High Noon's vodka iced teas fall short of the brand's sunny standard

Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage (or food) that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.

High Noon isn’t quite a circle of trust booze brand, but it’s close. It’s high enough above the White Claw standard that I’d happily reach for one in a tailgate cooler wherever. But it’s not quite at the Firestone Walker/New Glarus/Elysian level where I’m happy to buy whatever they’ve got cooking because I know it’ll be good.

That gave me some hope for High Noon’s venture into a too-crowded hard tea market. Its seltzers are great and its tequila sodas were a proper follow-up. But this wave of new teas saw the low standard set by Twisted Tea — America’s favorite drink that tastes like stomach acid! — and have generally opted to do the bare minimum to top it.

Will High Noon fall into the same trap?