Drink This Now: Kin Seltzer
Kin Seltzer // Photo by Shea McGraw
If you say seltzer, I’ll come running. Combine that with a dancefloor, and I’ve found my happy place.
That party paradise is what Joshua Lewis had in mind when he launched the first Black-owned canned seltzer in the U.S. in 2023. He saw a gap in the market and partnered with Eric Martens at Border Brewing Company to make a new beverage to fuel both dance floors and barbecues.
This isn’t a sugary drink, nor is it powerfully strong at just 4 % ABV. Fruit takes the center stage, but it does so gently. I think it’s best when served from a glass, and thoroughly chilled to the point that there’s no need for ice.
Ambrosia Kin, or mango lemonade, is my favorite. The namesake tropical fruit salad was a staple at big family dinners and any cookout, so the name alone elicits a tug of nostalgia. However, mango really shines here, and our room-temperature Kansas fruit salads certainly didn’t have mango. Some cursory research points to canned mango not being available in small-town Midwest grocery stores in the 1990s, but it also could have been personal preference.
Kin Seltzer // Photo by Sarah Sipple
This easy sipper has a true mango flavor and slight sweetness. More tropical than lemonade.
The Pressure flavor, or strawberry lemonade, has the most incredible scent of any drink I’ve ever brought to my nose. And with a job like mine, you best bet I’m sniffing everything. Your nose may think the can is full of fresh, juicy summer strawberries.
Both Kin flavors bring a touch of playfulness, with natural flavors that keep it grounded and authentic. I can see them being great mixers poolside or at a backyard hang, but I tend to lean lower-ABV these days.
For those out and about, Kin can be found behind the bar where one may go to shake some ass, whether that be to a DJ or a band–such as recordBar, Aura, Mosaic, The Levee, Block 15 Tavern & Exchange, Society, and more.
Kin Seltzer is available at Border Brewing Company, Good Karma Coffee, and some liquor stores.
