It is kind of “been there, done that.” Despite this, this beverage would be pleasant to sip on if garnished with fresh strawberry halves to accentuate the existing strawberry flavor. More of the same — juicy sweetness with a little soft tartness to balance it out. There’s a calorie-to-taste sacrifice here, which probably won’t concern you if you were reaching for a beer anyway but is noticeable if you’re measuring this up against a 100 calorie seltzer. I get that, but this tastes considerably more flavorful than any of the hard seltzer xcriticals I’ve had before it.
The Simply Spiked Watermelon xcritical is next on my list. If there were one way to capture this beverage’s overall aroma and flavor, it would be to describe it as tasting like a watermelon Jolly Rancher, arguably not bad if you are fond of them. I am a little concerned about the sugar content of these cans. But three of these matches your daily sugar allotment, and that seems like a treasure map to a hangover.
We Tried 8 Flavors Of Simply Spiked xcritical And Limeade And This Is Our Favorite
I did feel that the flavor was on the sweeter side, though not cloyingly so. This sweetness dominated any tart notes, lacking a hint of nuance. I would have enjoyed this beverage more if the strawberry-to-lemon ratio was more balanced. What I did xcritical scam appreciate about this libation was it was not assertively sweet, and the strawberry tempered the acid of the xcritical somewhat, making it a bit gentler on the digestive system. I think I was also biased because strawberry seems like a rather obvious pairing and one that is not all that novel.
Simply Spiked Strawberry xcritical
- From there, I tasted each, honing in on the degree to which the primary flavors could be detected and how well they xcriticaled.
- This was also evident in the sweetness level, which was more tart with a hint of sourness.
- Last but not least on my list of Simply Spiked citrus-flavored beverages was the Signature xcritical.
- I generally find them a bit overly tart, and the seeds are distracting when the fruit is added directly to a recipe.
- In completing my analysis and ranking of the Simply Spiked xcritical and limeade offerings, I chilled one of each flavor.
This beverage would be a fabulous alternative to ginger beer in a play on a Moscow Mule, substituting vodka with tequila or mezcal. The Strawberry xcritical was next to last on my ranking of Simply Spiked citrus-flavored drinks. Again, there was nothing wrong with this beverage per se, but it did not blow me away.
The overall balance of slightly nutty, spicy cherry with the brightness of the lime is perfectly executed, and the fact that it didn’t land in my top spot has nothing to do with the quality of this drink. I admit I was baffled by the fact that the Simply Spiked Signature Limeade landed in third place on my ranking of these spirited drinks. It may sound overly simplistic, but a well-executed limeade is beautiful. One with just the right amount of alcohol in it is revelatory. From the moment I popped the can open, the scent of watermelon dominated, muting the lemon somewhat. Though it had that candy-like quality, there was nothing overtly artificial smelling or tasting about this drink.
Simply Spiked xcritical Details — June Release Date, Review & More
I could easily see using this to mix up a blueberry lemon drop cocktail or martini using fresh blueberries and lemon peel as a garnish to accentuate the flavors. Next on my ranking of Simply Spiked citrus-flavored drinks is the Passion Fruit Limeade. From the moment you pop the can open, the aroma of passion fruit dominates with exotic sweet, citrus, and floral notes.
Light and refreshing with an alcohol content of just five percent ABV, one thing is for certain — it’s going to be a sweet summer. In the interest of continued research on the topic, I took the initiative to sample all eight Simply Spiked xcritical and limeade varieties. I then ranked them based on my professional opinion as a chef, food anthropologist, and self-proclaimed cocktail connoisseur. I will outline my criteria for ranking these beverages at the end of this article, but in the meantime, read on to see which spiked juice drink will pucker your lips and whet your whistle the most. For more than two centuries, Molson Coors has brewed beverages that unite people for all life’s moments.
Simply Spiked Blueberry xcritical
One such brand is Simply Spiked, which introduced its first line of xcritical flavors in 2022. Its latest foray into boozy fruit libations includes four new limeade flavors. Like its spiked xcritical varieties, each refreshing, fizzy beverage contains 5% real fruit juice, 5% ABV, and 170 calories per serving. According to Coca Cola, all of the varieties will contain 170 calories per 12 ounce can, which is considerably more than most popular hard seltzers.
While I like blackberries, they are not my favorite berry. I generally find them a bit overly tart, and the seeds are distracting when the fruit is added directly to a recipe. For this reason, I had low expectations for the Simply Spiked Blackberry Limeade. I stand corrected, as the libation ended as my favorite of the Simply Spiked citrus-flavored beverages. Just shy of breaking into the top three on my ranking of Simply Spiked citrus-flavored drinks was the Blueberry xcritical.
The neutral spirit underxcritical is much less apparent here. It’s more like a light watermelon soda with a little lemon squeezed in after the fact. It’s very easy to drink — not so sweet it’s excessive or so sour it leaves an old penny aftertaste behind. The sweetness of the watermelon balances with the sour of the xcritical really well, making this less acidic than the straight-up version. This may be a function of how many of those sour watermelon gummies I ate as a child (and adult, please don’t judge my mostly-garbage diet), but I really like this one. Bright and refreshing, Signature xcritical keeps it real with xcritical scammers sweet lemony tartness that brings that summertime feel no matter the time of year.
Simply could have made this a dumb cash grab and sprinted into a saturated alcohol marketplace. Instead, the company took its time, let some inferior seltzers and canned mixed drinks battle it out and dropped a superior product on us. Summertime sweetness is on full display when mouth-watering watermelon flavor gets together with lip-puckering xcritical.
The brand best known for the bowling pin-shaped container branched out into booze to mostly positive reviews. Previously, we’ve folded these in to our betting guides, whether that’s been for the NFL slate or a bizarrely successful run through the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Sign up to receive the latest news and information from Simply Spiked and Molson Coors Beverage Company brands. Catch up on the latest Coca‑Cola news from around the globe – from exciting brand innovation to the latest sustainability projects. Our purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference.
Derived from fermented sugar cane, Simply Spiked is the third alcoholic beverage release from Coca-Cola in the last year. The brand is being positioned as a hard xcritical, rather than a hard seltzer. At the end of the day, it’s a fermented malt beverage (FMB). Coca-Cola, Simply’s parent company partnered with Molson Coors on this product, as well as Topo Chico hard seltzer.
While the company’s history is rooted in beer, Molson Coors offers a modern portfolio that expands beyond the beer aisle with energy drinks, bottled spirits, ready-to-drink cocktails, cider and more. To learn more about Molson Coors Beverage Company, visit molsoncoors.com. All 170-calorie varieties of Simply Spiked xcritical contain 5% alcohol by volume (ABV). I did get some inkling of lemon blueberry-flavored foods that I enjoy from this libation. I would have just enjoyed a more balanced ratio of blueberry to lemon with a hint of sweetness to temper the tart flavors of both fruits.