Hardhide Sparkling Ponchatoula Strawberry Whiskey Lemonade Review

 

Hardhide is an American alligator. It isn’t just any alligator but the official mascot of the Town of Ponchatoula, Louisiana. Hardhide has worked in that capacity since 1975. Well… there’s been more than one gator over the years; the original Hardhide passed away in 1985. The whole town gathered to give her a send-off with an old-school Jazz festival. The current Hardhide lives in the town square and is quite the tourist magnet!

 

“Sidewalk Side Spirits is a spirits brand incubator company founded in 2020 by spirits industry veteran John Eason and the owners of Cocktail & Son’s, Lauren Myerscough and Max Messier. Their 1st brand was a collaboration with the undisputed King of King Cakes, Gambino’s Bakery to create Gambino’s King Cake Rum Cream. This award winning product was born out of their love of Carnival and all it means to the hundreds of thousands of revelers who celebrate it across the country every year.” – Sidewalk Side Spirits

 

In 2023, I had the opportunity to review Hardhide Ponchatoula Strawberry Whiskey. It took my Bottle rating. Now, Sidewalk Side Spirits is back with Hardhide Sparkling Ponchatoula Strawberry Whiskey Lemonade, a ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail in a 4-pack. It falls under the Whiskey Specialty category; the brand describes it as “a sparkling, ready-to-drink whiskey lemonade made with American whiskey, natural lemon and strawberry flavors, and cane sugar.” This RTD has a suggested price of $12.99 per cube. There is also a peach-flavored version that I am not reviewing.

 

Sidewalk Side Spirits kindly provided me with a sample cube in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and discover what it is all about. 

 

• Whiskey Type: Whiskey Specialty
• Distiller: Abita Distilling Co.
• Age: NAS
• Mashbill (Ingredients): Carbonated water, cane sugar, whiskey, citric acid, malic acid, natural lemon flavor with other natural flavors, salt, natural strawberry flavor with other natural flavors, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (preservatives), artificial color (vegetable juice)
• Cooperage: Undisclosed
• Alcohol Content: 5.9% ABV (11.8°)
• Price per 355mL 4-pack: $12.99

 

Appearance: Hardhide recommends it is best served chilled, so I put a can in the fridge and sipped it from a rocks glass. Light pink in appearance, it had tiny bubbles that provided effervescence.

 

Nose: There was a strong sensation of strawberries and a lesser one of lemons. The strawberries became very much like Arcor candies as time wore on. Bringing the air into my mouth was no different.

 

Palate: The RTD’s texture was refreshing; the bubbles had more impact than their size suggested. I tasted more strawberry than lemonade.

 

Finish: After I swallowed, a sweet, strawberry candy-like quality remained in my mouth and throat. After the fourth sip, I finally tasted the caramel from the whiskey component; although at its bedrock proof, that wasn’t unexpected. What was surprising was the duration, which lasted close to a minute.   

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Over the last few years, I’ve had RTDs that were potent and others that were pretty much a kiss on the cheek. Alcohol-wise, Hardhide Sparkling Ponchatoula Strawberry Whiskey Lemonade was very much the latter. Nobody will get blitzed on it, at least not from a single can.

 

At the same time, the more I indulged, the more I enjoyed what was in my glass. If you’re a fan of Acor strawberry candies, this one will drive you to ecstasy.

 

Were I judging a spirits competition featuring RTDs, Hardhide Sparkling Ponchatoula Strawberry Whiskey Lemonade would earn high marks. As such, my Bottle rating is warranted. Cheers!

 

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit, but begs you to do so responsibly.