Hard Seltzers Have Landed at Houston Breweries
Cody Miller
The summer of 2019 was the summer of White Claws and Trulys. They were the perfect option for a low-calorie, light, refreshing beverage for people who may not like beer. Hard Seltzers could barely stay on the shelf at the grocery store. The big beer brands took notice, and the summer of 2020 was the summer of big beer hard seltzer. Every big beer brand from Bud Light, Natural Light, to Corona all had their own take on this sought-after drink. Today, it’s not uncommon to go to the grocery store and over a quarter of the beer selection is hard seltzer.
Finally, hard seltzers have infiltrated craft breweries in Houston and around the country. I believe that the summer of 2021 will be the summer of craft brewery seltzers. While there are only five breweries in town currently making hard seltzers, this number is sure to rise as consumer demand remains strong for these beer alternatives.
Here are the five Houston breweries currently producing hard seltzers:
Saint Arnold Superfine Hard Seltzer
Saint Arnold recently released their Superfine series of seltzers. There are four options: Mimosa Morning, Cherry Lounge, Sangria Sunset and Lemon Drop. The seltzers clock in at a 4.5% ABV with only 95 calories per can, which is a big reason for the appeal of hard seltzers versus beer. My personal favorites of the bunch are the Lemon Drop and Mimosa Morning. The 12-pack with three cans of each can be found at local Krogers, H-E-Bs and the brewery
Eureka Heights Fizzy Pants Hard Seltzer
Eureka Heights released their variety pack a couple of weeks before Saint Arnold released theirs. The Fizzy Pants seltzers are more aptly named: Strawberry, Grapefruit, Peach and Watermelon. The seltzers are 5% ABV with 100 calories per can. My favorite of the bunch is the Peach.
Galveston Island Strawberry Lemonade Seltzer
I can’t think of a better environment to drink a seltzer than at the beach, and if you are on Galveston Island, you can stop by the brewery for their seltzer option. Their seltzer is 5.5% ABV and 115 calories.
BAKFISH Swim Shady Seltzer
BAKFISH was the first brewery in Houston to release their own seltzer, back in Fall 2020. They have three options to choose from: Passionfruit Guava, Coconut Lime Mojito and A 5th of Kool-aid (Cherry). Their seltzers are 4.75% ABV with 96 calories.
Urban South HTX Lifted Seltzer
If there ever was a brewery in town to keep up with the latest trends (or create their own trends), it’s Urban South. Urban South’s Lifted hard seltzer series has various flavors from Raspberry, White Chocolate, Ice Cream to Pineapple, Cotton Candy. Like with everything Urban South HTX does, these are unlike any seltzer you will find in town.
Like mentioned before, there will certainly be more breweries this summer releasing their own hard seltzer to keep up with consumer taste. I’ve heard a rumor that Texas Leaguer Brewing in Missouri City is very close in releasing their own from when this article was written. If you are a big beer drinker, hard seltzers aren’t going to blow you away with any sort of complex flavors, but hard seltzers are a great alternative to drink something less caloric than a normal beer while still feeling refreshed.
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