Ranking 31 Hard Seltzer Flavors from Worst to Best

Refreshing and perfect for poolside sipping, Truly hard seltzer comes in plenty of flavors. Most of them are tropical, featuring pineapple, grapefruit, and lime. But there are also bolder choices, especially the Truly Unruly lineup, which has a higher alcohol content. The punch options have quite a bit more flavor compared to the classic Trulys, while the lemonades are tart and refreshing. Whether you’re ordering at a swim-up bar or stocking up for your own summer party, Truly should be at the top of your list if you want a boozy seltzer with a twist of flavor. 

I knew I couldn’t responsibly test all of these myself (plus I wanted other opinions) so I enlisted the help of a few friends at a backyard cookout taste test. We tried all the Trulys to see which one was the best, each sampling a small amount of every flavor and rating it on a scale of one to 10. A side-by-side comparison helped us get a better idea of individual tastes since many of the drinks share similar flavor notes and can almost be interchangeable. 

For a more natural comparison, we also packed a cooler with Trulys and headed to the coast to test the appeal of the different flavors during a day at the beach. This helped us decide which ones we were likely to drink on the regular and which ones were just novel choices to try on a fun day out.

The Truly Unruly Bumpin’ Blue Razz Lemonade was the least favorite of all the flavors that we tried. It had a strong taste of artificial sweetener with a distinct aftertaste (plus we’re not even sure what blue raspberry actually is). The Unruly’s have an 8% alcohol content, compared to the standard 5% for the rest of the Trulys, which made this flavor super boozy as well. We could taste the harsher bite of the alcohol, which wasn’t what we wanted when relaxing with a Truly.

The Truly Unruly Berry Blast got slightly higher marks from us, but it was still not a great option. The strong liquor taste, plus the sweet berry flavor, didn’t work well. We were left with a syrupy aftertaste that we didn’t enjoy. When we compared it to the regular Wild Berry Truly, the version with less alcohol was much more drinkable. The can has raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries on it, but we didn’t get the taste of any of the actual fruit when we drank it.

The Truly Unruly Strawberry Smash had a bit more distinct flavor compared to some of the other Truly Unruly options, but it was still pretty syrupy. One of our testers compared it to a strawberry that’s starting to get a little overripe, soaked in liquor to mask the too-sweet flavor. We didn’t want to grab this option at the beach either, because it was too syrupy sweet, and not refreshing. It might be okay as a boozy mixer, but on its own, it didn’t work for us.

The Truly Unruly Wild Pink Lemonade was pretty similar to the standard lemonade with a little extra kick from the higher alcohol content. I gave it a slightly higher score compared with everyone else who tested it, but it still wasn’t as good as any of the standard Truly lemonades in my book. If you want something that’s a bit stronger with a lemonade flavor, this would be a good choice. Considering that pink lemonade is generally the same as regular lemonade when it comes to ingredients and flavor, it wasn’t surprising that this one was almost identical to the Unruly OG Lemonade.

I was not a fan of the Truly Unruly Citrus Crush, but some of the other testers thought that the orange and lime flavor helped balance out the harsher alcohol taste. It was pretty good to drink, even though it was stronger and not very refreshing, but it had a bit of an odd aftertaste. We liked it a little bit better when we put it over ice to get it super cold, which helped brighten things up and bring out the citrus flavors. In the end, it just about tied with the Unruly Pink Lemonade for the overall score.

The third option in the three-way tie was the Original Lemonade, extra boozy edition. The Truly Unruly OG Original Lemonade is a hard lemonade turned up to full volume. It was very similar to the Unruly Wild Pink Lemonade and we’d probably grab either one if we wanted a super strong lemonade Truly. If it had a little bit more lemonade flavor, that might balance things out better. But, as it is, the alcohol was still the dominant taste, just like with the rest of the Truly Unrulys.

The addition of pineapple to the Truly Unruly lineup really worked for all of us, meaning that our top two Truly Unrulys feature tropical flavors. The Tropical Twist also has some orange zing, which was more noticeable in the first few sips. As we drank more, the pineapple really came out and we were left with the tropical aftertaste. This is another option that was greatly improved with ice since the colder version was more refreshing.

Our top Truly Unruly choice was the Punched-Up Pineapple Lemonade. It had a strong alcohol flavor, just like the other Truly Unrulys, but the pineapple helped balance things out. It also had a little bit of tartness thanks to the lemonade. 

Some of us who tested them all side-by-side noted that the Truly Unruly versions were hard to compare to the standard Trulys since the flavor was so different due to the higher alcohol content. Across the board, we all preferred the standard Trulys to the Unrulys because they were more refreshing and less harsh. But, it’s worth mentioning that the pineapple lemonade was a top choice for us among the boozier Unrulys.

The Truly Strawberry Kiwi Splash tasted good while we were drinking it, but everyone who tried it agreed that the flavor disappeared within a few seconds. We were left with the carbonation and not much else. We wished that the strawberry kiwi flavor was a little bit bolder because it was pretty good when we could actually taste it. Unfortunately, the weaker taste put this toward the bottom of our standard Truly list, although still higher than any of the Unrulys.

This was one of the sweeter flavors that I tried. The Watermelon Truly would be a great mixer, but it was a little bit too much for me to drink on its own. I did enjoy it more when it was really cold over ice, which added a little bit of temperature intensity to the other otherwise super sweet drink. It reminded me of a watermelon Jolly Rancher, which worked well for some of the tasters who like really sugary drinks.

The Truly Blueberry was my least favorite of the berry flavors, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. I’m just not sure blueberry will be the flavor that I reach for on a normal basis. It didn’t make much of an impression. It’s worth mentioning that for one of our tasters, blueberry ranked much higher because it’s his favorite fruit. If you really love blueberry, this might be a must-try for you. But, if you’re more of a general berry enthusiast, there are more flavorful options in the same pack.

The orange flavor dominated the Truly Citrus Squeeze, which is what made it a bit underwhelming for me. For others who tasted it, though, the combination of orange, lime, and lemon was just right. I liked it better when served super cold, which brought out the slightly tart lemon and lime flavors. Overall, it ended up toward the middle of our list as a solid choice but not one that knocked it out of the park.

The Truly punches have more juice included compared to most other Truly options, which gives them a noticeably bolder flavor. It was a little bit too sweet for me and the citrus version was my least favorite of the cans in the punch pack. But, if you like fruit punch, this will likely rank higher on your list than it did on mine. In the end, it was just too sweet and not as refreshing.

Another Truly that I thought was a bit too sweet was the Peach Plunge. But others who tasted it loved the strong peach flavor. It reminded us of peach candies, with a little carbonation and a boozy twist. For those who prefer a sweeter drink or just like the distinct flavor of peach, this will be a top choice. It has a very bold flavor, so it really comes down to how much you rate this fuzzy stone fruit. The peach flavor ended up as the top choice on our list of White Claw hard seltzers, so you may want to try the two side-by-side.

I really enjoyed the complexity of the Truly Blood Orange Bliss, which was a bit more intense than a standard orange or citrus drink. But others who tasted it gave it a slightly lower ranking overall. Like the peach, which comes in the same pool party mix pack, it depends on how much you like blood oranges. Both are part of the limited-release summer flavors, so if you want to try them, it’s best to do so now.

The Lemon Truly is good, but nothing special, which is why it ended up in the middle of our list. It fades into the background when compared with all the other flavors, almost like a boozy glass of water with a squeeze of lemon. If you want something to sip on while you decide on another drink for the evening, I’d recommend this as a solid but not very exciting start to your night.

I didn’t have high hopes for the Truly Red, White, and Tru flavor, but it was surprisingly tasty and definitely nostalgic. It’s part of the pool party mix and meant to taste like a classic popsicle. The flavor didn’t disappoint and it wasn’t overly sweet. I’m not sure I’d grab this one as my go-to Truly, but for something a little bit different to kick off the summer, it was the perfect choice.

Pineapple has long been my go-to flavor for hard seltzer, because it’s refreshing, a little bit sweet, and has a nice tropical taste that I like. The Truly Pineapple meets all of those criteria and then some. If you wanna feel like you’re relaxing on a tropical beach or sunning yourself at the pool, this would be my recommendation. The only reason it didn’t end up higher on our list is that there are other, bolder flavors out there.

The Truly Wild Berry flavor is pretty popular, and I’ve seen this one offered in stores and bars the most. When I think of Truly, this is the flavor that I usually imagine. It has a nice fruity taste but isn’t so strong or overpowering that you can’t mix it with other things to make a more complex cocktail. For those new to drinking hard seltzers or more used to drinking canned cocktails, the Wild Berry Truly will give you a pretty good general idea about whether you like this type of drink or not. We tried it side-by-side with the boozier Unruly berry versions and definitely preferred this one.

The Truly Tropical Punch is very similar to the Fruit Punch, but it has a slightly tropical twist thanks to the addition of pineapple. We ended up liking just about any Truly that had pineapple in it, so it wasn’t surprising that this one ranked higher than some of the other punch options for us. It is pretty bold, so be ready for some serious punch flavor, which tends to be pretty sweet.

I love just about anything that’s grapefruit-flavored, so it wasn’t surprising to me that the Grapefruit Truly ended up pretty high on my list. I really liked how tart it was with authentic grapefruit taste, rather than an overly sweetened version. But some of the other tasters liked sweeter options more, so it was knocked a few spots lower than if this was my list alone. However, everyone agreed that the grapefruit is a solid choice for citrus lovers.

If you like the berry flavors, the Truly Berry Punch is the boldest of the bunch. It has hints of blueberry and strawberry, but the raspberry was the most noticeable. However, even that can’t compete with the dominant sweet punchiness, so make sure that you’re ready for something a bit more intensely sugary if you crack this one open. We all agreed that this was a good choice for a backyard barbecue, but it wasn’t as refreshing as some of the others so it wouldn’t be our pick at the beach or the pool.

I really liked the combination of sweet strawberry and tart lime in the Strawberry Lime Truly. This option was particularly refreshing, with plenty of flavor and fizz. It definitely gave me poolside vibes, but it would be a fantastic beach drink as well. Once we got to the top 10 Truly options, the competition was pretty tough and the only reason this one didn’t end up higher on the list was the stronger preference for certain other flavors. We’d all happily enjoy the strawberry lime again either in the backyard, at the pool, or on the beach.

I have a particular love of raspberry flavor so my score definitely helped propel the Truly Raspberry toward the top of the list. The other people who tasted it said that it wasn’t all that different from the other berry options, but I could taste the raspberry pretty distinctly, which made it really stand out. However, we all liked it and were happy to put it in the top 10 Truly flavors that we tried.

The Truly lemonades were favorites all around and all four ended up in our top 10. The strawberry version has a strong strawberry flavor, which is pretty sweet, but still has plenty of tartness thanks to the lemonade. It’s important to note that the standard Truly lemonades far surpassed the stronger Unruly lemonades. They had a more balanced flavor overall and the lemonade was what we tasted, rather than the harsher alcohol bite.

Maybe it’s because I enjoyed so much fruit punch as a kid, but the Truly Fruit Punch was a great drink for a relaxing afternoon. It had a little bit of fizz, a small kick from the alcohol, and a lot of sweet punch flavor. The overall taste was on the sweet and syrupy side, which might not work for everyone. But it was the favorite of the punch options for everyone who tried them.

The Truly Watermelon Lemonade tastes just like summer in a can. It was the first of the many flavors that we tried in a side-by-side taste test and even after plenty of sampling, it remained high on our list. The watermelon tastes similar to a Jolly Rancher, although the addition of lemonade keeps it from being too sweet. It was also very refreshing, especially when we had it served in an ice-cold glass.

Truly makes a regular Original Lemonade and a stronger Unruly Original Lemonade, so pay close attention to which version you’re getting. They taste very similar and we might not have been able to notice a big difference in flavor if we weren’t trying them side-by-side. But, because we sampled both right after each other, we were able to confidently say that the standard Truly Lemonade is better. It has a distinct tartness which is overpowered a bit by the alcohol taste in the Unruly. This one ended up highly ranked by everyone who tasted it.

The tart citrusy taste is subtle in the Truly Lime, especially when you compare it to some of the others in the citrus pack. This would be a great option to use in a cocktail or to garnish with fresh fruit because it has just enough flavor to boost the drink without being overpowering. I really enjoyed the Truly Lime and it was hard to decide between the top three choices. On another day, this easily could have been my top pick. If you’re setting up a backyard drink station, the lime flavor would be a fantastic addition because you could pair it with plenty of fruit mixers.

The Truly Cherry flavor is a personal favorite because I like drinks with a little bit more of a tart edge. It comes in the berry pack and is the boldest of the four options in the box. I’ve also seen the Truly Cherry often at bars and restaurants, so it’s typically my go-to order if I’m getting a Truly out on the town. It ended up in the second spot on our final list by a very narrow margin.

The Truly Pineapple Lemonade was the favorite of everyone who tested it and the only flavor that got a 10/10 from one tester. The first thing you taste is definitely the lemonade, which I liked because of the sharpness. But the pineapple made this something extra special and gave it a tropical feel. 

It was very drinkable and just the perfect thing for the warmer summer months. It’s great over ice, which brings out the tart lemonade element, but one person actually preferred it just chilled because it was so balanced with both pineapple and lemonade flavors. Either way, Truly Pineapple Lemonade earned the top spot and might be a new go-to choice for everyone who helped with the sampling.

Trying every flavor of Truly took me and a group of my friends a few days, but we managed to sample them all to see which we liked the best. Our test started with a side-by-side sampling to really compare, which helped us when it came to ranking all the Trulys. We also took them with us on a weekend beach trip to see how drinkable they were in a real-life scenario.

We tried each flavor, comparing for taste and overall drinking experience. The boozy Truly Unrulys were our least favorite as a group, although some of the flavors were better than others. When we had a similar flavor available in the standard Truly, we always preferred the regular version. Our top picks were refreshing with plenty of flavor but not too sweet or syrupy. 

I tended to lean toward the tart tastes, while others liked the bolder sweet punches or the citrus flavors. Each person definitely had their favorite fruits and generally preferred Trulys that incorporated those flavors.