Cocktails with Kate & James: Twists on Our Favorite Spiked Seltzers

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Kate Kennedy September 1, 2020

As we sip up the last few weeks of summer, James and I want to share with you some interesting twists on everyone’s favorite summer drink, the spiked seltzer. And if for some strange reason you dislike spiked seltzers, then maybe our brilliant tweaks will change your mind and your taste buds.

First, let’s talk favorites. There are dozens of different brands of flavored hard seltzer on the market and James and I did you a solid by trying all of them to find the best. Okay, not really. But, we definitely do have our favorites. For me it’s a brand out of East Boston, Mass., called Willie’s Superbrew. With flavors like Ginger & Lemon, and Pomegranate & Acai, Superbrew takes craft spiked seltzer to a new level. Each can has 5 to 15 percent of real fruit juice which to me is a game-changer.

James decided on a seltzer brand that has both non-alcoholic and spiked versions and is also local to New England, Polar Seltzer’s new Arctic Summer. Brewed in Worcester, Mass., Arctic Summer comes in fun flavors like Pineapple Pomelo and Raspberry Lime. Both brands are sold and shipped across the United States.

James’ Creations

James may have outdone himself with his spiked seltzer ramp-ups and gave us four delicious spins that use fresh ingredients. First, he took raspberry and blackberry skewers and added them to the Raspberry Lime flavored seltzer. Next, he took fresh pineapple chunks and cherries and added that to the Pineapple Pomelo flavor. In addition, he offered up a fun version using Black Cherry flavored seltzer and an orange popsicle. Lastly, he dazzled with a watermelon-flavored seltzer garnished with fresh watermelon and feta cheese skewers, fresh basil, and mint, drizzled with balsamic reduction, and finished with lemon and lime zest …WOW.

Kate’s Creations

Let’s just say that I took the term spiked seltzer to heart with my variations. I mean I work full time from home with two kids under the age of 6 (who’ll you see make cameo appearances on our video). I add MORE liquor to everything these days.

So for my creations, I took Pineapple & Coconut flavored spiked seltzer and added fresh lime juice and a shot of white rum for a quick spin on the classic Piña Colada. I also did my version of fancy with the Pomegranate & Acai flavored seltzer and added a shot of Prairie Cucumber flavored vodka and garnished with fresh cucumber. Summer in a glass.

So who did the better job of creating a spin on spiked seltzers? You be the judge by watching the Facebook Live recording below.

https://www.facebook.com/Tripleseat/videos/734453620452486/

Resources from this episode: