Hard seltzers are thriving in the ready-to-drink market and continue to evolve. They started out as a successful “better-for-you” beverage in the alcohol segment as a low-calorie, low ABV beverage. The next generation steered away from that, bringing higher ABV extensions served in larger cans. Other iterations of the seltzer include lemonade and tea seltzers, which were not my favorite due to the high sweetness intensities. Currently, the next generation of seltzers are going premium, using distilled spirits like vodka rather than the usual cheaper alternative sucrose base.
This industry-wide shift can be attributed to High Noon Spirits Company, after the brand introduced its premium vodka seltzers in 2019. They recently launched 4.5% ABV Blanco tequila seltzers containing strawberry, lime, grapefruit, and passionfruit flavors. Of course I already tried them, so I thought I’d share my review.
Strawberry- 3/10
The strawberry seltzer is tequila forward. It is lightly flavored with a green strawberry profile which enhances the woody, almost dirty tequila notes. In fact, it's so green I thought I was tasting strawberry basil (heavy on the basil). I think a jammy and ripe strawberry profile would be better suited to balance out the earthiness of the tequila.
Lime- 6.5/10
The lime seltzer is also tequila forward, but it is still more impactful than the strawberry seltzer. I found that the lime flavor had a very juicy, mouthwatering effect. It was like biting into a fresh slice of lime and chasing it with a strong margarita, the tequila lingering harshly. I think a swap for a Gold tequila would provide a smoother sweet taste that rounds out the flavor better, which is what bartenders typically use for margaritas to complement the drink’s fruity notes.
Grapefruit- 9/10
I’m not usually a fan of grapefruit but this was my favorite out of the pack- probably because it was fruit forward instead of tequila forward. It has a well-rounded pink grapefruit profile with fresh, ripe, and peely notes. The citrus paired well with the tequila, masking the dirty notes, and producing a bright juicy profile.
Passionfruit- 8/10
The passionfruit seltzer was also fruit forward, making it my second favorite. It was sulfury which melded well with the earthy tequila notes. I should note that the sulfury notes were not overwhelming for my sulfur-sensitive peers, so it’s a win.
Average score- 6.6
I'm surprisingly disappointed in their tequila seltzers because the fruit profiles didn't shine as expected. In my opinion, High Noon does have the best-tasting seltzers on the market due to their clean base which allows their profiles' sweet juicy notes to come through smoothly. I hope they do individual packs for their lime, grapefruit, and passionfruit flavors. I can see the lime tequila seltzer competing with Cutwater's margarita.
Thank you for reading my review from the perspective of a beverage technologist! I can’t wait to rate other packs this summer season.
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