Truly Hard Seltzer
Boston, Massachusetts
Built on a fermented cane sugar base rather than a distilled spirit, at 5% with a single gram of sugar. Boston Beer's answer to White Claw.
- Congeners
- Low
- Histamines
- Very Low
- Polyphenols
- Very Low
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- Very Low
- Sugar
- Very Low
- Additives
- Moderate
- Calories
- 102
- Sugar
- 1g
14g ethanol at 5% ABV. 98 from alcohol, 4 from carbohydrate.
In its favor
- ✓1g of sugar
- ✓Gluten-free despite coming from a brewery
What to watch
- !Fermented base rather than distilled, so marginally more fermentation byproduct
- !More added flavouring than the vodka-based cans
Factor by factor
Congeners Low ▾
Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.
Histamines Very Low ▾
Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.
Polyphenols Very Low ▾
Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.
Sulfites Very Low ▾
Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.
Tannins Very Low ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Very Low ▾
Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.
Additives Moderate ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
Truly is brewed, not distilled. The alcohol comes from fermenting cane sugar and then stripping the result to neutrality, which is a different route to the same destination as vodka. The finished liquid is very low in congeners either way, but “very low” after fermentation is not quite “very low” after rectification, which is why the sugar-brewed seltzers sit a point behind the vodka ones on this page.
That distinction is real and it is small. One gram of sugar and 5% ABV puts Truly among the lightest drinks on this site regardless of how the alcohol got there.
Truly Hard Seltzer questions
What alcohol is in Truly Hard Seltzer? ▾
Truly Hard Seltzer gets its alcohol from fermented cane sugar, brewed like a beer rather than spiked with a spirit. It is 5% ABV, close to a standard beer.
How many calories are in a can of Truly Hard Seltzer? ▾
About 102 calories in a 12oz can at 5% ABV. 98 come from the alcohol and 4 from carbohydrate.
Does Truly Hard Seltzer have sugar? ▾
Yes, about 1g of sugar per 12oz serving.
Is Truly Hard Seltzer gluten-free? ▾
Yes. Truly Hard Seltzer is made from fermented cane sugar. There is no wheat, barley or rye at any stage.
Does Truly Hard Seltzer give you a bad hangover? ▾
Truly Hard Seltzer scores 3/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 3/10 for hard seltzer & rtd overall. It is low on every hangover factor we track, so most of the morning after comes down to how much ethanol you drink.