Hard seltzers seem to be the flavour of the month at the moment. Cans of alcoholic sparkling water, usually with a vodka base and a light fruit flavour are dominating the market with a variety of brands turning their hand to the latest craze. I’ve tried a few different ones and can’t say I have been overly impressed. A ‘touch of fruit’ is not really my thing, I like my alcohol to taste of more than the booze in general. That said, I was quick off the mark when Sol Duc offered their first 50 followers on Instagram a selection of their new hard seltzers so I thought I would tell you what I thought.
Sol Duc Hard Seltzers are made with filtered sparkling water, premium vodka and natural fruit flavours. They are fairly low in calories at just 95 per can and have 5% alcohol, so an average amount for the canned alcoholic drink market.
The cans are really decorative and are perfect for popping in the picnic basket in summer. For winter, they are really nice to have in the fridge for those days when you don’t have mixers in and fancy something more refreshing and a little bit different.
Sol Duc Hard Seltzers are available in 3 different flavours; rhubarb & ginger, raspberry & rose and strawberry & lime. For those who haven’t tried a hard seltzer, don’t expect a sugary alcopop style drink. They are much more akin to a lightly flavoured carbonated water with just a hint of the fruit flavour. The strawberry and lime did not have a lot of flavour, or certainly not enough for me but they are very sparkly and you can taste the vodka from start to finish.
Despite the light fruit flavours, I enjoyed the last 2 flavours. The raspberry adds a little bit of tartness with the rose adding a floral element that meant the lack of sweetness wasn’t as noticeable to me. The addition of ginger in the rhubarb & ginger was perfect for my palate and warms with a gentle touch of spice.
I am still not 100% sold on the hard seltzer craze but I did like trying the Sol Duc range and they are certainly a premium canned drink for those who like their booze to taste like booze with a touch of flavour.
