Also known as spiked seltzer, alcoholic seltzer, or hard sparkling water, hard seltzer is carbonated water combined with alcohol and fruit flavoring. Depending on the hard seltzer brand, these fruit flavors can come from real fruit juice or artificial flavoring.

What kind of alcohol is in seltzer?

It doesn't contain vodka or any other distilled spirit but is instead produced in a similar manner to beer. The basic concept is that a little sugar is added to carbonated water (seltzer), which is then fermented by introducing yeast so that the sugars are converted into alcohol.

How is seltzer made alcoholic?

Spiked seltzer doesn't contain any separately distilled spirit. It's brewed a bit like beer, made using sugar, water, and yeast. The yeast ferments the sugar, dissolved in carbonated water, turning it into alcohol.