Spritz up your night with our list of the best Australian hard seltzers!
Finally, here’s an American trend that we can get behind in Australia. It’s called hard seltzer, which essentially means a boozy sparkling soda. A RTD (Ready To Drink), if you will. However, unlike your regular RTDs like gin and tonic, hard seltzers lean more towards ‘cocktail in a can,’ and they’re taking over the Australian alcohol market right now.
Perhaps the main reason it’s becoming so popular is that it’s so versatile. While many hard seltzers are mixed with spirits, they can also be produced through beer brewing and even wine-making. It’s all similar due to added carbonated soda.
We’re riding the hard seltzer wave by bringing you a list of the best Australian hard seltzer brands that you must buy and try in 2021. Brewed in Australia and usually low calorie, they offer quirky mixes matched with a cool brand ethic. And with the weather warming up around Australia, there’s no better time to jump on the hard seltzer bandwagon.
Come on, let’s get you refreshed!
Honeysuckle hard seltzers. Image: Supplied
Honeysuckle Distillery
Honeysuckle Distillery in Victoria boasts two distinct ranges of hard seltzer. The first is what they call Hard Soda, featuring two styles of either lime or berry, mixed with vodka and topped with refreshing soda water. But our tongues are wagging for their Spritz collection, including Paradise Gin Spritz, Splendid Gin Citrus, and Tropical Vodka Crush. They are boozy canned cocktails with a soda base, featuring unique flavour pairings – think blood orange and cinnamon, twisted yuzu or mango and coconut. Check them out via the link below!
'Ray hard seltzer. Photographed by Michelle Jarni. Image: Supplied
'Ray
Hailing from Melbourne’s inner-western suburb of Footscray (get it?), ‘Ray is a refreshing new kid on the block with a quirky range of hard seltzers. The seltzer brand is under the Hop Nation Brewing Co., a brewery with years of experience, easily noted by their cool seltzer collection – from peach to watermelon and mint, and a classic blend of lemon and lime. But their latest drop is Black Cherry, featuring a distinctive black cherry flair with no added sugar, and a not-too-crazy ABV of 4.5%. Low in calories and ready for you to try in 2021!
Fellr hard seltzer. Image: Supplied
Fellr
Fellr launched their way into the Australian seltzer market mid last year and has since worked their way up to be a reputable hard seltzer brand. Like many start-up stories, theirs started over a couple of beers, and a debate over why there was a serious lack of pre-mixes that people were proud to serve. Their seltzer collection includes flavours Watermelon, Dry & Lime, Lime & Soda, and now there’s a new addition: Passionfruit. Dripping with natural passionfruit flavours, brewed in Australia and reminiscent of nostalgic summer afternoons; Fellr is one of the best Australian seltzer brands to add to your list.
Sunny Eddy hard seltzer. Image: Supplied
Sunny Eddy
While many hard seltzer makers stick to vodka, Sunny Eddy is the first Australian brand to use gin. Born in Avalon on Sydney’s northern beaches, Sunny Eddy Gin Seltzer’s come in three natural flavours, are super salubrious and a nice accompaniment to chills with friends. They are preservative-free and contain no sugar, and are a lighter alternative to a gin and tonic. Their current blends are Lime and Cucumber, Crisp Pink Apple, and Blood Orange and Grapefruit. All are divine, but we recommend the Blood Orange and Grapefruit which you can buy via the link below!
Wayward hard seltzer. Image: Supplied
Wayward
Wayward began as a craft brewery and has since delved into the wild and wonderful world of hard seltzers. Their seltzers are more than just spiked soda water; it’s a naturally brewed recipe that took them over a year to perfect. Wayward sells four delectable seltzers; Juicy Peach, Classic Lime, Summer Berries, and Tropical Mango, with each batch crafted in-house at their brewery in Sydney’s Inner West. If we must choose, we’d recommend the Tropical Mango because it tastes exactly like paradise. Buy it now via the link below!
Saintly Mule hard seltzer. Image: Supplied
Saintly
You’ll think you’ve met God after a sip of one of these blessed blends. Saintly descended from heaven in 2020, gracing the Australian market with flavours like pink grapefruit, watermelon and mint, lime. But, thanks to divine intervention, Saintly is back with cocktail-inspired hard seltzers that are sure to have you screaming hallelujah. Think ginger mule, grapefruit margarita, mojito and passionfruit martini – praise the Lord! If we have to choose, nothing beats a passionfruit martini, and you can buy it via the link below!
Photographed by Taylor Simpson. Image via Unsplash.
Rainbird
When it comes to classic hard seltzers, nothing compares to a simple lime and soda concoction. And there’s something about Rainbird’s Lemon & Lime seltzer that just reminds us of a night out at the local bar – especially their slightly stronger variety that sits at 8% ABV – which you can buy now via the link below! They also share a 6% ABV lemon and lime seltzer, as well as passionfruit. Inspired by the rainbird calling out before the rains, Rainbird’s alcoholic seltzers will refresh your palate as the night draws on.
Somma hard seltzer. Image: Supplied
Somma
Somma is one of Australia’s first hard seltzer brands, launching way back in September 2019. This year, they rolled out an updated look and brand-new flavours. The fresh collection includes guava, pineapple, and watermelon with lime, boasting all the necessary tastes to make summer bearable. The springwater used in every can has been sourced from an extinct volcano in Victoria, which is also where the drink is made. Spice up your warm summer afternoons with one of these seltzers. Buy a pack via the link below!
Brookvale Union hard seltzer. Image: Supplied
Brookvale Union
Brookvale Union is best known for their alcoholic ginger beer, among some other quirky concoctions like vodka with peach iced tea and vodka lemon lime bitters. Utilising their beer-making skills, these guys have launched a boozy duo of hard seltzers: Lime and Orange Bitters, and Juicy Juicy Grapefruit. They are super sweet and ridiculously refreshing, perfect for whatever the warm weather throws at you. On top of that, they are vegan friendly, much like some of the other brews on this list. Add some grapefruit tang to your life and buy a pack via the link below!
Vacay hard seltzer. Image: Supplied
Vacay
We all need a holiday, but it’s not possible for many of us right now. But with Vacay’s range of seltzers, you could easily pretend that you are on vacay, all from the comfort of your backyard. Every hard seltzer they make contain natural Australian flavours, delicately curated by an in-house sommelier – with 10 per cent of all profits going to Cure Cancer. Vacay’s current seltzer range includes raspberry, Kakadu plum, lime, and pure. All the flavours are truly amazing, but we reckon you should get creative and mix your own cocktail with their pure seltzer. Buy now via the link below!
Looking for some more Australian made alcoholic beverages to try? Check out the Top 10 Australian Mades Wines for Spring 2021 before heading onto these 10 Best Australian Craft Beers and Ciders for 2021.
Feature image: Honeysuckle Distillery Seltzers. Image supplied.
Editor’s Note: Our writers and contributors have independently selected and curated this article, and all opinions are their own. This article does contain affiliate links which allow us to make revenue off some purchases made by our readers.