White Claw's New Non-Alcoholic Flavors Review: Even Better Than The Hard Seltzers
White Claw has announced the launch of its newest beverage line — a collection of non-alcoholic premium seltzers that pull inspiration from the brand's most popular original hard seltzer flavors and appeal to a growing, sober-curious audience. According to White Claw, 78% of Millenials and 81% of GenZ drinkers surveyed (yes, GenZ is old enough to drink now) are interested in non-alcoholic alternatives. However, the majority of drinkers still feel pressured to drink in social settings. The new White Claw 0% alcohol by volume (ABV) drinks are designed to serve that need and are geared towards adults who are familiar with the flavors and textures of alcoholic drinks and are looking for a drink to emulate that. The seltzers are not necessarily intended to become your next everyday go-to seltzer, like La Croix, San Pellegrino, or Spindrift.
I was invited to preview the new non-alcoholic White Claws at a tasting event hosted by the brand, where guests were able to taste the drinks side-by-side with the alcoholic White Claw Hard Seltzer originals, as well as some of the non-alcoholic seltzer competition. The new line of White Claw 0% Alcohol drinks won't be available in stores until January 1st, but we've got all the details on what you can expect from the collection as soon as it arrives — just in time for anyone partaking in Dry or Damp January, or those just looking to start the year on a more hydrated note.
Black Cherry Cranberry
Black Cherry is White Claw's most popular Hard Seltzer flavor, which also makes an appearance in the brand's line of flavored vodkas and as "Wild Cherry" in the line of canned vodka sodas. The newest iteration of the popular black cherry taste comes with a hint of cranberry in White Claw's line of non-alcoholic beverages, which is clever for several reasons. For those familiar with and enjoy White Claw's Black Cherry Hard Seltzer, this will be a familiar transition, making it easier to reach for a non-alcoholic version of a drink they already like. Also, the cranberry addition helps to subtly convey that the drink won't taste exactly like its hard seltzer cousin, so drinkers' expectations are somewhat tempered when comparing the drinks. The hint of cranberry and the additional electrolytes lend a bit more flavor complexity to replace the taste that alcohol would otherwise add to the drink.
During the tasting, we experienced White Claw's new 0% ABV Black Cherry Cranberry drink alongside S.Pellegrino's Essenza Dark Morello Cherry & Pomegranate sparkling mineral water and Spindrift's Cranberry Raspberry sparkling water. The S.Pellegrino and White Claw samples were both clear but differed significantly in aroma and taste, with the White Claw having a slightly stronger flavor and less overall sweetness than the S.Pellegrino. The Spindrift sparkling water was less of a direct comparison both visually and flavor-wise, having a reddish color from the added juices and more of a bitter fruit flavor.
Mango Passion Fruit
White Claw's mango flavor is so popular that it's also made its way into the brand's collection of flavored vodkas and Refrshr Iced Teas, in addition to the original Hard Seltzer lineup. The mango seltzer packs the recognizable sweet tropical flavor of mango and includes the fruit's signature light musk aroma for authenticity. In the new 0% alcohol format, White Claw's popular mango flavor is paired with passion fruit, a reliably appealing combination that helps boost the citrus and tropical notes of each of the fruit's flavor profiles.
For comparison, we tasted White Claw's new Mango Passion Fruit flavor next to Spindrift's Mango Orange sparkling water. The Spindrift sparkler has an obvious color difference and a more developed ripe fruit taste but is generally less sweet and crisp than the White Claw 0% alcohol offering. Ultimately, this particular flavor choice may come down to personal preference. Those already familiar with White Claw's mango beverages will probably like what they find in the new non-alcoholic version.
Lime Yuzu
Lime seltzer is one of those flavors that just about anyone can enjoy, making this one an obvious choice if you're planning to stock a few non-alcoholic options for an upcoming get-together. Previously available in the original Hard Seltzer and Hard Seltzer Surge formats, lime takes on a new flavor profile in the non-alcoholic iteration with the inclusion of yuzu. For those who haven't tasted yuzu solo, the citrus has a similar bitterness to grapefruit, which has been crossed with some of the crisp, sweeter notes found in a mandarin orange. Together with the lime, the non-alcoholic seltzer is easy to drink and has a noticeably more complex flavor than the original hard seltzer. It's even conceivable that one could use the 0% lime yuzu seltzer as a mixer for a cocktail to cut down on juicing extra citrus or to boost a simple seltzer drink.
We also had the chance to taste the lime yuzu seltzer with Spindrift's Lime sparkling water. The White Claw non-alcoholic seltzer is the more fragrant of the two drinks, while the Spindrift has a stronger bitter lime taste, which might appeal to those looking for a seltzer to serve primarily as a mixer. There's no added sugar in the Spindrift version, which makes for fewer calories. However, this is one of those scenarios where a touch more sugar might go a long way to balance the flavor — which became obvious when directly comparing it with the new White Claw seltzer.
Peach Orange Blossom
Peach is one of those flavors that's easy to love and appears in several of White Claw's beverage lines as well, including the original Hard Seltzers, the Vodka + Soda collection, and then again in the Refrshr Iced Tea lineup. But this is the first version of the flavor that includes Orange Blossom, a tasting note that was added to help impart the full flavor of a fresh and juicy, ripe Georgia peach (a flavor that seems to get harder and harder to find from actual peaches, the further you are from The Peach State).
While tasting the Peach Orange Blossom 0% ABV White Claw, we were also given S.Pellegrino's Essenza Tangerine & Wild Strawberry sparkling mineral water and Spindrift's Peach Strawberry sparkling water. The three beverages have a wider variety of differing tasting notes among them, so it wasn't an entirely straightforward comparison. However, the White Claw Peach Orange Blossom was the clear standout when focusing on the aroma of tree fruits and florals. Not quite as intense as biting into a fresh peach, the drink still manages to pack enough peach flavor to convince you that it's got some real peach juice in it and seems sweeter than you might expect for a drink that only has 15 calories in it.
If there's no alcohol in these drinks, is it just water?
Mostly, yes. But there are also some other ingredients worth mentioning. The White Claw non-alcoholic seltzers pack only 15 calories per 12-ounce can, which is a significant drop from the 100 calories per can of the original Hard Seltzer. Both the original and non-alcoholic seltzers have two grams of sugar. However, the original contains only two grams of carbohydrates in total, whereas the non-alcoholic seltzer has five grams in total. The most significant nutritional difference, other than the lack of alcohol, is that the alcohol-free seltzer includes electrolytes, which have the potential to keep you more hydrated than you might otherwise. That explains the spike in sodium from about 20 mg in the Hard Seltzer to 65 mg in the non-alcoholic versions. For comparison, a 12-ounce serving of Gatorade has 160 mg of sodium and 22 grams of total carbohydrates.
The ingredients list includes purified carbonated water, natural flavors, cane sugar, citric acid, electrolytes (sea salt, monopotassium phosphate, sodium citrate), and concentrated juice (which varies depending on flavor). While the electrolytes are an unexpected addition to the seltzers, they aren't unwelcome and seem to provide a more rounded flavor to the drinks. I'll also gladly take the 15 calories, knowing I'm getting a beverage that uses actual cane sugar. White Claw has also created a proprietary plant-based sweetener that likely helps boost the sweetness and overall flavor of the drinks but doesn't leave behind an overwhelmingly synthetic flavor.
A non-alcoholic seltzer that's better than the original
The miracle of White Claw was how successfully the brand turned water into...hard water. If White Claw removes the one thing that sets it apart from the sea of fizzy water options on the market (the alcohol), what are we buying here exactly? I'll admit I was skeptical — I'll happily enjoy a few classic claws and even opt for alcohol-free drinks on a night out occasionally, but could these flavored seltzer waters really stand strong enough on their own to be considered more than just water? From a taste perspective, these are genuinely incredibly tasty seltzer waters. I've been convinced to trade in my La Croix Peach-Pear for White Claw's Peach Orange Blossom seltzer, and I'd even go so far as to say that the flavors in these iterations taste better than their hard seltzer counterparts.
Because it's White Claw, I can see how it would be comfortable to reach for one of these non-alcoholic seltzers in a social setting, but not so much when doing non-alcohol-related activities, like driving or walking around town — which is a strong testament to White Claw's branding. Since the beverages haven't been released yet, it's unclear whether the price point will be more on par with a pack of hard seltzer or sparkling water. My hunch is that it'll be the former, potentially dissuading some from enjoying the drinks as often as less expensive, less flavorful seltzers.