pours of tequila or rum. Just like black cherry, pineapple is also a strong flavor that is able to shine through, despite the classic White Claw line having only a background focus on drink flavor. If you haven't yet tried White Claw Pineapple, it needs to be a priority the next time you purchase a variety case. 

White Claw Pineapple embodies the summer-loving attitude of the brand. It's what you want to drink on the first sweltering day of the season, whether you're lounging by the pool or grilling in the backyard. Pineapple is one of those tastes you can consistently drink, but it's not as common as a beverage flavoring. So, this White Claw style deserves more recognition as one of the best flavors of the bunch as it is a novelty that could be a staple. If every variety pack of White Claw included at least one can of pineapple, they would all be made better for it. 

White Claw's absolute best creation is the tangerine flavor. Upon first glance, you might be tempted to see this as a basic, unmemorable orange-flavored seltzer. But it's anything but forgettable. This drink is light and dazzling, with a strong concentration of fresh citrus that tastes nothing like artificially-flavored orange sodas. Instead, it has a rare quality for most White Claws flavors: The tangerine can is like a bartender has just made a fresh cocktail of sparkling water and clean liquor, with a whole fresh fruit squeezed into the glass. 

Tangerine White Claws can be sneaky. These babies go down a little too easily because they are so refreshing. A gulp from this can of Claw also has a dry finish similar to good wine, adding complexity to this unassuming beverage. Like the pineapple style, this is another White Claw variety that tends to fly under the radar. However, these two bright cans deserve to be the normal stock at bars and restaurants, especially over Ruby Grapefruit or Natural Lime any day.