Seltzer Weather: A guide to finding the best seltzer to tickle your taste buds

We all have that crazy aunt who would have one too many wine coolers at the family cookout. A vicious combination of Seagram & Smirnoff always managed to take that 7th birthday party or baptism down a bad path. Well, reality check people — we are the crazy aunts now. And while our behaviors may be questionable, our tastes have evolved. We’ve put down the wine coolers for something with a bit more pizazz. (If your idea of pizazz is a blast of Co2.) 

Spiked seltzer has quickly become the drink of choice for many. Often gluten-free, spiked seltzers also offer fewer carbs, fewer calories and typically low alcohol content, making it the perfect drink for those who like to party but want to avoid packing on the pounds. White Claw is arguably the most popular brand of this new beverage that has taken the drinking community by storm. It offers a variety of flavors from black cherry to mango and rings in at 110 calories. Other large brands also have concocted their own signature version of seltzer including Truly, BON VIV and even domestic beer mogul Budweiser. 

Local breweries are jumping into the seltzer craze, too. While enjoying a socially distant meal at The Patio in East Greenwich, I was approached by Adam Aktchian, a rep of Two Roads Brewing of Stratford, Conn. He offered my boyfriend and me a sample of their newest brew, H2Roads, in a delicious raspberry flavor. He encouraged us to pour the drink over ice to witness its vibrant fruity color, which comes from the real fruit used in the drink. Head brewer Phil Markowski says on the Two Roads website: “We wanted to avoid an artificial flavor from additives and offer an alternative to folks who prefer a natural tasting product. Real fruit was the only way to achieve this. The natural byproduct of real fruit is real color, which all of our seltzers will have.” I can personally vouch that the results are amazing. 

For your drinking pleasure, this guide will help you find the best spiked seltzer for you:

Two Roads – H2Roads 

Flavors: Raspberry, grapefruit, black cherry, cranberry lime

Calories: 100 – 110 

Alcohol % by volume: 4.5%

Available at:

Nikki’s Liquors, 32 Branch St, PVD; Yankee Spirits, 207 Swansea Mall Dr, Swansea, Mass

BON VIV

Flavors: Pear elderflower (new), lemon lime, clementine hibiscus, coconut pineapple, grapefruit, black cherry, mango, cranberry

Calories: 90

Alcohol % by volume: 4.5%

Available: Everywhere

Truly

Flavors: Black cherry, blueberry acai, wild berry, raspberry lime, lime, orange, lemon, grapefruit, passionfruit, pineapple, watermelon kiwi, mango

Calories: 100

Alcohol % by volume: 5%

Available: Everywhere

White Claw

Flavors: Black cherry, lime, grapefruit, mango, raspberry, watermelon, tangerine, lemon

Calories: 100

Alcohol % by volume: 5%

Available: Everywhere

Bud Light Seltzer

Flavors: Black cherry, lemon lime, strawberry, mango

Calories: 100

Alcohol % by volume: 5%

Available: Everywhere