Fresca Hard Might Be The New Seltzer Of The Summer

A few weeks back, Fresca (yep, the soda brand) released a hard seltzer line, Fresca Hard, which features alcoholic versions of its cult-favorite soda. I know there are a ton of Fresca fans out there who swear by the original sparkling grapefruit citrus drink, and the news certainly caught my eye. Considering I've written plenty of hard seltzer reviews for The Takeout, including White Claw's Surge line, I figured I was well-equipped to review these so I asked for a sample to try.

These seltzers clock in at an easygoing 99 calories each, with a relatively smooth 4.6% ABV to match. This is typical for a hard seltzer, as most don't come in over 5% ABV, and if they do they're marketed more toward partygoers. Fresca Hard comes in the original Grapefruit Citrus flavor, but there's three other flavors, including Peach Citrus, Pineapple Citrus, and Watermelon Citrus. Like many other hard seltzers on the market, they're all malt-based beverages, meaning the alcohol contained within is derived from malt. So, does the Fresca flavor profile work well with alcohol? There's only one way to find out.

One does not simply judge a seltzer by its packaging, so I had to give these a fair shake in my own way. In terms of methodology, I made sure to refrigerate them until the cans were ice cold and I poured out small tasting samples into individual glasses. (This was mostly out of curiosity to see if there was any color added. Spoiler alert: There wasn't.) 

I judged these based off the sweetness, whether the flavor description hit the intended mark, and whether I'd spend my own money on them. The flagship grapefruit citrus flavor got a little extra scrutiny if only because Fresca is known specifically for it. I typically review things like this on my own, but I had the family with me over Memorial Day weekend so I informally polled the crowd to see which were the favorites among the bunch. I'll also note one last thing — this was not a blind taste test.

Now for the burning question: Does the original Fresca Hard flavor taste like the soda? Lyndon B. Johnson was reportedly a big Fresca fan, but I haven't had one in years. Fortunately, I was with folks who drink it more often and I'm happy to report that the answer is yes, it does taste like classic Fresca. That familiar, artificially-sweetened grapefruit flavor makes this one fun to drink. Grapefruit-flavored hard seltzer is a popular choice for a reason, as the floral, slightly bitter notes pair well with alcohol.

I also think Fresca nailed the sweetness levels in this new line of drinks. I've had low-calorie hard seltzers that were unsweetened to the point of being completely joyless, and I've had some that were so sweet I felt like I'd just choked down a raw mouthful of Splenda. These hit a good level without being obnoxious, which is key if you want to sit and enjoy more than one in a drinking session. Meanwhile, its ABV was at a perfect level to where you barely notice the booze, and that was true across every flavor. What's interesting is that even though the original Grapefruit Citrus is a flavor I'd reach for consistently, it wasn't the group's (nor my) favorite out of the new Fresca Hard lineup.

The one Fresca Hard flavor that really stood out among the crowd was the Peach Citrus. This conclusion is based off my own preference as well as my informal poll, as the peach was a hit with almost everyone. The Pineapple Citrus and Watermelon Citrus flavors were good (Pineapple Citrus placed last with most of my family members), but the Peach Citrus was praised for not being overly artificial-tasting. I'm a sucker for anything peach-flavored anyway so it could just be my bias showing, but this version featured a stronger, fruitier note to it that we all got behind. (I don't think I would enjoy a pickle seltzer, however.)

Consider me shocked since I do like the regular Fresca (and its hard counterpart), but Peach Citrus wins top place out of the four so don't be surprised if you pick up a variety pack of Fresca Hard and find the peach-flavored cans mysteriously disappear first. Overall, I'm going to say these hard seltzers are some of the best I've had in a while; managing to be sweet but not overly so, lightly refreshing, and they also go down easy. If you need something new for your backyard hangs, I think these are certainly worth getting as a beer or wine alternative. Just make sure to hide a can of the peach for yourself.