Twisted Tea Original
Boston, Massachusetts
A 5% malt beverage with brewed tea and lemon flavour, and 23g of sugar per 12oz. The opposite of the vodka seltzers on this page.
- Congeners
- Low
- Histamines
- Very Low
- Polyphenols
- Low
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- Low
- Sugar
- Very High
- Additives
- Moderate
- Calories
- 202
- Sugar
- 23.3g
14g ethanol at 5% ABV. 98 from alcohol, 104 from carbohydrate.
In its favor
- ✓Only 5% alcohol
- ✓Real brewed tea
What to watch
- !23g of sugar in a 12oz bottle
- !Malt base, so it contains gluten
- !Tastes like iced tea, which hides how much has been drunk
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 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 Low ▾
Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.
Sugar Very High ▾
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.
Twisted Tea is the sweet end of this category. twistedtea.com describes it as a malt beverage with tea and natural flavors at 5%, and CalorieKing lists 25.9g of carbohydrate and 23.3g of sugar in a 12oz bottle.
The published figure is 194 calories. The derived total on this site is about 202, because ethanol and carbohydrate are counted at 7 and 4 kcal per gram. Because the alcohol comes from a malt base rather than a distilled spirit, it is not gluten-free.
Twisted Tea Original questions
What alcohol is in Twisted Tea Original? ▾
Twisted Tea Original is a malt beverage: its alcohol comes from fermented malted barley, 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 Twisted Tea Original? ▾
About 202 calories in a 12oz can at 5% ABV. 98 come from the alcohol and 104 from carbohydrate.
Does Twisted Tea Original have sugar? ▾
Yes, about 23.3g of sugar per 12oz serving and 25.9g of total carbohydrate.
How many carbs are in Twisted Tea Original? ▾
25.9g of carbohydrate per 12oz can, of which 23.3g is sugar.
Is Twisted Tea Original gluten-free? ▾
No. Twisted Tea Original is a malt beverage brewed from barley and never distilled, so the gluten stays in the can. It is not safe for coeliacs; a seltzer fermented from cane sugar or built on vodka avoids it.
Does Twisted Tea Original give you a bad hangover? ▾
Twisted Tea Original scores 5/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 3/10 for hard seltzer & rtd overall. The main drivers are its sugar.