Photo by John J. Goddard
The light, bubbly wave of low-calorie, low-sugar hard seltzer has crashed over St. Louis with this month’s launch of locally brewed Easy Peasy Hard Tonic.
The company’s first offering, Mango Squeezy, is now on tap at Alpha Brewing in the Tower Grove South neighborhood. It clocks in at 100 calories per serving with an alcohol content of just 5 percent. Tangerine and grapefruit varieties are also on the way.
“We wanted to start with flavors that complemented the hard tonic base itself, flavors that are light and refreshing,” says Easy Peasy founder Danielle Langeneckert (Langeneckert's husband, Derrick, owns the brewery). “So far, we've had a really positive response. The St. Louis palate likes the effervescence of our product and doesn't want anything too overtly sweet, so our specific style of hard tonic seems to resonate well.”
Easy Peasy Mango Squeezy is made from just four ingredients, all sourced locally: water, cane-sugar alcohol, natural mango flavoring, and citric acid. So, then, is it a hard tonic or a hard seltzer? Fans of traditional tonic water probably expect the pleasantly bitter flavor of quinine in a product labeled ‘hard tonic.’
“Mango Squeezy is less of a gin-and-tonic type product and more of a hard seltzer product,” explains Langeneckert. “We initially intended to use quinine in the mango variety, but it didn’t play nice with the flavor. So, we substituted citric acid for the quinine to better compliment the mango. In our testing of the tangerine and grapefruit flavors, quinine was more acceptable.”
The recent rise of hard spritzers and sodas has followed the years-long sea change in the craft beer scene, with growing demand for lighter, crisper adult refreshment. Fueled by health-conscious drinkers, the increasingly popular carbonated, water-based cocktails are typically made from fermented sugar or malted barley, generally delivering 100 calories or fewer per serving. And, yes, they’re very easy to drink.
The 12-ounce canned version is slated to hit supermarket shelves later this month. “We love all the awesome local craft beers and cocktails,” says Langeneckert. “But if you're trying to take it easy, are calorie-conscious or gluten-free, Easy Peasy is another great local option.”
