Four Loko Trying To Get Some Of That White Claw Money

Spiked seltzers have had quite the rise in popularity, and the most emblematic of those brands, White Claw, recently faced a temporary shortage, with one group of panicked frat bros buyingthree pallets of the drink this past summer. 

A new challenger appears, however, a turbocharged variation from the poisoned minds at Four Loko, putting their stamp on the category with perhaps the strongest seltzer yet.

Unimaginatively called “Hard Seltzer,” Four Loko’s formulation contains a 12% Alcohol By Volume (ABV), down from the 14% ABV found on the teasers for the new product. The new seltzer comes in one flavor, black cherry, which, if similar to other Four Loko drinks, likely starts syrupy-sweet, with an overwhelming presence of malt-liquor, finishing with a note of both regret and shame, and possibly fisticuffs. By contrast, seltzers from White Claw and Truly are featherweights, coming in at a paltry 5% ABV.

The new spiked bubbly sports their signature "we’re-going-to-war-with-your-liver" camouflage found on other Four Loko cans, but in a more subtle, “ghost” style, using light grey and white, with logo and accents in a dark cherry hue. The hard seltzer is available in the same tallboy, 23.5oz sized can as Four Loko’s other products.

Part of the appeal of hard seltzers are their low ABV, natural flavorings, and low calories, and there’s no indication that Four Loko’s new beverage is naturally flavored or low in calories. Is there a market for a high-test hard seltzer? Maybe, but no one asked for a Four Loko fleshlight, and they did it anyway.