Mike’s Lite Hard Lemonade

I was recently in contact with the PR firm working with Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co. I think everyone knows the Mike’s brand — one of the first brands in that market segment, mind you, long before the Bacardis and Smirnoffs and other spirits brands slapped their names on malt-based beverages — so now that they’ve entered the lower-calorie drink segment, why not check the new drinks out and see how they fare? Product was sent, and here I am, posting my thoughts.

I’d be surprised if there are many people who drink alcohol who have not, in fact, consumed a Mike’s beverage at least once. I’m pretty sure I had the hard Iced Tea before the Lemonade, but rest assured, they’ve been brought to many a party in my adult life, by those who “don’t like the taste of beer.”

A mixed six-pack of Mike’s lite Hard Lemonade and the lite Cranberry Lemonade appeared on my doorstep for review. Like the full-calorie version, Mike’s lite uses real lemon juice, and as it’s a bit of a different process than traditional brewing with malt, there’s no actual grain in the finished product, so it’s gluten-free. On top of that, they’re a mere 109 calories for the lite Lemonade and 119 for the lite Cranberry Lemonade — roughly half the calories of the regular Mike’s Hard Lemonade drinks, and closer to one-fourth the calories of the new “fortified” (stronger) Mike’s Harder Lemonades. While it’s still straight-up empty calories, if you’re really worried about that, hey, you’re saving a couple dozen calories from, say, a light beer. Granted, the bottles are 11.2 ounces, not 12 ounces, so tack on 6 or 7 calories for a 12-ounce bottle equivalent.

But how does it taste? That’s the important part. For instance, the ultra-low-calorie beers out there, with 64 calories or 70 calories or whatever… they have no actual taste. They’re super low in alcohol as well, so to get the same “kick” — and Americans do love their alcoholic kick — you wind up drinking twice as much, negating your caloric advantage. Mike’s lite drinks are 3.2% alcohol by volume, so again, if you’re looking for the same levels of alcohol intake, you’re down a good one-fourth from the average light beer, per bottle. The tradeoff, then, has to be taste.

I drank both versions individually and singly, fighting the urge to pour three into a German liter-size Masskrug, instead using more suitable glassware. Pouring these is not a beerlike experience: there’s no foamy head, as the drinks have no protein, so each highly-carbonated lemonade fizzed like a soda before settling, headless, like any non-beer beverage with no means to retain head.

The Mike’s lite Hard Lemonade poured a greyish hue, and as expected, gave off a distinctly lemony aroma. I think one of the selling points of the brand is that what you read is what you get: you buy Mike’s lemonade probably expecting it to seem very similar to lemonade. The taste bears that out, as well, as it tastes not of fresh-squeezed lemonade, or lemon juice, but like lemonade drink mix. Crystal Light, in this case, although I’m certain Mike’s does not use an artificial sweetener. It isn’t sickly-sweet, fortunately — there’s none of the medicinal, fake taste of bad lemonade drink mix — so it goes down rather easily.

Aftertaste? Of course not. This is meant to appeal to a broad audience of casual drinkers. It clears out, waiting for the next sip, and served cold, it’s certainly a refreshing alternative to beer (which can also be refreshing, of course, but I’m not comparing that).

Following the same process with the lite Cranberry Lemonade, I am greeted by a greyish-pink concoction. Now, when I smell cranberries, and it’s not one of my favorite of the berries, I expect “bracingly tart”. This beverage is not that. Instead, it’s again, a sweeter version of the dominant fruit, and so it’s like a sugar-coated mashed cranberry.

As I’m not one to seek cranberry flavors on my own, it works better here as a sweetened drink. It’s downright pleasant, in fact, something I rarely say about a cranberry-based flavor profile, though almost always those positive experiences regarding cranberries have been mixed with alcohol. In fact, this sweet berry flavor pretty much knocks out the lemonade aspect of the cranberry-lemonade pairing. Not a bad thing, but it’s simply what happens. I had no trouble finishing this bottle, either, trouper that I am.

I’m not one for very fruity alcoholic beverages in general, so I don’t generally reach for a product like Mike’s puts out. But having tasted these — and I frankly don’t worry about calories when I’m drinking alcohol — I must say they do the trick they set out to perform. They’re very easy to drink, in a wine-cooler sort of way, and don’t mess with the obvious expectations of the market: be clean, taste like the fruit on the label, and don’t make the drinker make a face after swallowing.

Mike’s products are available in seemingly every bodega and grocery store in the city, so it shouldn’t be an issue finding them. Expect to pay $8 and up per six-pack of the lemonades, though the trick of making your own mixed-sixer from the available varieties is tougher to get past the cashier when the bottles are clear. If you’re a light beer drinker looking for some other way to get your alcohol, and you like lemonade, I’d wager Mike’s is a better-tasting, and cleaner, alternative than a shot of vodka in your Kool-Aid. Honestly? I like the way these taste, but without the sweet tooth necessary, I’d find it difficult to enjoy more than a couple in a sitting. But I think Mike’s has pretty much nailed the concept with a quite drinkable, refreshing product.

Please note that Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co. and their PR provided products to me without charge. I received no monetary compensation for this review, nor was I obliged in any way to post about this experience, positively or otherwise. This is my own opinion and I feel it was unbiased; you are free to take from this what you will.