What Seltzer Has the Highest Alcohol Content? An Overview of the Strongest Brands

January 9, 2026 •

4 min read

While most mainstream hard seltzer brands maintain a typical Alcohol by Volume (ABV) of around 5%, there is a specific segment of the market dedicated to more potent options. Certain specialty seltzers and product lines are engineered to provide a significantly stronger kick for consumers seeking maximum potency.

Quick Summary

A review of hard seltzers with the highest alcohol content, highlighting brands with the most potent options and detailing specific product lines that exceed the standard 5% ABV.

Key Points

Four Loko Spiked Seltzer is the highest: Four Loko offers the most potent hard seltzer option with an ABV that can reach 14%.
Top brands offer 8% ABV options: Market leaders like White Claw (Surge), Truly (Extra/Unruly), and Bud Light (Platinum) all feature product lines with 8% ABV.
Higher potency is a growing trend: The hard seltzer market has seen a trend toward offering higher ABV options to satisfy consumers seeking a more potent effect.
Not all strong canned drinks are seltzers: Some canned beverages with high ABV, like those from Cutwater Spirits, are technically cocktails made with distilled spirits, not fermented seltzers.
Standard vs. High-ABV taste: The taste profile of a high-ABV seltzer may differ from a standard 5% variety, often featuring bolder or more pronounced flavorings.
Read the label carefully: Always check the can for the specific ABV, as different product lines from the same brand can have significantly different alcohol percentages.

The Highest Alcohol Seltzer: Four Loko Spiked Seltzer

When it comes to sheer alcohol content, one brand stands out in the hard seltzer category: Four Loko. Specifically, their Spiked Seltzer, particularly the Sour variant, has been cited as having an extremely high ABV of 14%. This places it significantly higher than nearly all other options on the market, positioning it closer to malt liquors or strong wines than typical hard seltzers. Four Loko’s presence in this niche appeals directly to consumers looking for maximum potency in a single can.

Why Such a High ABV?

While the majority of hard seltzers focus on being light and sessionable, a brand like Four Loko targets a different consumer base. The high ABV, often combined with intense and artificial flavors, is designed for a powerful and quick effect rather than a leisurely, low-calorie drinking experience. This contrasts sharply with the original market philosophy of hard seltzers, which typically offered a lighter alternative to beer and cocktails.

The Strong Tier: 8% ABV Seltzers

Beyond Four Loko, a handful of major brands have introduced their own "stronger" or "extra" lines to capture the segment of the market that desires a more potent product, without going to the extreme of 14%. These offerings are typically 8% ABV and are readily available across the United States.

Popular 8% ABV Options:

White Claw Surge: The market leader in hard seltzers also plays in the higher-ABV field with its Surge line. This product offers a more powerful wave of refreshment with an 8% ABV and comes in flavors like Blood Orange and Cranberry.
Truly Extra / Unruly: Truly, another dominant force in the industry, released its Extra (also called Unruly) line to compete directly in the higher-potency market. At 8% ABV, it provides an extra kick compared to their standard 5% offerings.
Bud Light Platinum Seltzer: Anheuser-Busch's contribution to the high-ABV seltzer space, the Platinum Seltzer line, also features an 8% ABV. This line offers a stronger alternative for Bud Light fans in various flavors.
Pabst Blue Ribbon Stronger Seltzer: A notable entry, Pabst Blue Ribbon offers a Stronger Seltzer at 8% ABV, providing a higher-alcohol option under a familiar brand name.

High-ABV Hard Seltzer Comparison Table

For a quick overview of the most potent options, here is a comparison of some of the highest-ABV hard seltzers available.


Brand	Product Line	Typical ABV	Notes
Four Loko	Spiked Seltzer	Up to 14%	Known for very high potency and strong flavors.
White Claw	Surge	8%	A stronger version of the classic seltzer from a market leader.
Truly	Extra / Unruly	8%	Truly's answer to the demand for higher alcohol seltzers.
Pabst Blue Ribbon	Stronger Seltzer	8%	A less common but potent offering from a classic beer brand.
Bud Light	Platinum Seltzer	8%	A stronger option for fans of Bud Light's seltzer flavors.
JuneShine	Cocktail Seltzers	Up to 10%	Craft seltzers and hard kombuchas, some with very high ABV.

The Rising Popularity of Stronger Options

The increasing availability of high-ABV seltzers signifies a shift in the market. Initially, hard seltzers gained traction as a low-calorie, low-alcohol alternative to beer. However, as the market matured, consumers began to seek out more diverse options, including those with a higher alcohol kick. This led to the expansion of existing product lines and the introduction of new brands specifically catering to this demand. For consumers, higher ABV can mean fewer cans are needed to achieve the desired effect, potentially offering a more cost-effective choice. It also appeals to those who enjoy the clean, crisp taste of seltzer but prefer the potency of a mixed drink or a strong beer.

The Difference Between Seltzers and Canned Cocktails

It's important to differentiate high-ABV hard seltzers from canned cocktails, which can sometimes be confused. While both are canned alcoholic beverages, hard seltzers typically derive their alcohol from fermented cane sugar or malted grains, providing a lighter taste. Canned cocktails, on the other hand, are often made with distilled spirits like vodka, rum, or tequila, which can result in even higher ABVs. Brands like Cutwater offer canned cocktails with very high alcohol content, such as their White Russian (14% ABV) or Long Island (13.2% ABV), which are distinct from seltzers despite their similar packaging.

Conclusion

While standard hard seltzers generally hover around the 5% ABV mark, the market now offers a clear progression of potency for those seeking a stronger drink. Four Loko leads the pack with an exceptionally high 14% ABV, while other major brands have established a 'strong tier' at 8% ABV with products like White Claw Surge, Truly Extra, and Bud Light Platinum Seltzer. This variety caters to a wider consumer base and demonstrates the hard seltzer market's evolution beyond its original low-alcohol roots.

For a closer look at these and other high-alcohol canned beverages, read more at Seltzer Nation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Four Loko Spiked Seltzer is widely regarded as the hard seltzer brand with the highest alcohol content, with some of its products reaching an ABV of 14%.

Yes, several popular brands offer 8% ABV product lines, including White Claw Surge, Truly Extra/Unruly, and Bud Light Platinum Seltzer.

High-ABV seltzers, like those with 8% or 14% ABV, are significantly more potent than regular seltzers, which typically have an ABV of around 5%. This results in a stronger, quicker effect from consumption.

No, while Four Loko has the highest documented ABV for a seltzer, other brands like White Claw, Truly, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Bud Light also offer high-ABV options, albeit at a slightly lower 8% ABV.

No, canned cocktails are typically made with distilled spirits and can reach very high ABVs, sometimes exceeding 14%. Hard seltzers usually get their alcohol from fermented sugar or malted grains.

Yes, the taste can differ. High-ABV seltzers often feature stronger flavors to mask the more pronounced alcoholic taste, while standard seltzers are known for their lighter, more subtle flavor profiles.

The main downside is the increased risk associated with higher alcohol consumption, such as faster intoxication and the need for more careful moderation compared to a standard 5% ABV seltzer.