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Truly vs White Claw – Battle of the Hard Seltzers

Charl Joost
Last Updated: August 7th, 2023

Hard seltzer is an alcoholic drink where seltzer (which is carbonated water) is combined with alcohol and flavorings. Two brands on the market that offer hard seltzer are Truly vs White Claw, both of which have fruit flavors as well as special categories like lemonade.

These two brands both operate from the US and have similar features so we will be putting them against each other.

In this article, we are going to be comparing Truly Hard Seltzer and White Claw by going through how they are made, their similarities, and the variations each brand offers. Hopefully, you will have a better idea of which seltzer brand you will be trying next.

Truly vs White Claw

truly or white Claw

Both Truly and White Claw were launched in 2016. White Claw is manufactured by the Mark Anthony Group and was initially launched in 12 flavors. Given the growth in consumption of hard seltzers at the time, White Claw grew in popularity and expanded its range of offerings in line with this growth.

Truly Hard Seltzer launched with 3 flavors, those being Pomegranate, Colima Lime, Grapefruit, and Pomelo. When Truly launched, White Claw was already on the market with brightly colored cans, with Truly following suit. A few months after they launched, Truly expanded to include a variety pack in its offerings.

How Are They Made?

how are they made

Hard seltzer is made in an interesting method as it is a light, alcoholic, and bubble drink. Depending on the brand, hard seltzer has a relatively common production method although some brands may differ slightly. Using fermented cane sugar to create the alcohol although vodka can also be used, or a gluten-free option.

Once the fermented sugar has been collected, it is filtered to create a flavorless, colorless, odorless, and clear base. Next, the flavorings are added. This can be done either using real fruit which is infused with alcohol or with natural flavoring extract.

The next step in this process is introducing the bubbles. Carbonated water is created by infusing natural water with carbon dioxide which creates bubbles. This carbonated water is then added to the infused alcohol.

Due to the water being added, seltzer tends to have a lower alcohol content than straight alcohol, with the average being 4% to 6% (8 to 12 proof). Specifically, with vodka-made seltzers, this is a large difference as vodka tends to have an alcohol content of 40% to 95% (80 to 190 proof).

Truly does not use wheat, rye, oats, or barley meaning their product is gluten-free. This is a preferable option for someone who has a gluten intolerance or allergy. Similarly, White Claw is made entirely with naturally gluten-free ingredients.

What Are They Made of?

Truly uses cane sugar as its base ingredient which is a gluten-free alcohol base. A real juice concentrate is used to add flavoring to their various offerings which are made from natural fruits. At 100 calories per can, this is a healthier option than drinking a flavored vodka cocktail or mixed drink.

White Claw similarly uses cane sugar for its alcohol base as well as citric acid and sodium citrate. The flavoring for their seltzers is made using natural fruit flavorings with the additional ingredients being purified carbonated water and alcohol.

How Are They Similar?

how are they similar

Both Truly and White Claw have similar categories of hard seltzer, with these including their original ranges, lemonades, iced teas, and a stronger variation that has a higher alcohol content than the original. They are both produced in the US and use cane sugar as their base ingredient.

Similarly, both have similar alcohol contents with most of their offerings containing 5% alcohol (10 proof) with a select few at a higher alcohol content of 8% (16 proof).

Finally, another similarity is their price points. Both brands offer their hard seltzers in packs of 6 or 12, with the average cost per can being a $1 difference.

Direct Comparison of Truly and White Claw

Item Truly White Claw
Production Area Cincinnati Glendale, Arizona
Raw Ingredients Filtered water, alcohol, cane sugar, stevia sweetener, natural flavors Alcohol, natural flavors, carbonated water, cane sugar
Alcohol by Volume (ABV) 5% (10 proof) 5% (10 proof) 8% (16 proof)
Taste Light mineral taste with heavy sweetness and fruit flavor Fruity but not sweet
Average Price $2 per 750 ml $3 per 750 ml
Color Crystal clear Crystal clear

Truly Variations

truly variations

Truly has over 30 flavors of hard seltzer to purchase including 7 categories of drinks. There are 16 original flavors, 5 lemonade flavors, and 5 iced tea variations. The Margarita range includes 4 options while the Punch range has 5 variations.

Their vodka seltzer collection includes 5 flavors while the Extra collection includes 2 flavors with a higher alcohol content (8%) compared to the rest (5%). All their flavors are available in 16-ounce cans.

  Item Average Price
Original Seltzer Wild Berry $2
Cherry $2
Blueberry $2
Strawberry Lime $2
Lime $2
Grapefruit $2
Citrus Squeeze $2
Lemon $2
Pineapple $2
Mango $2
Passion Fruit $2
Watermelon Breeze $2
Berry Bramble Style $2
Cran-Orange Sparkler $2
Holiday Sangria Style $2
Pear Martini $2
Lemonade Original $3
Strawberry $3
Watermelon $3
Pineapple $3
Freeze Pops $3
Iced Tea Lemon Tea $3
Peach Tea $3
Strawberry Tea $3
Half and Half Tea $3
Margarita Strawberry Hibiscus $3
Watermelon Cucumber $3
Mango Chili $3
Classic Lime $3
Punch Pineapple Orange $3
Berry $3
Citrus $3
Fruit $3
Tropical $3
Extra Berry Blast $3
Pineapple Orange $3
Vodka Seltzer Blackberry and Lemon $3
Cherry and Lime $3
Peach and Tangerine $3
Pineapple and Cranberry $3
Pineapple Mango Vodka $3

White Claw Variations

white claw variations

White Claw has 5 main categories of flavors. Their Hard Seltzer Surf contains 100 calories with 1 gram of sugar per can. Their refresher lemonade contains 4 flavors including Limón, Blood Orange, Blackberry, and Strawberry, all of which have an additional fruit flavor within.

The iced tea range comes in 4 flavors while the hard seltzers are available in 12 different fruit flavors. Finally, the hard seltzer surge range comes in 4 options and has a higher alcohol content (8% which is 16 proof)) compared to the rest (5% which is 10 proof).

All the flavors are available in 12-ounce cans, with the seltzers and surge range available in 16-ounce cans.

Categories Item Average Price (per can)
Smash Citrus Yuzu $3
Tropical Pomelo $3
Watermelon Lime $3
Wildberry Acai $3
Refresher Lemonade Limón (Hint of Calamansi) $3
Blood Orange (Hint of Raspberry) $3
Blackberry (Hint of Red Cherry) $3
Strawberry (Hint of Kiwi) $3
Iced Tea Lemon $4
Peach $4
Mango $4
Strawberry $4
Hard Seltzer Black Cherry $5
Mango $5
Watermelon $5
Natural Lime $5
Ruby Grapefruit $5
Raspberry $5
Lemon $5
Tangerine $5
Strawberry $5
Blackberry $5
Pineapple $5
Passion Fruit $5
Surge Blackberry $3
Natural Lime $3
Blood Orange $3
Cranberry $3

How To Drink Truly and White Claw

Seltzer is a refreshing, carbonated alcoholic drink that is an ideal option for a lowkey evening or for a summer afternoon. A fun drink option using a White Claw offering is a Tropical Margarita. Start by filling a tumbler with ice and add 1 ounce of Blanco tequila.

Next, squeeze half a lime into a separate glass and strain it over the vodka. Finally, pour the mixture into a glass with ice, add White Claw’s Tropical Pomelo Smash and squeeze the remaining lime juice on top. Then, enjoy. This is a fun drink option for a warm summer evening or a drink to impress your friends with.

For a Truly drink, you can make a refreshing Holiday Buzz Cocktail. Start by muddling 5 raspberries in the bottom of a tall glass. Add 60 oz Truly Wild Berry Hard Seltzer, 1 ounce of Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka, and 2 ounces of cranberry juice. Add ice and mix lightly to combine the ingredients. Finally, garnish with a few raspberries and a sprig of mint.

Alternatives to Truly and White Claw

Bon V! V Spiked Seltzer has a zero-sugar and gluten-free seltzer option available as an alternative to either White Claw or Truly. The brand has 8 flavored options available including Coconut Pineapple, Clementine Hibiscus, and Raspberry Dragon fruit. Besides those, there are the classic flavors including grapefruit, mango, cranberry, and black cherry.

Lone Water Hard Seltzer is a line of hard seltzers which contain 80 calories and come in packs of 6 and 12. The six packs include the original seltzer, their spicy ranch water (which contains tasting notes of lime, jalapeno, and agave nectar), and their grapefruit range. The 12-pack is a variety pack including a combination of the 4 flavors available.

Corona Hard Seltzer is available in 2 flavor packs, the Tropical Pack or the Berry Pack. The tropical pack includes various flavored seltzers including citrus lime, spicy pineapple, watermelon lime, and mandarin starfruit. Meanwhile, the berry pack includes raspberry, blackberry lime, strawberry kiwi, and blueberry acai.

Finally, Flying Embers has a variety of drinks including Hard Seltzers. They offer 2 ranges including their Botanicals and Bitters which has an alcohol content of 5% and a Sweet and Heat range with similar alcohol content.

About The Author

Charl Joost

Charl is a trainer, public speaker, and professional writer. While he has been coached to niche down, he has many passions. These include golf, gardening, technology, and a decent cup of coffee or two. Charl loves to learn about new products and tries everything he writes about.

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