Author: Will Ziebell, The Crafty Pint
Original Article published on 23 January 2024
The start of 2024 has seen Hawkers Beer start something a little new by releasing a lineup of brand new drinks, Tangent. Presumably the range is named after founder Mazen Hajjar’s gift of the gab and own love for a tangent - either that or it could be the unique way the brewery’s approached the seltzer market. For one, they’re not seltzers, instead being labelled simply as “hard sparkling” or "alcoholic sparkling beverages" and the brewers have also focused on quite unique mixes of flavours.
First up is Smokin’ Aces, which is cola made with “a hint of smoke”. What that means in practice is there’s plenty of the fancy cola to be found with a soft nuttiness and mixed spice notes present while the smokiness tastes like it's come straight from some beechwood. Naturally that means that, of the three Tangents, Smokin' would have to be the choice when it came to mixing with a dark spirit.
But if light spirits are your thing then maybe you'd be better served by One For Yuzu which features both that fruit and sake. It’s zesty, citrussy and isn't a million miles from lemonade but there's also a touch of other fruit flavours that sit between honeydew and pear.
Finally, there’s the bright pink Vive Le Tini and its use of raspberry and pineapple. It’s a combo that makes for the sweetest tasting of the three with those two bringing a lolly-like sweetness and fragrant hit.
