High Noon Vodka Seltzer
Modesto, California
Real-vodka seltzer with real juice, which is where the two grams of sugar come from. The category's volume leader and one of its lightest members.
- Congeners
- Very Low
- Histamines
- Very Low
- Polyphenols
- Very Low
- Sulfites
- Very Low
- Tannins
- Very Low
- Sugar
- Very Low
- Additives
- Low
- Calories
- 96
- Sugar
- 2g
12.6g ethanol at 4.5% ABV. 88 from alcohol, 8 from carbohydrate.
In its favor
- ✓Distilled vodka base
- ✓Only 2g of sugar, and it is fruit juice rather than syrup
- ✓Gluten-free
What to watch
- !Sold in variety twelve-packs, which is a lot of drink per purchase
Factor by factor
Congeners Very 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 Low ▾
Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.
High Noon uses distilled vodka and real fruit juice, and the juice is the entire reason it has two grams of sugar where Nutrl has none. Two grams is eight calories. It is not a meaningful health difference and it is a real flavour one.
What makes High Noon useful on this page is that it is the category’s best seller, so it is the most common actual answer to “is hard seltzer bad for you”. Per can: about 96 calories, no congeners, no amines, no tannins, no sulfites. The answer on chemistry is no. The answer in practice depends entirely on how many cans.