Hard Firecracker review: Popsicle makes hard seltzer now. Here's how it tastes

There's no bar to clear when it comes to brands pivoting toward liquor stores. Fresca's got a hard seltzer now. Tampico makes boozy punches. Sonic turned a drive-in fast food empire into an uninspiring lineup of carbonated malt spirits.

It feels a bit differently when a brand ostensibly marketed toward children makes that turn. But Popsicle isn't really crossing boundaries by making one of its most iconic treats an adults only sipper. After all, energy drinks and pre-workout mixes have spent the last decade turning the Firecracker -- the blue raspberry, lemon, cherry red-white-and-blue frozen confection you may know better as a Bomb Pop, depending on who supplied your local ice cream truck -- into a caffeinated delight.

Thus, with the nation's 250th anniversary approaching, it's a wonderful opportunity to find out if Popsicle can turn its intellectual property into a game-changer for cookouts and firework watching. Can Popsicle's Hard Firecracker live up to its frozen inspiration?

Hard Firecracker: C+

I'm drinking this one as intended: during a hot summer day near the pool. Firecracker variants are having an extended moment, which I am absolutely here for. Its only competition at the ice cream truck is any cartoon bar where the eyes are bubble gum, thereby teaching children how to multitask or separating them from the herd in a delicious act of Darwinism.

Cracking the can unleashes a boozier smell than expected. There's some nebulous fruit syrup flavors underneath, but there's a definite agave wine feel to it.

That's the vibe of the first sip, too. It's not especially boozy, but it's not as easy to drink as other seltzers/canned cocktails. It also, notably, doesn't taste like a Firecracker. While other drinks have found a way to capture that flavor -- energy drinks, mostly -- this just feels like a melted mishmash of Popsicle adjacent flavors.

It's not necessarily bad, it's just a bit disappointing. It's a little heavier than you might like for a poundable summer sip, though a pleasant, sweet finish does make it easier to drink and fulfills some of the ice cream truck promises of the label.

It doesn't stand out like you'd expect from a branded partnership. It feels like some local spot's "America Pop" seltzer rather than the real thing. It's fine in a completely forgettable way.

Would I drink it instead of a Hamm's?

This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Popsicle Hard Firecracker over a cold can of Hamm's?

Ehhhhhh, I'm good, thanks.

This is part of FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Hard Firecracker review: Popsicle makes hard seltzer now. Here's how it tastes

Reporting by Christian D'Andrea, For The Win / For The Win

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This story was originally published July 3, 2026 at 5:03 AM.