photography: Smooj
First came the nationwide firehose of hard seltzer. Then, on a parallel path, brewers began loading up their kettle sours with buckets of fruit puree to create thick, creamy smoothie-style beers. As both of these trends reached different parts of the American drinking populace, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to Frankenstein the two hyper-popular beverages into one. And in early 2020, someone did. Now, drinkers around the Midwest are growing increasingly familiar with what’s known as the “seltzer smoothie,” thanks to a brand called Smooj.
If you haven’t yet encountered the creamy, sparkly, boozy rocket ship in a can, you likely will soon. Introduced last March by Ann Arbor’s HOMES Brewery via its experimental beverage arm, Troobado, Smooj’s seltzer smoothie is one part hard seltzer, one part fruit puree, gluten-free, dairy-free, 5 percent ABV, and might just be the next big beverage trend set to sweep across the country.