Summer remains a distant reality for most of us, but in better news: the hotly-anticipated new White Claw flavors have arrived. Finally.
First rumored back in November 2019, the White Claw “Flavor Collection No. 2” multipack includes three new flavors — Tangerine, Watermelon, and Lemon — as well as Mango, which debuted in October 2018.
Officially released on Thursday, March 5, this release marks the brand’s first new offering in more than 16 months. It takes the total number of White Claw flavors available from six to nine.
“In the last year, tens and thousands of eager and passionate consumers took to social media requesting new flavors, and we listened,” Phil Rosse, president of White Claw Seltzer Works, said in an email press release. (According to the brand, Watermelon was the most-requested flavor of the new lineup.)
Flavors aside, the new expressions follow a similar formula to previous releases. Each 12-ounce serving contains 100 calories, 2 grams of sugar, and 5 percent ABV. All are made using a “blend of seltzer water, a gluten-free alcohol base, and a hint of fruit flavor,” according to White Claw.
But more importantly: What do they taste like?
Luckily, VinePair has already had the opportunity to sample the lineup and we’re able to share our tasting notes today. Here are all of the flavors of the new White Claw multipack, tasted and ranked.
4. Mango
Though it debuted in 2018, we’re including Mango in this roundup because it’s part of the new multipack. With a sweet, tropical nose, this hard seltzer smells unmistakably of mango. The aromas recall green, slightly underripe fruit — but fresh fruit all the same, with a faint hint of green tea. The palate isn’t as definitively “mango” as the nose, and instead resembles any number of sweet fruits ranging from passionfruit to nectarine. Overall, it’s a hit, and promises to appeal to those looking for a low-calorie beverage with a touch of sweetness.
3. Tangerine
This expression has the most attractive aromas of all the new flavors and absolutely delivers on its tangerine promise. The nose mixes the scent of freshly-squeezed citrus juice with the waxy oils of tangerine peel. A slightly bitter note, akin to the fruit’s pith, emerges on the palate; but it mixes well with the sweet fruit flavors to provide a mouthwatering, well-balanced finish. This is fruity, refreshing, and endlessly-crushable.
2. Watermelon
Watermelon is a strange flavoring for food and drinks because the fruit itself ultimately doesn’t have much character. So the criteria for this release, we’re assuming, was to recreate the kind of sweet, jolly rancher notes we associate with watermelon-flavored gummy candies. It nails the brief.
This hard seltzer smells and tastes like candy, but in a familiar, not overly artificial way. There seems to be more sweetness on the palate than the other expressions, and the flavor profile is much more concentrated.
This will likely become the most talked-about of the new varieties and could potentially rival the popularity of White Claw Black Cherry. Just watch this space.
1. Lemon
If you’re buying hard seltzer because you actually like drinking flavored seltzer water, this is the one for you. The alcohol is seamlessly integrated and almost impossible to detect — which can be a good or bad thing depending on how many you plan on drinking.
The aromas are closer to lemon peel or expressed lemon, rather than freshly-squeezed lemon juice, but it doesn’t seem artificial. The palate is a carbon copy lemon-flavored Hal’s New York Seltzer, with an ever-so-slightly bitter finish, akin to lemon pith. Clean, refreshing, and delivering more flavor than a vodka soda with lemon, this is the taste of White Claw Summer 2.0 folks.
