Truly Lemon Iced Tea Seltzer 24OZ

Truly Lemon Iced Tea Seltzer 24OZ is a 5% ABV hard seltzer brewed with real black tea and lemon juice, sold in a 24-ounce single-serve can. Scored 91 out of 100 by VinePair for its Lemon Tea flavor, this expression stood out as the first hard seltzer line brewed with actual tea rather than artificial tea flavoring. Note: This product was discontinued by the brand in the first half of 2023 and may have limited remaining availability.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5%  |  Origin: United States  |  Style: Hard Tea Seltzer  |  Producer: Boston Beer Company

Production & Heritage

Truly is produced by Boston Beer Company, the fourth-largest brewer in the United States and also the parent company of Samuel Adams and Twisted Tea. Production takes place at facilities in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania and Cincinnati, Ohio. The Lemon Iced Tea Seltzer was built on a base of filtered water and brewed alcohol blended with brewed black tea, lemon juice from concentrate, citric acid, natural flavors, sodium citrate, and stevia leaf sweetener. What distinguished the Iced Tea line from competing hard seltzers was the inclusion of real brewed black tea — a first in the hard seltzer category at the time of its release.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Light citrus leads the nose, followed by a subtle but recognizable iced tea character. The overall impression is clean and refreshing rather than heavily perfumed.

Taste: Brewed black tea drives the palate from entry through mid-sip, giving the drink an authenticity that many reviewers compared to a boozy Arnold Palmer. Lemon juice provides bright citrus balance without overwhelming the tea backbone. The stevia sweetener keeps the body light, though some tasters detected a faintly synthetic edge on the finish.

Finish: Short and crisp with lingering tea tannins and a squeeze of lemon acidity. The carbonation lifts the finish quickly, leaving a dry, clean close.

How to Drink Truly Lemon Iced Tea

Straight from the can over ice is the most natural serve — the 24-ounce format is built for casual, extended drinking sessions. For those who like to experiment, Truly Lemon Iced Tea works in several simple mixed drinks:

• Spiked Arnold Palmer: Pour over ice and top with a splash of lemonade to amplify the classic tea-and-lemon combination.
• Tea Shandy: Mix half-and-half with a light wheat beer for a low-ABV, sessionable summer drink.
• Peach Tea Cooler: Add a shot of peach nectar and fresh mint for a Southern-style iced tea riff.

Best For

• Backyard cookouts and poolside drinking where a lighter alternative to beer is welcome
• Fans of Arnold Palmers looking for a ready-to-drink alcoholic version
• Drinkers transitioning from sweetened malt beverages to lower-calorie seltzers
• Stocking a cooler for tailgates or outdoor concerts

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Truly Lemon Iced Tea taste like? It tastes like a lightly sweetened brewed iced tea with a pronounced lemon accent, often compared to a carbonated Arnold Palmer with a mild alcohol presence at 5% ABV.

How does Truly Lemon Iced Tea compare to Twisted Tea? Both are produced by Boston Beer Company, but Twisted Tea is a malt-based beverage with a noticeably sweeter, heavier body, while Truly Lemon Iced Tea is a hard seltzer with real brewed tea that delivers a lighter, more carbonated profile with fewer calories.

Is Truly Lemon Iced Tea good for sipping on its own? Yes — it was designed as a ready-to-drink product best enjoyed cold straight from the can, and its light body and moderate carbonation make it easy to drink without any mixing.

Where is Truly Lemon Iced Tea made? Truly Lemon Iced Tea is produced by Boston Beer Company at its brewing facilities in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania and Cincinnati, Ohio.

What foods pair well with Truly Lemon Iced Tea? Grilled chicken or shrimp skewers complement the tea and lemon flavors. Light salads with citrus vinaigrette echo the drink's acidity. Fried foods like fish tacos or chicken tenders benefit from the carbonation cutting through richness. Fresh fruit like watermelon or peaches pairs naturally with the drink's summer-friendly profile.

What sizes does Truly Lemon Iced Tea come in? The Lemon Iced Tea flavor was available in 24-ounce single-serve cans as well as in variety packs containing 12-ounce slim cans alongside other Truly Iced Tea flavors.

Is Truly Lemon Iced Tea worth the price? It positioned as an entry-level hard seltzer priced competitively with other mainstream seltzers and flavored malt beverages, offering solid value for its category — though as a discontinued product, remaining stock may carry variable pricing.

Why Truly Lemon Iced Tea?

Truly Lemon Iced Tea earned distinction as the first hard seltzer brewed with real black tea, a production choice that gave it a more authentic tea flavor than competitors relying solely on natural flavors. VinePair awarded the Lemon Tea expression a 91 out of 100, singling it out for delivering genuine tea character rather than a synthetic approximation. While the broader Truly Iced Tea line was discontinued in 2023, this particular flavor demonstrated that hard seltzers could move beyond simple fruit-water formulas into more complex flavor territory. For anyone who still finds remaining stock, it represents an interesting chapter in the rapid evolution of the hard seltzer category.