Long dominated by Twisted Tea, the hard tea category has exploded in recent years as drinkers thirst for ready-to-drink cocktails beyond a simple hard seltzer. According to BevNet, the number of hard tea brands on the market has nearly doubled in just three years, swelling from 80 in 2020 to approximately 150 in 2023. And growth in the category isn’t expected to slow anytime soon — as global market intelligence firm SkyQuest predicts that hard tea sales will grow at a CAGR of 25 percent and hit $14.5 billion by 2030.
While the category has long been associated with artificial sweetness and one-dimensional flavor profiles, new brands seek to shift that notion. Now, the category offers options for almost everyone, whether you’re hunting for something flat, sparkling, unsweetened, or juiced up with fruit.
Our panel tasted through dozens of brands to determine which teas are worth cracking open. From those produced by already booming RTD brands to those created by reality TV stars, here are the 15 best hard teas to drink right now.
Narragansett Hard Tea
While Narragansett is undoubtedly most popular for its cult-favorite lager, the Rhode Island-founded beer company launched a hard tea in June 2020. Produced in collaboration with the also-beloved New England lemonade brand Del’s, this liquid delivers everything you’d expect from a well-made Arnold Palmer. The slightly sweet lemonade balances tea’s tannins without any trace of artificial flavors, while subtle carbonation keeps the mouthfeel light and refreshing. Best enjoyed ice-cold, this can is one to keep stocked in your coolers this summer.
High Noon Original Hard Iced Tea
This lineup from the No. 1 spirits brand in the U.S. hit shelves in May 2024. Spiked with vodka, the tea is available in four flavors: original, lemon, peach, and raspberry. Of the bunch, our tasting panel most preferred the OG for its straightforward, no-frills profile. With tannins that leave a slight dryness in the mouth, this can is perfect for those who gravitate toward unsweetened iced tea at lunch.
Surfside Peach Tea + Vodka
Launched in 2022 by Philly’s Stateside Vodka team, Surfside started with just a single SKU, but has since expanded to include several standalone teas and lemonades. We were most drawn to the peach flavor, which reminded us of biting into a fresh, juicy peach rather than candied peach rings. With its light bitterness, Surfside Peach Tea walks on the sweeter side without knocking your teeth out.
Surfside Green Tea + Vodka
Also impressive was Surfside’s Green Tea + Vodka, which was added to the brand’s umbrella in April 2024. Bursting with grassy and earthy aromas, the palate delivers light green tea and a touch of sweetness, making this a great pick for purists. Accompanied by hints of ginseng and lemon, this will change the mind of anyone who believes all hard teas are sugar bombs.
10 Barrel Brewing Co. Golf Tea
10 Barrel Brewing Co.’s Golf Tea puts the “hard” in hard tea. Packaged at 10 percent ABV, the drink is the Oregon-based brewer’s take on the classic John Daly (a vodka-spiked Arnold Palmer). The cocktail exudes orange and yellow citrus aromas before a similar palate takes over. The sweetness takes a back seat to a sturdy tea-leaf flavor here, though the booze certainly helps, too — a slight burn from the vodka can be felt with every sip.
Sun Cruiser Classic Iced Tea
Produced by Boston Beer Company (the same brewer that manufactures Twisted Tea), Sun Cruiser Iced Tea hit shelves in March 2024. Though available in standalone flavors and variety packs with flavors like raspberry and peach, our team fell head over heels for the classic. This expression has robust tannins and earthiness with a hint of acid to lighten things up. At just 4.5 percent ABV, these are easy to crush during a long day cruising in the sun.
Talkhouse Encore Iced Tea & Lemonade
Inspired by the drinks served at Stephen Talkhouse in the Hamptons — a live music venue owned by the founder’s family — this lineup of canned cocktails originally included just Vodka Sodas and Tequila Sodas, but the brand entered the tea game in May 2024. This carbonated drink gives off subtle vanilla flavors more in line with lemon ice cream than true lemonade. Nevertheless, steeped tea flavors are still present, and bubbles keep everything light.
Wild T Strawberry Pineapple
Based in Columbus, Ohio, Wild T currently produces a handful of craft hard teas including compelling flavors like blueberry, mango, and black cherry bourbon. Our panel most enjoyed the Strawberry Pineapple expression, which strikes the perfect balance between a seltzer and a Miami Vice. Satisfying the desire for a tropical drink without any of the added weight, the liquid’s fruit blends smoothly with grassy green and serious black tea notes.
Dunkin’ Slightly Sweet
Launched in 2023 with Boston’s Harpoon Brewery (which has been producing the coffee chain’s pumpkin beer since 2017), Dunkin’ Spiked finally caught onto what college kids have been doing for decades: putting booze in the chain’s iced coffees and teas. While we were apprehensive that the lineup’s options would taste overly saccharine, we were pleasantly surprised by this expression. Canned at 5 percent ABV, the black tea-based concoction has a tannic profile, though it’s prevented from feeling over-steeped thanks to its citrusy finish.
Owl’s Brew White Tea & Watermelon
Founded in 2013 by two tea experts, Owl’s Brew’s lineup of hard teas and tea-based canned cocktails are designed for the purists. The White Tea & Watermelon flavor wowed our tasting panel with strong, woodsy white tea flavors undercut by subtle florality. If you’re worried about a Sour Patch situation on the palate, have no fear; the watermelon is nicely integrated and uplifts the whole drink.
Owl’s Brew Jasmine & Blueberry
A fellow standout in Owl’s Brew’s portfolio was the Jasmine & Blueberry, brewed with jasmine tea and flavored with blueberry, pomegranate, and lemon juice. And holy fresh: This is essentially springtime in a can. The jasmine, rose, and subtle hibiscus notes invoke a walk through a garden, and the finish is so vibrant it’s as if you stopped to toss a handful of perfectly ripe blueberries in your mouth.
AriZona Hard Green Tea
Considering AriZona’s founders got their start running a beer distribution company, it’s no surprise that the canned tea company launched spiked beverages in 2020. While the hard green, peach, and lemon offerings were originally only available in Canada, they made their U.S. debut in June 2023. With its heavy ginseng and grassy flavors, the Hard Green Tea easily won the favor of our tasting panel. Delivering the traditional grassy tilt the leaves are known for, the batch also gets a hit of sweetness and weight from honey.
Arnold Palmer Spiked
Made in collaboration with AriZona tea, the Molson Coors-owned Arnold Palmer Spiked is certainly on the sweeter side, but its lemonade and iced tea are well balanced. Easily crushable at just 5 percent ABV, the drink’s got lemon that makes the back palate salivate and tannins that grip the taste buds. Nostalgic and delicious, these cans are perfectly paired with a round of golf.
Lagunitas Disorderly Tea House Mixed Up Berries
Brewed with guayusa tea — a leaf native to the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest — the Lagunitas Disorderly Tea House range launched in March 2022. We were drawn to the Mixed Up Berries flavor over its sister expressions (Peach Slice and Yuzu Lemon Squeeze) for its bramble notes. Slightly carbonated, Mixed Up Berries washes the palate in earthiness accompanied by juicy blackberry and raspberry. As the sweetness is kept in the background here, this can is ideal for traditionalists.
Loverboy White Tea Peach
Founded by Bravolebrity Kyle Cooke of “Summer House” fame, Loverboy produces eight flavors of sparkling hard teas. Bursting with a bouquet of floral lavender and mouthwatering citrus, this expression was our favorite by a landslide. The mild tea makes for the perfect base for the stone fruit, which remains fresh and juicy on the palate rather than candied. Packaged at 4.2 percent ABV, these cans are ideal for stocking at your summer house — or just an Airbnb.
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