Hard Seltzer Tasting - Carolina Charm

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For our last Community Group social of the summer, I hosted a seltzer tasting! It was super simple — each girl brought a case of hard seltzer and an appetizer…

The Line-Up

TRULY TROPICAL (5% ALC / 100 CAL)
BUBS (4% ALC / 77 CAL)
VIZZY (5% ALC / 100 CAL)
SMIRNOFF (4.5% ALC / 90 CAL)
WILD BASIN (5% ALC / 100 CAL)
THREE BIRDS (5% ALC / 110 CAL)

Note: White Claw was purposely omitted. We all know and love that seltzer and wanted to try as many NEW flavors as possible! Also, we couldn’t find High Noon for the party but you can find my review in this post!

Tasting Reviews & Finalists

I passed out mini sample cups for the tasting and we passed around a can of each flavor to try. Although our judgement may have been slightly off after 23 tastings, here are the reviews and finalists…

TRULY TROPICAL: Watermelon kiwi made it as a finalist while passion fruit tasted like tanning bed lotion.
BUBS: Overall great variety pack with pink cherry lemonade making it as a finalist.
VIZZY: A crowd favorite — every flavor was absolutely delicious and this seltzer gets bonus points for including antioxidants (so basically, it’s healthy). Strawberry kiwi and black cherry limes were included as finalists.
SMIRNOFF: Overall disgusting, but 2 of us campaigned hard for the piña colada to make it as a finalist, despite the rest of the group hating it.
WILD BASIN: The classic lime flavor was light and refreshing with no weird aftertaste. It made it as a finalist.
THREE BIRDS: Disgusting. Every flavor — gross.

Winners

Drum roll for the winners…

Best seltzer brand: Vizzy!!!
Best flavor: Wild Basin Classic Lime

Boursin Cheese with Caramelized Onions & Bacon

Had to share my appetizer too! It was absolutely incredible and all of the girls demolished it.

Boursin Cheese with Caramelized Onions & Bacon

By Pure Wow

Ingredients

4 strips bacon, cut into thin strips
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
One 5.2-ounce package Boursin cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Bread or crackers, as needed for serving

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until it is crisp and golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add the onion and shallot to the pan, and reduce the heat to low. Sauté until the onion is caramelized and soft, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute more. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and then the reserved bacon to combine. Season the mixture generously with pepper.

4. Place the Boursin on a serving plate. Pour the hot onion-bacon mixture over the cheese.

5. Garnish with chives. Serve immediately with bread or crackers.