White Claw is newer on the alcoholic scene, but it’s certainly made a splash. This sparkling seltzer comes in a wide array of different flavors, including one that is flavorless. It comes in a recognizable slim, white can, and is always on trend.
In fact, White Claw was boldly ranked ‘drink of the summer’ back in 2019.
What does White Claw taste like, though? White claw tastes like sparkling water. Think along the lines of La Croix; an effervescent drink with light, sweet flavor. Some say you can’t really taste the alcohol in White Claw unless it’s very cold. There are also numerous varieties to choose from. Each one has a distinct flavor.
What Does White Claw Taste Like
White Claw touts itself as being a ‘spiked sparkling water’, with a hint of flavor. It’s a low-cal beverage, making it popular with those who are counting calories. In a lot of flavors, the alcohol taste is not as strong as it is in other beverages.
In general, it will taste exactly as it sounds. If you’ve ever sampled other brands of sparkling seltzers, you’ll know that mineral-water esque flavor. You might also detect the tannins in the alcohol when you have a sip of White Claw.
Taste By Flavor
With twelve flavors to choose from, there are a lot of things White Claw tastes like.
Pure
Indicated by a pale, silvery-blue stripe on the can, White Claw’s “Pure” flavor tastes like not much of anything notable. The flavor is similar to a vodka soda that has been watered down. It aims to be an ‘anti-flavor,’ something it achieves.
Pure is best as a mixer, when you want to make a juice or other beverage a bit more bubbly and boozy.
Black Cherry
Perhaps one of the most popular flavors in a can emblazoned with a magenta stripe, Black Cherry lives up to its name. Black cherry white claw smells and tastes like cherries. It is true to the flavor of that slightly tart taste that bleeds into wonderful sweetness. It has been likened to a cherry Tootsie Pop.
Ruby Grapefruit
Ruby grapefruit White Claw brings a sour punch to the beverage. It has a subtle citrus tartness with just a slight underlay of sweetness. The flavor is more mild and muted than some of the others.
Strawberry
As soon as you pop open a can of strawberry White Claw, you’re hit with a wave of strawberry scent. The red berry sweetness is reminiscent of strawberry candy, some even likening it to Flinstones Vitamins. Some testers report that the strawberry flavor fades very quickly, while others note an aftertaste. This could be good or bad, depending on your preferences.
There’s no tartness to this flavor like one can sometimes find with a strawberry flavored drink. It’s sweet, berry richness all the way down.
Lemon
Lemon is a tart and tangy variation on White Claw that brings a hint of bitterness too. It tastes as if you squeezed a lemon into a pure White Claw. The flavor is crisp and clean, the way you’d want from a lemon. Some might consider it to be a little one-note in terms of flavor. After all, it is only flavored with lemon, so there isn’t much complexity.
Others might enjoy the tart, lemonade-like experience. It’s refreshing and natural tasting, somewhat elegant in presentation.
Mango
With a yellow-orange stripe and a bright orange pop-lid, mango White Claw is citrusy and tangy. It seems to lean more on the sharper flavors of mangoes than the underlying sweetness. The flavors are orangey, almost like a tangerine. You will still find hints of the syrupy sweet mango flavor in this variety, however. It will just take a back seat to the sour tangerine flavor.
Watermelon
When watermelons are ripe, anyone can attest to their sugar sweet flavor and juiciness. Talking about watermelons, find what does yellow watermelon tastes like?. Watermelon drinks are harder to achieve, and can sometimes come up more syrupy than anything. When you crack open a can of White Claw, you will certainly get that syrupy smell.
The taste, however, is very refreshing. It is sweet and clean tasting, much like biting into a bright pink melon. The flavor is very powerful. It might taste great when used with other mixers for a summer cocktail.
Natural Lime
Similar to lemon, the green splashed can of natural lime White Claw is refreshingly tart. It’s zesty but unaggressive. It’s got the sweet but refreshing taste of a bright lime wedge without being overpowering. It’s comparable to a fresh margarita.
People who aren’t overly fond of sweet things will enjoy this version of White Claw. There isn’t much sweetness to it at all. The drink is mostly boozy and a little sour.
Pineapple
Tart, sweet, and perfectly masking the alcohol, this sour variation of White Claw is refreshing and crisp. Pineapple flavors of tropical, sugary, fruity sweetness are mixed with just a light hit of the acidity of a pineapple. It’s almost similar to a pina colada. The flavor is not overpowering at all, but it’s certainly strong.
Tangerine
Citrus comes to play again in tangerine White Claw. The flavor is almost identical to fresh squeezed tangerine juice, right down to the ripe tangy flavor. There’s a zest to it, with a nice kick that pairs with the effervescent sparkling bubbles.
It’s hard to taste the alcohol in tangerine White Claw. It’s more akin to a sparkling orange juice.
Blackberry
Blackberry seems to be a pleasant handshake between the strawberry and black cherry flavors. With a purple splash on the can, there’s also a splash of that dark, deep berry taste within. It tastes like a blackberry on every end; the flavor does not fade the way strawberry White Claw can.
There isn’t much of an aftertaste to the blackberry, but the lively, bright aroma is clean and easygoing.
Iced Tea Mango
White claw also ventures into the realms of iced tea flavors. One of those new additions is iced tea mango. Where it might be lighter in mango flavor in the original version, it seems to make up for in the tea variety.
White Claw iced tea mango tastes like a well flavored blend of fruity, sweet mango and delicate tea. The mango flavor is prominent here, highlighted by sweet black tea notes. There’s depth and body to the flavor that is just sugary enough.
Iced Tea Peach
Peach and iced tea are a perfect pair for each other, and they work excellently in White Claw. The tea and peach are well balanced, leaning harder on the sweet peach flavor. Black tea adds herbal complexity to the bubbly, boozy drink that doesn’t overpower.
Iced Tea Lemon
This version lets the tea do more of the talking, having a more prevalent black tea flavor. It is not very fruity, only carrying a whisper of lemon sourness. Each sip is very balanced, tasting convincingly of black tea. It is full-bodied and refreshing.
Surge Blood Orange
Surge is White Claw’s line of higher-ABV drinks. These are identified by an all blue can as opposed to the traditional white ones.
They’re meant to have a higher alcohol content, and will thus have more of a noticeable boozy taste. When you try Surge blood orange, you’ll definitely notice the tanines of alcohol among the fizziness.
Blood orange offers a rich, concentrated flavor. It’s deeply citrusy, with edges of bitterness along with it. There’s a somewhat juicy quality to this variety.
Surge Cranberry
The second in the Surge line, this one brings tart and bitter cranberry flavors. Bright berry notes and notable sour freshness are integrated well with the stronger alcoholic taste. It’s somewhat like a very refreshing, sparkling vodka cranberry.
Conclusion
With a wide range of flavors, it’s no wonder why White Claw is only growing in popularity. It’s got an easily hidden alcoholic taste with a sparkling-water like fizz. It’s perfect for those who are fans of non-alcoholic sparkling drinks like La Croix or Polar Seltzer.
White Claw has a lot of variants, but most are lightly flavored, bubbly, and either sour or sweet. Some have more powerful flavors than others. Many consider black cherry to be one of the best, but this can be a polarizing opinion. The best way to find out is to get out and try them yourself.
