Sparkling water has always been the virtuous choice when it comes to drinking, but that now looks set to change.
Last summer, ‘hard seltzer’ — basically fizzy water laced with alcohol and flavoured with fruit — went crazy in the U.S., so much so that there was a reported shortage.
Now it’s hitting UK shelves.
Low in calories, carbs and sugar, its ‘healthy’ credentials are clearly appealing to younger, health-conscious drinkers.
The leading American brand, White Claw, racked up sales of more than £1 billion last year, and it expects to launch in the UK later this year.
Last summer, ‘hard seltzer’ — basically fizzy water laced with alcohol and flavoured with fruit — went crazy in the U.S., so much so that there was a reported shortage (file image)
However, unlike the alcopops that appeared on the scene in the mid-Nineties, you can forget rainbow colours and sickly sweet flavours: this is ‘clean drinking’ in a can.
For example, a bottle of Smirnoff Ice has more than 220 calories. Compare that with a typical can of boozy water, which has less than half that, with little or no added sugar, and it’s no surprise they’re going down a storm with the wellness crowd.
But do these new drinks really deliver a healthy buzz, or are they just alcopops with a modern makeover?
The Mail’s drinks expert HELEN McGINN puts them to the test …
GINGER KICK
Bodega Bay Hard Seltzer Apple with Ginger and Acai Berry, 250ml, £2, sainsburys.co.uk
Founder Charlie Markland describes Bodega Bay as the natural choice for ‘healthy hedonists’.
Ticking all the boxes — gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and with no added sugar, sweeteners, sulphites or colours — this is just 72 calories per can.
Bodega Bay Hard Seltzer Apple with Ginger and Acai Berry, 250ml, £2, sainsburys.co.uk
As Charlie points out, that’s 80 per cent less sugar per millilitre than fruit cider, and half the calories of most wines or beers.
This flavour is 4 per cent alcohol and clear in colour with a slightly strange sour apple smell. On first taste it reminds me of penny sweets, but then the ginger kicks in. 4/5
GUILT-FREE ZING
Mike’s Hard Lemon Sparkling Water, 330ml, £1.80, ocado.com
Following its success in the U.S., this brewery-owned brand has recently hit UK shelves and its ‘healthy’ credentials are writ large on the can.
It comes in three flavours, lemon, lime and black cherry, and is gluten and sugar-free, with just 99 calories per can.
Mike’s Hard Lemon Sparkling Water, 330ml, £1.80, ocado.com
Made from purified water and five-times-distilled spirit, it packs a subtle punch at 5 per cent alcohol.
But what’s really impressive is the clean, crisp flavour. And it doesn’t skimp on the lemon — so much so that it’s a bit of a cheek-sucker to begin with. Properly refreshing. 4/5
CARB-FREE CITRUS
DRTY White Citrus, 330ml, £2.25, 31dover.com
This offering was created by friends Matija Pisk and Oli Clements, former colleagues at a big drinks company who first came across boozy water on a trip to the U.S. in 2018 and recognised its appeal as a low-calorie alternative to beer. DRTY comes in two flavours: White Citrus and Raspberry Rosé.
It’s made with a carbohydrate-free alcohol base, sparkling water and natural flavours.
DRTY White Citrus, 330ml, £2.25, 31dover.com
At just 4 per cent alcohol, there are 90 calories per can and it’s gluten-free.
Unlike most, this is slightly cloudy rather than clear. It smells and tastes of grapefruit and manages to stay on the right side of fresh without being too sharp.
It’s dangerously easy to drink, so be warned. 5/5
BERRY BOOZY
Oskar Blues Wild Basin Black Raspberry Boozy Sparkling Water, 355ml, £2.99, honestbrew.co.uk
One of the few American brands to make it over here to date, this is made by the Oskar Blues Brewery in Colorado.
Named after an unspoiled spot along the St Vrain River, where the water is sourced, its ‘healthy’ credentials are plastered across the front of the can — 100 calories, gluten-free, 0g sugar, 1g carbs — but it definitely has a fun rather than fuss-free feel to the design.
Oskar Blues Wild Basin Black Raspberry Boozy Sparkling Water, 355ml, £2.99, honestbrew.co.uk
And it’s got more of an alcopop nose to it (I blame the berries), so it feels a bit sweeter and rounder compared with some of the others.
It’s also 5 per cent alcohol, while most of them are only 4 per cent, so it doesn’t feel quite so virtuous either. 2/5
SCANDI SPRITZ
Balans Mandarin, 250ml, £1.50, tesco.com
Billed as the UK’s first Aqua Spritz, this good-looking Swedish brand has only 60 calories per can, is naturally flavoured, gluten-free and vegan-friendly.
The firm behind the brand is Swedish fruit cider giant Kopparberg, perhaps demonstrating just how seriously it’s taking this new drinks category.
There are a couple of flavour choices: mandarin or lime.
Balans Mandarin, 250ml, £1.50, tesco.com
Smelling more like tinned than fresh fruit, the flavours on the palate are surprisingly quite subtle.
It doesn’t leave you feeling like you’re drinking a naff alcopop, rather something altogether more sophisticated, and, yes, even a little bit healthy.
Except for the 4 per cent alcohol, of course. 3/5
TRENDY TIPPLE
Spark Lemon, Lime & Mint, four x 240ml cans, £12, spark-drink.com
Coming in at only 65 calories per can, this carries 3g carbs and has no added sugars or sweeteners.
Spark Lemon, Lime & Mint, four x 240ml cans, £12, spark-drink.com
You can choose from two flavour variants: Lemon, Lime & Mint and Mixed Berry — and they certainly look the trendy, modern part.
The Lemon, Lime & Mint flavour is the more refreshing of the two, with a good balance of bubbles and natural-tasting flavours.
This small, independent start-up is struggling to cope with demand, so it’s worth stocking up quickly if you can. 4/5