Words On Wednesday

These canned cocktails are EVERYWHERE now, but are they any good? In my experience, yes, but not quite as good as the real thing. They are undeniably drinkable. They are even close to the flavor of the drink they're trying to imitate. I spoke a while back of the Bud Light Mixx Tail, and these are even closer. With the Mixx Tail, you can see what they were trying to get at. Most of the canned cocktails I've had, I'd say it's very clear what the drink is supposed to be and it's pretty close. I worried at first that most of them would taste like a very synthetic form of the intended cocktail. In at least most of the versions I've tried, that isn't the case. My first exposure was the Jack Daniel's Whiskey & Cola. I feared it would taste like it was trying to be a Jack and Coke, but no, it genuinely tasted like a pretty strong pour of Jack and Coke. Now, mind you, we have to look at the companies who make these drinks. Mixx Tail was made by Budweiser, a b...

Hard Seltzer is the hot thing lately, and Costco finally got in on the game. Say hello to Kirkland Signature Hard Seltzer Name: Hard Seltzer Source: Kirkland Signature (Costco) Style: Seltzer ABV: 5.0% Price: $19.99 per 24 pack Volume: 12 oz Price per oz: $0.83 per can Everybody has tried a hard seltzer at this point, and every company that makes alcohol is selling their own version. Truly was the first one that I can recall. Soon after, we started seeing hard seltzer from White Claw . Then, household names like Budweizer and Jose Cuervo started making hard seltzer. It’s everywhere. It only makes sense that Costco would eventually throw their lot in. At my local warehouse, you can get a 24 pack for $19.99 plus tax. The distribution is 6 cans of each flavor: Mango, Grapefruit, Black Cherry, and Lime. Let me just point out how much I love the even distribution. I hate it when companies do more of one flavor than others. Those flavors seem to be pretty standard for hard seltzers, especial...

Hard seltzers are the new IPA. They’re the “in” thing right now, adored by hipsters and the like, and criticized by your more traditional beer drinkers. These alcoholic sparkling waters are quickly gaining market share, while craft beers are other categories remain static or fall (Kendall, 2019). Being the adventurous soul that I am, new types of alcohol always interest me, even if I do feel like a stereotypical cool kid while trying them. My first exposure to hard seltzers was the Truly Colima Lime flavor. It was available from the Ingles Mix-N-Match area one time, and I’m more than willing to try a drink if I can get it as a single, rather than committing to a full 6-pack of it. We threw one in with our weekend beer run, figuring it was worth a shot. In this case, I’m very glad we only got one. It was awful. I don’t really care for seltzers or soda water anyway. Unflavored options seem to have a salty, bitter flavor. Flavored options like La Croix have the same shortcoming,...