Does Bud Light Seltzer have a beer taste?

Bud Light Seltzer flavors include Lemon Lime, Black Cherry, Strawberry and Mango. Also pictured: Formal tasting goblets.Joy Marie ScottShow MoreShow Less

Does Bud Light Seltzer have a beer taste?
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After news of a White Claw Hard Seltzer shortage broke in Sept. 2019, an Austin fraternity made sure it stocked up on the alcoholic beverage. The following Tweets are proof.

White ClawShow MoreShow Less

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Does Bud Light Seltzer have a beer taste?
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People responded on a viral tweet about a fraternity in Austin that reportedly purchased three pallets of white claws that was worth $7,500 last weekend.

Twitter: @BYENellShow MoreShow Less

Does Bud Light Seltzer have a beer taste?
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People responded on a viral tweet about a fraternity in Austin that reportedly purchased three pallets of white claws that was worth $7,500 last weekend.

Twitter: @YbarraDylanShow MoreShow Less

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Does Bud Light Seltzer have a beer taste?
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People responded on a viral tweet about a fraternity in Austin that reportedly purchased three pallets of white claws that was worth $7,500 last weekend.

Twitter: @devondaigle9Show MoreShow Less

Does Bud Light Seltzer have a beer taste?
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People responded on a viral tweet about a fraternity in Austin that reportedly purchased three pallets of white claws that was worth $7,500 last weekend.

Twitter: @WhiteClawShow MoreShow Less

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Does Bud Light Seltzer have a beer taste?
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People responded on a viral tweet about a fraternity in Austin that reportedly purchased three pallets of white claws that was worth $7,500 last weekend.

Twitter: @ZackKlapmanShow MoreShow Less

Does Bud Light Seltzer have a beer taste?
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People responded on a viral tweet about a fraternity in Austin that reportedly purchased three pallets of white claws that was worth $7,500 last weekend.

Twitter: @monterrey309Show MoreShow Less

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Thanks to my Celiac friend, I've been an active member of White Claw Nation for about three years. Before that, I was a steady Bud Light gal.

So you can imagine my enthusiasm when the light beer brand announced it too was entering the hard seltzer game.

What a delight! Such a treat to welcome someone new to the fam!

A few mySA coworkers gathered after work to conduct a not-so-scientific taste test. Some are fellow White Claw Nation alumni, others are indifferent, and one had not yet tasted the sweet, sweet (yet low-sugar) goodness of a hard seltzer.

We've included our go-to drinks for some context on our palates.

Randi Stevenson

My go-to drink: White Claw nation baby! Followed by vodka soda, dry white wine, light beer and craft cocktails. Nothing sugary.

Bud Light Seltzer Review: Lemon-lime was lackluster and mango was meh. From there, things get interesting. Black Cherry tasted the most similar to its OG White Claw cousin. Strawberry certainly stole the show, and it's nice to finally have a new flavor option (remember when Mango WC came out and Truly released a tropical mixed-pack?)

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Bud Light Seltzer was, frankly, less seltzer-y than White Claw, though more so than the Bon & Viv brand (honestly, don't bother). We're talking literally less carbonated. The flavors were as prominent but less crisp that White Claw – less soapy and flowery than Truly, which I appreciate. Overall, I'll stick with Claws unless another shortage comes along (#NeverForget).


Mark Dunphy

My go-to drink: Margarita.

Bud Light Seltzer Review: I've lived in San Antonio for six months now. The perfect Texas day, in my humble Yankee opinion, starts with a breakfast taco and a trip to H-E-B for enough cans to pack a cooler tube. Would I reach for a Bud Light Seltzer over a White Claw on that first curve of the river? No. But would I happily sip on one — especially Strawberry or Black Cherry — three hours later as the last rays seep through the trees? You better believe it. And that's the bar I need a hard seltzer to clear.


Madalyn Mendoza

My go-to drink: Margaritas and any kind of frozen, sugary drink that makes me feel like I'm on a beach.

Bud Light Seltzer Review: I wasn’t too impressed by the Bud Light seltzers. Though they were a lot smoother to drink, the taste wasn’t there. The taste is very much off-brand White Claw, but if I had to reach into the cooler for one, it would be the Strawberry flavor.


Joy Marie Scott

My go-to drink: Martini on a weekday, Prosecco on a weekend, a bottle from Anderson Valley – anytime.

Bud Light Seltzer Review: Lemon-lime is always the worst, I learned in my introduction to spiked seltzer; it tasted like a sad night at a cheap club. Strawberry is too easy to drink, my kids will get ahold of it. In conclusion, when I want a fizz with a buzz, I’m hooking a pinot grigio to my SodaStream.


Peter Rasmussen

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My go-to drink: Craft beer or Rosé all day.

Bud Light Seltzer Review: It is unlikely that Bud Light’s recently released version of hard seltzer will make you ditch White Claw, but it makes for an acceptable alternative in case there’s another shortage. To be honest, they taste pretty similar. I also must point out that my choice of alcoholic beverages rarely includes hard seltzer.

By far, my least favorite of Bud Light’s four flavors was Lemon Lime. It was not as flavorful as the others, tasting like someone squeezed out a small amount of lime and lemon juice into water. My two favorites were Black Cherry and Strawberry. Unlike Lemon Lime, you can really taste the flavors in these two, but the taste wasn't over-bearing.


Jessica Miller

My go-to drink: Margarita on the rocks so I can drink the tequila from the bottom with a straw – or pinot noir.

Bud Light Seltzer Review: Bud Light seltzers didn’t really have a “taste” – just an aftertaste of whatever flavor they were supposed to be. A little like Chapstick or the way your cocktail tastes after you already drank all the good parts and let the ice melt, but you drink it anyway because you are thirsty and the bartender hasn’t gotten you a new drink yet.


Priscilla Aguirre

My go-to drink: Definitely White Claw or Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka and Sprite.

Bud Light Seltzer Review: The Lemon Lime was my least favorite, but I don’t like the Lime flavor White Claw either – so maybe it’s just a lime thing. The Strawberry was pretty good. I would say it’s my favorite of the group. Mango was nothing I would rave about to friends but also pretty good. The Black Cherry had a nice taste as it didn’t have the usual “Cough Syrup” flavor the White Claw Black Cherry usually gives me. Overall, I thought I would not buy the Bud Light Seltzers over the one-and-only White Claw. I’m too dedicated to White Claw Nation.

Does the Bud Light seltzer taste like beer?

The lager is brewed with malted barley and rice (hard seltzers get their alcohol from fermented cane sugar). Though we can't say it tastes anything like a beer.

Does the Bud Light seltzer hard soda taste like beer?

Made with water, cold-fermented cane sugar, natural flavors, citric acid, sodium citrate, sucralose, acesulfame K, malted rice, and yellow #5, Bud Light Seltzer Citrus Hard Soda tastes similar to Sprite. The flavor might also remind you of a lemon-lime lollipop. It is sweet, but not overbearing.

Does Bud Light seltzer have beer in it?

Bud Light Seltzer is a hard seltzer from the giant beer company Bud Light. While it bears the name of the beer brand, it does not contain beer. Bud Light Seltzer is made from fermented sugar cane, sparkling water, and natural flavorings.

Is there a seltzer The taste like beer?

No, hard seltzers don't taste like beer, so you won't be mistaking one for the other anytime soon. These drinks are made with entirely different ingredients, as beer is made from grains, yeast, hops, and water. Beer has a malty and slightly sweet/savor flavor, while alcoholic seltzers are much sweeter and fruity.