New Shacksbury Cider Spritz

We're at the tail end of summer, which means you'll be tearfully saying goodbye to beach-friendly packs of light lagers, sparkling canned spritzers and pouches of rosé, but trust us when we say fall doesn't have to be synonymous with non-pink wine and pumpkin-spiced beer.

Shacksbury, a Vermont-based cider company, is launching a whole line of what it calls cider spritzes, low-ABV session versions of its current drink lineup, cleverly described as perfect for "casual drinking on or around lawns, porches and assorted bodies of water."

Unlike the high-alcohol and sugar content of traditional ciders—which are notorious for sneaking up on the careless imbiber—Shacksbury's spritzes clock in at a day-sipping-friendly 3.8 percent ABV, with only three grams of sugar per 12-ounce can. Just consider these guys the classier cider lover's alternative to a tailgate Coors Light—one you can knock back well into the fourth quarter. (It's up to you if you want to shotgun one during kickoff.)  

We tasted both the citrus cider and ginger spritz flavors: True to their descriptions, they're invigoratingly light, like complex, more floral versions of your favorite LaCroix.

The new ciders are available now, and according to Shacksbury, we can expect additional flavors as the season wears on.