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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Christian D'Andrea

Hard Seltzer of the Week: Willie’s Superbrew is as weird as its name suggests

Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.

Willie’s Superbrew is not like other hard seltzers. That’s clear right away.

Whether it’s the craft brewery-style 16-ounce cans with sticker labels or the bold promise of “superfruit,” it’s not a drink you’d ever confuse with High Noon, White Claw or a host of slim-canned market standbys. The Massachusett brewer’s uniqueness isn’t limited to marketing, either. Their lineup includes flavors like ginger and turmeric and hops, which go above and beyond the La Croix-limited palates of other seltzer brands.

A drink that started as a home-brewed, boozy and fruited ginger beer has expanded to three flavors from its New England roots. And each can, from its DIY aesthetic to the uncommon mashup of flavors inside maintains that vibe. That makes it very interesting and at least a little cool amidst a perpetually expanding marketplace.

But is it any good?

Juicy Tangy Zesty!: B-

The can promises ginger, lemon and turmeric, in that order. It’s that and a little brown sugar to make this 16 ounce can with 160 calories palatable. It pours with a head that immediately dissolves into the ether and smells like Vernor’s ginger ale which, hell yeah.

The ginger remains at the forefront, and while a little bit of citrus and herb (turmeric’s a herb… right?) sneak in, that’s the headliner of this beverage. I wish it were a little stronger in that regard, but my biggest complaint is with all that carbonation that fizzled into the atmosphere at the pour. It tastes weirdly flat, leaving the flavor to stand on its own in a way other hard seltzers decidedly do not.

That flavor isn’t bad. It’s shooting for ginger beer and getting most of the way there. But it lacks that spiciness and crisp carbonation that comes with a Gosling’s or a Bundaberg. That’s a little frustrating, because this is a unique mix that should be really, really good! Instead it’s just sort of … fine. I like it, I just want it to be better.

Juicy Mango Tango: C

And, yep, here we are again. Without the ginger spice the cane sugar alcohol and the tropical fruits combine for an acidic, slightly musty drink. It tastes boozier than you’d expect from something that clocks in at 4.5 percent alcohol. It’s sweet up front but, like the carbonation that runs screaming from the pour, that quickly turns into something else.

That doesn’t make it undrinkable, but it doesn’t stand out in any positive way. Willie’s has unique, interesting flavors that should be home runs — honestly, maybe passion fruit is to someone who isn’t me. Instead they start off in the right direction and veer toward ordinary. That’s a bummer from a fringe company with the chance to do something special.

Juicy Hazy Hoppy!: C+

It pours with a fast-moving fizz and looks like … well, a little like Mountain Dew and a little like orange juice. It smells hoppy, first and foremost, with some fruit flavor lagging behind.

The taste is right between a juice-based cocktail and a pale ale. It begins sweet and ends bitter, with a little dryness to clean up that dense juicyness. It’s unusual, to be sure, but it’s also weirdly decent — like an IPA brass monkey. The danky finish is a bit much for my taste, but it’s a big swing and I’m glad Willie’s took it.

Would I drink it instead of a Hamm's?

This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I’m drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That’s the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm’s. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Willie’s Superbrews over a cold can of Hamm’s?

I’m good, but thank you. I appreciate the effort, but these aren’t for me.

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