The vodka seltzer that stole summer...

... and maybe the entire ready-to-drink market while it was at it.

Back in 2019, hard seltzers were already having a moment. White Claw ruled the scene, Truly was doing its best, and every beer brand on the planet was scrambling to slap their name on a malt-based knockoff. But then, High Noon strolled in—real vodka in hand, real juice in the mix—and changed the game.

And here’s a plot twist for you: High Noon wasn’t even supposed to be a seltzer. Originally, parent company E. & J. Gallo (yeah, the massive wine and spirits empire behind New Amsterdam Vodka, RumHaven, and Barefoot Wine) planned to launch it as an 80-proof vodka brand. But as the hard seltzer wave kept rising, they had a revelation: If people think they’re drinking vodka sodas, why not actually give them one? So they scrapped the liquor plan, canned the concept (literally), and the rest is history.

And it worked. High Noon exploded right out of the gate, selling 600,000 cases in its first year—which, for context, is the kind of success most new alcohol brands can only dream of. By 2020, demand was so high that they had to fly in aluminum cans just to keep up (which feels like a flex, honestly). And by 2021, sales had skyrocketed 316% year-over-year, cementing High Noon as the must-have drink for summer, pool parties, and anywhere that screams "fun but also kinda classy."

Unlike most hard seltzers, which are brewed from fermented cane sugar or malt liquor (looking at you, White Claw), High Noon is made with five-times-distilled Midwest corn vodka and actual fruit juice—meaning it actually tasteslike the flavor on the can instead of a ghost of it. It also carved out its own weird little category: technically a "hard seltzer," but also a ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail—one of the first to really bridge the gap between the two.

Oh, and about that branding? High Noon didn’t just build a fan base—it built a fandom. The drink is basically the official sponsor of poolside day drinking, but it really blew up in 2020 when it partnered with Barstool Sports. The collab led to a full-blown cult following (a.k.a. the “Nooners”), a Twitter account with 10K+ followers, and even an official line of Nooners merch. Yes, people are out here buying shirts, hats, and beach gear just to declare their allegiance to a canned cocktail.

And just when you think High Noon might coast on its success, it keeps dropping new flavors to keep things interesting. They’ve gone beyond the basic lime-and-black-cherry lineup to bring us peach, guava, kiwi, and even a limited-edition Pool Pack—because if there’s one thing this brand understands, it’s that summer drinking should never be boring.

So here’s to High Noon: the vodka seltzer that walked in like it owned the place… and honestly, kinda

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