Ranking 6 Popular Hard Lemonade Brands

We all have our preferred adult beverages — some (like myself) enjoy indulging in creamy, sophisticated espresso martinis, and others like their drinks as bright and fruity as they come, almost fluorescent in hue. In summer months, though, I think there’s one thing we can all agree on: Hard lemonade is a summertime specialty that deserves a spot at every tailgate, backyard barbecue, or Independence Day gathering. Whether you make it yourself or buy some ready-to-drink, it seems to be a beverage that you can’t go wrong with. After all, who doesn’t love putting more mature twists on childhood favorites?

Personally, I’m a big fan of DIY-ing my hard lemonade experience. I go to my favorite food cart, buy a big cup of its jalapeño lemonade, take it home, and add whatever I’m feeling from my bar cart. But sometimes the bar cart is empty, the food cart is too far away, or I need to bring a plethora of hard lemonade to the party. Given all the options on the market, knowing which to go for on such an occasion is a necessity. I tried and compared six different hard lemonades and was actually pretty surprised at how wildly different each was from the other. Ranking them proved to be a somewhat easy task, and I based the following ranking on how well each balanced its flavor with its ABV.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

There’s no standardized way to make pink lemonade — the only stipulation is that it must be pink in color and, well, lemonade. I’d say Beatbox’s Pink Lemonade gets about ¾ of the way there. It’s certainly pink, and this actually may have been my favorite of the pack were I purely judging on aesthetic. I also appreciated the twist-cap top on its box. Being resealable meant I wouldn’t be pressured to finish it in one go, whereas only partially finishing the cans would have made me feel I was wasting them. In terms of its actual flavor, though, I just couldn’t get behind Beatbox.

Wondering what kind of alcohol is in Beatbox’s concoctions? Its pink lemonade is actually wine-based; upon learning this fact, I was stunned it ranked at the bottom of my list, as wine is usually my drink of choice when I’m not in a cocktail mood. This drink, however, was entirely too strong for me. It was extraordinarily booze-forward, so much so that any notes of lemonade fell too far to the background. Rather than tasting citrus, or even something tangy, you get a pinching bit of alcohol at the front, followed by some saccharine candied notes. I will say, this had the highest ABV of any lemonade on this list, so I shouldn’t have been surprised that it tasted the strongest. But it just wasn’t appealing. If anything, I could buy this to dilute it in some more pink lemonade; on its own, though, it’s just not the best.

Of all the Smirnoff Ice flavors available on the market, pink lemonade undoubtedly ranks toward the top. In fact, if I was doing this ranking purely based on flavor, this can may have been my top pick. I oscillated between a number four and number five placement for this one; it ultimately ended up taking fifth place because its ABV is so low, only coming in at 4½ percent. Unlike the Beatbox, if you want a lemonade with a lower ABV, I’d recommend this hands-down. For the more tolerant drinkers among us, though, this will probably be a let down. 

On the plus side, this lemonade was sweet and flavorful, and was one of my favorites in terms of how it tasted. It wasn’t too cloying and boasted a good balance of sweet and tangy notes, with hardly any alcohol flavor to speak of. That being said, you might still be averse to it if you prefer your lemonade on the tarter side. If it had a higher ABV it would have easily gotten a couple spots higher on my list; however, achieving a good flavor is pretty easy to do when a drink has a low ABV, so I wasn’t too impressed by this offering. 

Coming in just above Smirnoff Ice’s take on hard lemonade is Simply Spiked’s version. There are a few reasons this got a middling spot on my list, and I’ll get to its flavor momentarily. First, its ABV comes in just slightly higher than that of my previous pick, at 5 percent rather than 4½ percent. Second, this is less calorically dense than some other picks on this list, with only 170 calories per can. If you frequently stay away from pre-mixed drinks that can get into the 300 to 400 calorie zone, this is a good option to have in mind.

Its flavor, though not stunning, was also solid. I may not seek these out in the future, but I’d have some if I saw them at a party. It definitely tasted like lemonade and its sweet and tart notes worked in harmony with one another. Its alcohol flavor was gentle, almost unnoticeable, which is to be expected given its relatively low ABV. One of my favorite parts about this drink was unexpected — I loved its gentle fizz which, rather than being a burst of carbonation, just lightly tingled on the tongue. While this may not be my favorite hard lemonade on this list, I would say it’s the most universally palatable, rendering it a good buy if you’re providing drinks for a crowd.

I was really torn on whether to put this in third or second place. Were I going purely based on my own personal preference, it would have made second place, as I really enjoyed Schilling’s Imperial Pink Lemonade. However, when taking flavor into account, I have to concede that this may taste the least like lemonade of the whole bunch. This is what I would expect a beer-slash-lemonade to taste like, and though it was far from bad, I imagine those after a standard hard lemonade may be a little disappointed. 

The 8.4 percent ABV of this can gave it a leg up against some of its predecessors, and its alcohol flavors were subtle enough that I could have been fooled into thinking it sat around 5 percent. It does have a distinct malty flavor similar to IPAs, though. Malt comes through at the forefront and you’ll get slight hints of fruity lemonade at the end. I loved the flavorful, beer-y beverage, and I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from giving it a go. On the other hand, if you’re averse to IPAs, this can probably isn’t for you.

Maybe it’s just my nostalgia talking, but Mike’s Harder is (and will always be) a pretty solid pick when you’re craving hard lemonade. There’s a reason the brand has staying power — it’s clearly perfected its formula, and honestly, a blind sip would leave the newbie aghast that this can has a whopping 8 percent ABV. I don’t know how the company pulls off packing so much alcohol into such a subtle flavor profile, but it has. Personally, I’m grateful. 

This can probably needs the lease explanation of all the choices on this list, but I’ll explain it anyway for those who have yet to dip their toes into the Mike’s Harder pool. This can definitely tastes like lemonade but, as you can probably tell from its clarity in color, it’s a very gentle lemonade flavor that still manages to be bright, tart, and even a bit sour. Don’t expect your tastebuds to have a party with this one — rather, it’s a can to enjoy when you’re winding down, or when you need something to casually sip on at your next gathering. Similarly, its alcohol notes are hardly present. All that being said, none of its flavors blew me away; otherwise, I could have given this the top spot in my ranking. 

We’ve arrived at my number one pick, an easy top choice when pitted up against other options on this list. Ole Smoky’s Blackberry Lemonade is a moonshine cocktail that’s flavorful without being off-putting, and boasts about itself in such a way that leaves the drinker proud to be holding a can. Sipping this made me feel like I should be drinking it on a hot day in the deep South, while relaxing in a porch rocking chair after hours of yard work. It’s the ultimate “treat yourself” hard lemonade — plus, its 9 percent ABV comes in at the second highest on this list.

You’ll taste the alcohol in this but it’s far from being overwhelming. It boasted an impeccable balance of flavors as well. Sometimes blackberry drinks are too sweet and juicy for my liking; this one was delicate, and its blackberry notes didn’t overwhelm the lemonade flavor in the slightest. Plus, it left me with some berry sweetness on my lips after taking a sip, which I adored. This can is delightful, refreshing, and definitely the most flavorful of the bunch, without losing its lemonade essence. Catch me drinking this again during an overwhelming heatwave. 

I was picky when choosing which hard lemonades to include in this ranking. Only brands that billed their drinks as actual lemonades made the cut — this meant I didn’t include lemonade-flavored seltzers, like White Claw’s hard lemonade. This narrowed the available options considerably, which is worth noting if you’re willing to expand your horizons, as there are other hard lemonade-esque options available for the trying. 

I took a couple factors into consideration when ranking these lemonades; namely, the balance of their ABV and their flavor. In my mind, a good hard lemonade should be strong without tasting as such — lemonade should be able to mask alcohol notes so it goes down smoothly. This is why Beatbox’s Pink Lemonade got last place. It did have the highest ABV on this list, but the lemonade did nothing to counteract the alcohol present in it. Ole Smoky, on the other hand, gives the drinker the best of both world, and you’ll get a delicious blackberry lemonade with hints of alcoholic depth behind it. Similarly, though Smirnoff’s had a great flavor, its ABV wasn’t high enough to make it worth the buy for me.