Belt’s Beer Garden: Oh Yeah!

Back in 2019 hard seltzers really began to take off as an alternative alcoholic beverage. With the massive success of White Claw and Truly, many independent breweries decided to cash in on the craze and make their own hard seltzers too.

One of those breweries is Untitled Arts. In addition to the slew of beers they produce, the Waunakee, Wisconsin brewery also makes “Florida Seltzer”, a hard seltzer line that now has NINE different options, each with a different fruit. They also have a large number of CBD sparkling waters which, although alcohol free, contain 20 mg of CBD that can help you relax and reduce pain/stress.

Today though, I don’t have a Florida Seltzer. Rather, I have a Orange Lavasplash, a special variation of seltzer coming out of their Pixie Mix collection.

Orange Lavasplash is the fourth instalment in the Pixie Mix series and is an ode to everyone’s favorite juice box growing up - Hi-C Orange Lavaburst. The seltzer has a 5.5% ABV and a four pack of 16-ounce cans cost $16 on their website.

The seltzer poured a mostly translucent bright orange color with a ton of carbonation that quickly - and loudly - fizzles up to half a finger before immediately dying out and leaving almost no bubbles atop the drink.

Untitled Arts did a great job of recreating the smell of Orange Lavaburst and this seltzer had quite the potent aroma. Even from a few feet away you could smell the massively juicy, somewhat sticky-sweet orange notes that were emitted. To make sure it wasn’t actually Hi-C, you needed to get right up close to the drink. From there I was able to pick up some more of the club soda aspects and just the tiniest hint of pineapple.

My first sip began with a rush of bubbles that tingled across my tongue and held off the flavors from appearing for just a second or two. Once the flavors did appear, they were ridiculously similar to Hi-C...only, instead of the thicker, semi-sticky juice feeling, it had a more effervescent and lighter feel to it.

Orange Lavasplash was insanely delicious. The flavors recreated that super juicy orange drink taste without being overly sweet or too sticky itself. I say “too sticky” because when it finished there was a bit of dryness and a resinous orange flavor that sat on my tongue for just a moment or two.

However, the entire pint was gone in under ten minutes. I just couldn’t get enough of this seltzer. It was like reliving my childhood but with a 5.5% ABV attached to it...and what could be better than that!!

I don’t often drink hard seltzers but, if all of Untitled Arts’ are like this one, I might have to start. It might not be a beer but this one is an early contender for best drink of the year. In fact, it will join a select few at the top of the class...and could very well be 2021’s valedictorian.

That’s right, folks; I’m doing it. This is my 580th review on Belt’s Beer Garden and, for just the seventh time ever, I’m giving out a perfect grade.