But they don’t serve as a replacement for a vodka soda. To that end, these drinks have added sugar and strong citrus flavors, which a lot of consumers like. A problem with malternatives has been the need to find ways to mask the beer-like flavor that results from brewing. Zima, Smirnoff Ice, and Mike’s Hard Lemonade are all “malternative” beverages, brewed from grain, like beer. If you made a product similar to White Claw by mixing vodka with seltzer and putting it in a can, a six-pack would be subject to almost $2 in additional taxes when sold in New York City.īecause of this tax quirk, beverage companies have long sought ways to make flavored cocktail-like beverages for the U.S.
Then, carbonated water and flavoring are added.īecause White Claw is brewed like beer, it’s taxed like beer, which is important because beer is taxed in the U.S. Instead it is made through fermentation, like beer, but starting from a base of sugar instead of cereal grains like barley. It doesn’t contain vodka or any other distilled spirits.
Part of the answer lies in the fact White Claw, which markets itself as “hard seltzer” and “spiked sparkling water,” is not precisely a vodka soda in a can. So, why did it take so long for it to come ready-to-drink in a can? It’s the chicken breast of mixed drinks: broadly acceptable, gets the job done, nothing fancy. All it has is alcohol, water, and carbonation - no extra flavorings, no caffeine, and no calorie content other than from alcohol. What people like about a vodka soda is what it doesn’t contain.
How much alcohol is in white claw free#
Until then, feel free to jump for joy with all of this good news I just gave you at once.I’m kind of amazed the White Claw craze didn’t happen sooner.Īs a gay man in New York with a well-stocked bar, I am used to my friends coming to my apartment and asking for vodka sodas. But if they're as good as I think they'll be, it may not be long before we'll see them in their own special packs, too. 3 will be available in available in a variety pack, one thing to note about Surge is that these cans will be sold individually with prices estimated at about $2.99 per can. Unfortunately, though, these will only available in 12-ounce cans. Featuring the previously released Mango flavor along with three new summer-inspired profiles (Strawberry, Pineapple, and Blackberry), the new pack will fall in line with those released prior to Surge and only have a five percent ABV, two grams of sugar, and 100 calories per can. In addition to the new Surge line, the fast-growing brand is also dropping its latest variety pack- Flavor Collection No. That's not all White Claw has for you, though. And they'll be available in 16-ounce cans!
While the flavor profiles are enough to get you excited, what you really want to know is how high the new ABV is, right? It's OK, I would, too! If you're planning on picking up the new Surge seltzers, you'd be more than happy to know that each one will come equipped with an eight percent ABV, which is three percent higher than the original versions. Named White Claw Hard Seltzer Surge (yes, like the infamous '90s drink!), the latest addition to the already expansive lineup will include two tasty and fruitful flavors- Blood Orange and Cranberry. Launching a line of impressively high-ABV hard seltzers, White Claw is shaking things up-and it's totally in a good way. And trust me, this is the one that you've absolutely been waiting on. If you needed a sign that it was time to completely welcome in the warmer months, consider this to be it because White Claw has cooked up something amazing for everyone to love.