Skip The Beer, Wines & Tonics For These 6 Homegrown Hard Seltzers

Yet another Goa-based brand, Mandovi Distilleries, Pursue was (to our knowledge!) the first hard seltzer to hit the market in India, by a local brand. Granted there is a bit of Miami and Bangalore in this one, let’s call this one a global product. What we really liked about PURSUE was that they stayed true to India in their flavours, but with a bit of a twist. Think Mosambi and Mint, Strawberry and Rose, Peach and White Tea, and Mango and Chilli. Our favourite was the Mosambi and Mint; not least of all because it was a trip down memory lane, and the streets of Indian cities! The Strawberry & Rose is for those who like things sweet while the Mango & Chilli is a taste of summer! Ripe mangoes, a hit of spice and that tangy sweet and sour mix…mmm. This was a very close second! Peach & White Tea keeps it subtle, albeit almost too subtle! Still, it’s a smooth one that you can have more of…over and over! 

Availability: Bangalore, Pondicherry, and Goa

Price: INR 100 upwards. 

Another one we’ve tried and liked is IST, bottled and distilled in Goa. It’s full form, Indian Standard Time (IST), is a great name, we think, encapsulating Goa where time stands still, and the chilled out nature of all Indians, when it comes to time. We can vouch for the drink being fresh and not tasting synthetic! We had both the Grapefruit Smash and Lime Smash, with the former mostly tasting of pomegranate and the latter almost a chardonnay. The Lime Smash was the clear winner! This made-in-Goa drink also has only 2gms of sugar, so if you’re counting calories, then that helps. In fact, it’s meant to be only a 99-calorie drink. And at 5% alcohol content, you can also say bye bye to hangovers. This one is also gluten free so for those who are avoiding gluten by choice or necessity, this is a great option. 

Availability: Goa 

Price: INR 120

With a very active IG page, but low on availability, Bro Seltzer was super entertaining when they launched the seltzer. They really went into explaining what the drink was to a fairly new audience. Using memes featuring everyone from Bruno Mars, Hrithik Roshan, Max Verstappen, Akshay Kumar and Vicky Kaushal, they made sure we all knew the drink was under 99 calories, had no sugar, and was a great healthier alternative to beer! Throw in the much-loved work Bro, and everyone wants to drink this lime flavoured Bro Seltzer, bro! 

Availability: Kerala, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, West Bengal

Price: INR 150 upwards

A sparkling alcoholic beverage that is from Goa, of course, Raya fuses botanicals, fruits, herbs and alkaline water. Without overpowering each other, we loved the Pomegranate Mint option that is fruity, herb-ey and a little tangy too. Pineapple Ginger is perfect for the tropical weather, and really works in the winter too thanks to the ginger. For those who want to keep things different, pick Citrus Spice. It’s like a gentle tingle of citrus and sharp. I am not a fan of star anise, so I was not the biggest fan of this liquorice flavour! Each bottle is 330ml, and is 5% alcohol content. 

Availability: Currently, Goa

Price: INR 150

In true Millennial, 2022 style, Wild Drum’s hard seltzer is vegan, low calorie, gluten free, fat free and therefore, guilt free, they say! They currently have two variants — one at 8% alcohol content and the other 4.75%. Within those, there are a few flavours though! The stronger one has Peach and Pure while the other one has a rather sweet mango, refreshing mint and also a non-flavoured Pure.

Availability: Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa

Price: INR 150

What started out as a lockdown experiment, end up as a hard seltzer out of Goa, with three distinct flavours! Unfortunately, we have not had the chance to try it out, but we’re really looking forward to sampling the Lemongrass, Grapefruit & Apple, Apple & Rose, and the Strawberry & Blueberry fizzy drinks that are ABV 6%.

Availability: Goa and Pondicherry

Price: INR 110