We Tried the New Bud Light Seltzers, and Here's How They Measure Up to the Competition

Mary Honkus

Spiked seltzers are the still the booziest craze to hit the nation, and now Bud Light is jumping on the bandwagon with their latest offering.

Bud Light Seltzers launched on Monday, Jan. 13, and come in four flavors. Three classic seltzer flavors: lemon-lime, black cherry, mango, as well as a new standout: strawberry. Each can is only 100 calories, 5% ABV, and has less than 1 gram of sugar. Also to answer the inevitable question, there’s no beer in these seltzers.

PEOPLE had the opportunity to visit the Budweiser brewery in Baldwinsville, New York to get a first taste and to see firsthand how the seltzers are brewed. Sitting in the Budweiser tasting room, everyone sampled a little of each flavor.

RELATED: Pabst Blue Ribbon Is Testing a New Hard Seltzer

Bud Light
Bud Light

I was thrown off a bit before even tasting the drink because the aroma from each seltzer seemed extremely sweet. So sweet, in fact, that they smelled like candy. One sip of the clear, bubbly drink completely diminished my apprehensions, though. The seltzer was light, crisp, and refreshing with just a hint of fruity flavor — a little tart and not as sweet as I had anticipated.

While all the flavors were lovely, strawberry was a stand out since not many other seltzer brands offer that flavor.

Bud Light
Bud Light

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with Bud Light Seltzer, but the serious question is how does it compare to the ever-popular White Claws?

To answer this question I tested both Bud Light Seltzer’s and White Claw’s mango flavors side by side to see which one I definitively prefer.

RELATED: Four Loko Teases the Launch of the ‘Hardest Seltzer in the Universe’

Both seltzers are very similar at just 100 calories with 5% ABC per 12-oz can. White Claw tasted noticeably sweeter since it has 2 grams of sugar, compared to Bud Light which has less than 1 gram.

The biggest difference between the two, though, was the aftertaste: White Claw left a bit of a lingering flavor on the palate, while Bud Light had no aftertaste whatsoever — it was simply refreshing. And so, in my opinion, Bud Light Seltzers actually have the edge over White Claws. Yes, I said it. Don’t believe me? Go pick up a pack and try for yourself.

Of course, in this highly-saturated market, the options are seemingly endless — so imagine all of the taste-testing possibilities! Just make sure to pace yourself.