Redd's Hard Strawbbery Apple Ale 12Pk

Redd's Hard Strawberry Apple Ale 12Pk is a fruit-forward flavored ale brewed at 5% ABV, sold as a 12-pack of 12 oz cans. Produced by Redd's Brewing Company — a Molson Coors subsidiary based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin — this expression layers ripe strawberry character over the brand's signature crisp apple base, resulting in one of the more approachable flavored ales on the market.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5%  |  Origin: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA  |  Style: Flavored Ale  |  Brewery: Redd's Brewing Company (Molson Coors)

Production & Heritage

Redd's Brewing Company operates under the Molson Coors umbrella and brews its flavored ale line out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Despite frequent comparisons to hard ciders, Redd's Hard Strawberry Apple is technically an ale — its alcohol derives from fermented malted barley, with hop extract used in the brewing process. The ingredient list includes water, corn syrup (used solely as a fermentation sugar and consumed by yeast during brewing — no high fructose corn syrup is present in the final product), barley malt, natural flavors, citric acid, caramel color, and elderberry juice for additional color. The result is a malt-based beverage with pronounced fruit flavor rather than a traditional cider or fruit beer.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Fresh strawberry leads the nose immediately, followed by green apple sweetness and a faint malty undertone. There is minimal hop presence on the nose, keeping the profile squarely fruit-driven.

Taste: The palate opens with bold strawberry that quickly gives way to a broader apple sweetness at mid-palate. Malt character and bitterness are deliberately restrained, allowing the fruit flavors to dominate. The body is light to medium with fine effervescence and a golden hue, and the overall impression leans decidedly sweet.

Finish: The finish is crisp and clean, ending relatively quickly without lingering bitterness. A trace of strawberry sweetness hangs briefly before the carbonation scrubs the palate dry.

How to Drink Redd's Hard Strawberry Apple

Serve ice-cold, straight from the can or poured into a chilled pint glass to appreciate the golden color and carbonation. This ale is built for easy, casual drinking rather than contemplative sipping.

• Shandy-style spritzer: Pour over ice with a splash of lemonade for added tartness that tempers the sweetness.
• Berry Mule: Combine with ginger beer and fresh lime in a copper mug — the strawberry-apple base adds fruity depth to the classic mule template.
• Frozen fruit slush: Blend with frozen strawberries and ice for a simple warm-weather frozen drink that amplifies the berry character.

Best For

• Backyard barbecues and outdoor gatherings where easy-drinking refreshment is the priority
• Introducing non-beer drinkers to malt beverages through a fruit-forward gateway
• Poolside or beach cooler packs alongside other flavored ales and seltzers
• Game-day hosting where a crowd-pleasing, low-ABV option keeps things manageable

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Redd's Hard Strawberry Apple taste like? It delivers bold strawberry sweetness layered over a crisp apple base, with very low bitterness and a light, effervescent body. The overall profile is distinctly sweet and fruit-driven rather than malty or hoppy.

How does Redd's Hard Strawberry Apple compare to Angry Orchard? Angry Orchard is a true hard cider made from fermented apple juice, while Redd's is a malt-based ale flavored with fruit — a meaningful difference in base ingredients and mouthfeel. In direct taste comparisons, both land in a similar sweet-apple zone, but Redd's tends to lean sweeter with more pronounced artificial fruit character, while Angry Orchard carries more natural apple tartness.

Is Redd's Hard Strawberry Apple good for beginners? Yes — at 5% ABV with prominent fruit sweetness and virtually no hop bitterness, it is one of the most accessible flavored ales available and appeals strongly to drinkers who typically avoid beer.

Where is Redd's Hard Strawberry Apple made? It is brewed by Redd's Brewing Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which operates as a subsidiary of Molson Coors Beverage Company.

What foods pair well with Redd's Hard Strawberry Apple? Grilled chicken or pork sliders complement the sweetness without competing with it. Fresh fruit salads echo the berry-apple profile naturally. Mild soft cheeses like brie or goat cheese provide a creamy contrast. Spicy buffalo wings benefit from the ale's sweetness as a cooling counterpoint. Light desserts such as strawberry shortcake create a harmonious pairing.

What sizes does Redd's Hard Strawberry Apple come in? The expression is commonly available in a 12-pack of 12 oz cans, which is the standard retail format for the Redd's flavored ale lineup.

Is Redd's Hard Strawberry Apple worth the price? Redd's Hard Strawberry Apple positions squarely in the value tier of flavored malt beverages, priced competitively against similar 12-packs from brands like Angry Orchard and Mike's Hard Lemonade, making it an accessible everyday purchase rather than a premium splurge.

Why Redd's Hard Strawberry Apple?

What separates this expression from the crowded flavored malt beverage field is its malt-ale base — it delivers cider-like fruit character while technically remaining a brewed ale, giving it a slightly different body and carbonation profile than true hard ciders. The deliberate use of corn syrup as a fermentation sugar (fully consumed by yeast, absent from the finished product) and the addition of elderberry juice for natural color reflect a brewing process designed to maximize fruit impression without relying on high fructose corn syrup. For drinkers who gravitate toward sweet, fruit-forward refreshment at a sessionable 5% ABV, the Strawberry Apple variant remains one of the most popular expressions in the Redd's portfolio and a dependable crowd-pleaser in mixed cooler lineups.