Everybody knows Bang Energy, but 2021 started with a different kind of bang: the brand officially moved into hard seltzer. I’ll be honest, I was very skeptical, but Bang came through big time.
I picked up a case and was blown away. Bang clearly flavored these like its energy drinks, because they barely taste like seltzers. Every one was abundantly sweet and refreshing, with what seems like very high carbonation.
There are seven flavors, but the most common variety pack has Purple Kiddles, Frosé Rosé, Strawberry Blast, and Piña Colada. Since the “kick” here is alcohol rather than caffeine and nearly identical across flavors, I’m scoring on taste and overall enjoyment.
| Flavor | Cam |
|---|---|
| Purple Kiddles | 9.3 |
| Frosé Rosé | 9.1 |
| Strawberry Blast | 7.4 |
| Piña Colada | 5.3 |
Purple Kiddles: 9.3
Questionable name aside, this is one of the best seltzers I’ve ever had. It’s abundantly sweet and tastes like purple Skittles. Sounds disgusting, right? It’s so packed with flavor that you temporarily forget there’s alcohol in it. Like all Bang seltzers, the mouthfeel is like an over-carbonated energy drink, which almost revs you up by association. Gross in theory, but easily one of my new all-time favorites.
Frosé Rosé: 9.1
Almost as good as Purple Kiddles, and very close to Bang’s Frosé Rosé energy drink. Oddly, I like the seltzer version better. It tastes like a slightly less sweet Purple Kiddles, with grape and strawberry instead of just grape. With this much carbonation and flavor, you can’t really taste the alcohol, and I wouldn’t be surprised if most people liked it more than Purple Kiddles.
Strawberry Blast: 7.4
Take a guess what flavor this is. Strawberry is usually an incredible seltzer flavor, but this one falls well short of the first two. The alcohol is very noticeable; it almost tastes like a weak strawberry flavor mixed with a little vodka. Still enjoyable, but disappointing next to Purple Kiddles and Frosé Rosé.
Piña Colada: 5.3
The only real miss of the four. I enjoy piña coladas (and getting caught in the rain) as much as the next person, but this tastes like Bang flavored a seltzer after an energy drink that was flavored after a piña colada. It’s artificial and overly sweet, with the same alcohol aftertaste as Strawberry Blast. I usually prefer seltzers to mixed drinks, but I’d take a real piña colada over this any day.
Upshot
The other flavors are Mango Bango, Lemon Drop, and Key Lime Pie. Mango Bango is one of my least favorite energy drinks, but all three could make interesting seltzers.
Overall, Bang Hard Seltzer was a pleasant surprise, and Purple Kiddles and Frosé Rosé are absolutely incredible. If you like sweet, flavor-packed seltzers or Bang energy drinks in general, don’t hesitate.
