What You Need To Know About White Claw's New Higher ABV Hard Seltzer Line

It seems like forever ago since "the summer of White Claw." In 2019, the hard seltzer went viral, and by the end of that summer the makers of the fruit-infused alcoholic beverage were racing to keep up with demand (via NoGood). Two years later, White Claw now must fend off a long list of newcomers to the game if it's going to keep the title of world's biggest spiked seltzer. InsideHook recently published the new hard seltzer brands and new flavors for 2021, and that list alone is impressively long – never mind all the options that have been on the market since before this year. If InsideHook would have waited just a few more days, they could have added the very latest entry in the crowded field of spiked seltzers: White Claw Surge.

The selling point for White Claw Surge is its higher alcohol by volume, or ABV. While the standard ABV for White Claw and a lot of other seltzers is 5 percent, Surge hits you with 8 percent alcohol (via the White Claw website). Couple that with the fact that it only comes in single, 16-ounce cans, and you realize that serious drinkers only need apply. A little math tells you that one can of Surge contains more alcohol than two 12-ounce cans of the regular White Claw.

White Claw may be the biggest name in Spiked Seltzer, but it's not the most original. With its new Surge, White Claw has followed Truly's lead. Truly announced an 8 percent version of its hard seltzer back on March 8, calling it Truly Extra (via PR Newswire). And if you missed White Claw's March 29 announcement on Instagram that it had four new iced tea flavors, well, Truly introduced an iced tea version a few months before that, per InsideHook.

White Claw Surge comes in two flavors: blood orange and cranberry (via the White Claw website). If you're watching your calorie intake, the good news is that one can of Surge only has 2 grams of added sugar. The bad news is all that alcohol, which packs a lot of calories. Each 16-ounce can has 220 calories.

If you like variety, White Claw has you covered with 17 flavors to choose from – and counting. Consumers who like the White Claw variety packs will be happy to hear that the company introduced a third assortment of flavors in a 12-pack, with mango and three brand-new tastes: strawberry, pineapple, and blackberry. What new White Claw will you try first – pineapple or one of the other new flavors, one of the iced teas, or Surge? It probably depends on just how spiked you like your seltzer.