Having a cold one on long weekend doesn’t have to mean beer

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This article was published 02/08/2024 (747 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A hot and steamy August long weekend — is there a better time to crack a cold one and relax?

But for those who aren’t beer drinkers, a “cold one” means something quite different than a crisp pilsner or refreshing lager.

Those folks already know there are plenty of ale alternatives in the form of coolers, refreshment beverages, ready-to-drinks, patio pounders or whatever you want to call them. It’s a category that has exploded in recent years, spearheaded by the likes of Palm Bay, Mike’s Hard and White Claw.

Here are eight beer alternatives, listed from lightest to heaviest, with a range of flavours and base spirits — including some made locally. Pour any of these over ice and enjoy.

The Cowbell Brewing Co. Original Lime Tequila Seltzer (Blyth, Ont. — $3.95/473ml cans, Liquor Marts, beer vendors)

is very pale straw in colour, with an herbal note that comes in tequila and with a dash of lime in there as well. It’s light-bodied and dry, with very light tequila and lime flavours, lively effervescence and modest acidity. Like many seltzers the flavours aren’t incredibly intense, but surely refreshing on a hot day. Five per cent alcohol. 2.5/5

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The Coco Rum Original (Toronto — $4.49/473ml cans, Liquor Marts and beer vendors)

features, according to the can, “real coconut water with rum” — it’s colourless and offers heavy coconut aromas but very little rum notes. It’s light-plus bodied and quite sweet, with intense coconut flavours that recall Malibu or even Nanaimo bars, but again lacks much in the way of the rum component (other than the five per cent alcohol). Even if you love coconut, you might find it a bit much here. 2/5

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The Finnish Long Drink Traditional Citrus (Ontario — $18.49/6 x 355ml cans, Liquor Marts and beer vendors)

is a Canadian take on a Finnish beverage created in 1952 to celebrate the Olympics in Helsinki. This gin-based cooler is pale white-ish colour and hazy, with bright lemon candy and hints of botanical aromas. It’s a crisp, citrus-driven and fresh (but medium-sweet) cooler with bright lemon candy notes, modest herbal/botanical flavours and lively effervescence — similar to the Mike’s Hards or Smirnoff Ices of the world, but with slightly more going on. Also available in a zero sugar (but still sweet) format. Clocks in at 5.5 per cent alcohol. 3/5

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The Dead Horse Cider Co. Shandy (Winkler — $3.98/355ml can, cidery, Liquor Marts and beyond)

is a new offering from the Manitoba cidery and features apple cider, black tea and lemon juice. It’s pale gold and aromatically is heavy on the ripe apple, with very subtle notes from the tea/lemon additions. On the dry, light-plus bodied palate it’s mainly dry, delivering fresh, crisp apple flavours with lively effervescence and, eventually, a black tea note does come through on the finish. Cider lovers will find plenty to like, although those looking for “shandy” flavours might not find them. Five per cent alcohol. 3/5

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The Lively Rosé (Canada — $3.95/341ml bottle, Liquor Marts and beyond)

is billed as a “flavoured wine beverage” made from rosé wine and peach and cherry flavours with “a hint of elderflower.” It’s deep pink in colour and aromatically there’s plenty of peach candy that comes with cherry and strawberry notes. There’s a hint of carbonation on the off-dry light-plus bodied palate, with loads of peach and cherry flavours as well as raspberry and strawberry notes. It’s quite a charming and tasty drink and, with seven per cent alcohol, has a bit of a kick. 3.5/5

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The Triple Bogey Brewing Co. Classic Transfusion (Ontario — $3.39/473ml cans, Liquor Marts and beer vendors)

is a canned riff on the cocktail of the same name; sure enough, this offering is billed as a vodka/ginger ale/grape juice blend, and pours a deep cherry red in colour. Aromatically this smells like straight-up grape freezies, and on the light-plus bodied (and quite sweet) palate, those grape candy/freezie notes persist, but the ginger ale is missing in action. It’s a fun one for the sweet-tooth crowd — just don’t go in expecting authentic fruit flavours. And hey, it’s on sale right now (it’s regular $3.79). Six per cent alcohol. 2.5/5

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From Oak Bluff comes the Bee Boyzz Meadmosa (Oak Bluff — $3.88/355ml cans, meadery, Liquor Marts and beyond),

a carbonated mead with orange juice. This twist on the mimosa is pale gold and hazy in appearance, with up-front honeycomb aromas and secondary herbal and orange notes. It’s off-dry and medium-bodied, with the honey and orange juice flavours showing well; the acidity of the juice and the carbonation counterbalance the slightly richer texture of the mead nicely. Chill and serve with brunch. Five per cent alcohol. 3/5

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A newcomer to the hard tea category is Farmery’s Auntie Bea’s Hard Brewed Teas Peach (Neepawa — $3.41/473ml cans, brewery, Liquor Marts and beer vendors),

a peach-flavoured hard iced tea infused with Bee Maid honey. It looks like iced tea, and aromatically delivers peach candy, steeped tea and only subtle honeyed notes. It’s light-plus bodied and medium-sweet (and slightly cloying), with the honey component imparting sweetness but not much flavour; rather, this malt-based cooler is heavy on the tea to the point you nearly forget it’s peach flavoured. Four per cent alcohol. 2.5/5

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