Hard seltzer

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Cans of hard seltzer drinks 17 Hard Seltzers (cropped).jpg
Cans of hard seltzer drinks
Japanese Hard Seltzer Chuhai Japanese Hard Seltzer.jpg
Japanese Hard Seltzer

Hard seltzer, adult seltzer, mature seltzer, spiked seltzer and hard sparkling alcohol water is a type of highball drink containing seltzer (carbonated water), alcohol, and often fruit flavorings. [1] In the US the alcohol is usually made by fermenting cane sugar or malted barley. [1] Hard seltzer products outside of the US have been found to use either neutral spirit, [2] or fermentation of fruit. [3] The alcohol by volume is around 5% [4] and the calorie-content is relatively low, derived almost entirely from fructose. [5] [6]

Contents

History

The concept of flavored malt beverages has been popular since the 1990s. [7] The first widely available commercial example of the style was Two Dogs, which was brewed in Australia in 1993 and was claimed to be the "world's first brewed alcoholic lemonade" (falsely, because of the pre-existence of traditional drinks like sima, a fermented Finnish drink). Two Dogs paved the way for similar commercial products such as Hooper's Hooch and Mike's Hard Lemonade. These alcoholic alternatives were commonly known as alcopops in the United Kingdom and malternatives in America. The more modern renditions of hard seltzers started with Nick Shields developing the 'Spiked Seltzer' branding style, in Westport, Connecticut, brewing the first commercial batches in November 2013. [8] The hard seltzers that we are familiar with now did not rise to popularity until almost three decades later in 2018. [9] Sales of the most popular hard seltzer brand, White Claw, grew 85% in just one year, making over $4 billion in 2020 alone. [10] Analysts attribute the success of White Claw and the appeal of hard seltzer in general to increased demand from health-conscious consumers. [11]

Nutritional information

Across all hard seltzer brands, there is a median of 100 calories, 2g of carbs, 0-2g of sugar while still maintaining 5% alcohol. Additionally, most hard seltzers are gluten free. Seltzer marketing has claimed that these beverages offer a healthier alternative to drinking more calorically heavy alcoholic beverages. [12] Companies use these facts to their advantage, often stating the nutrition facts in easy-to-read and obvious places. The social media presence of hard seltzer companies is massive and often depict healthy people drinking and having fun, further perpetuating the notion that hard seltzers are a healthy alcoholic alternative. [13] However, although it may be ‘healthier’ in many ways, nutritionists have warned that this is not a healthy beverage. Many hard seltzers have added flavoring and are mixed with sugary soda waters to add sweetness. [14]

Branding

In addition to advertising hard seltzers as the 'healthy alternative', the marketing of hard seltzers has often relied on their trendiness. In 2019, YouTuber Trevor Wallace posted a video title “Summer of White Claw”. This video went viral and was watched over 6 million times. The aftermath of this video made sales of White Claw (as well as other hard seltzer brands) skyrocket. After this video was released, White Claws were so popular that the surplus of sales led to a shortage within the company. [15]

Many critics have pointed out that alcoholic beverage ads are often targeted to certain genders. For example, many beer companies advertise their drinks as being ‘manly’. However, seltzer companies have made a point to have gender-neutral advertising in order to reach the most people possible. This genderless way of advertising is also accountable for the drink's surge in popularity. [16] The demographics of hard seltzer drinkers are Caucasians who are 21 to 44 years of age. [15]

The rise of hard seltzers in the beer category may also be seen as a reflection of the broader surge in popularity of non-alcoholic flavored seltzers evidenced by the sudden and massive popularity of brands like LaCroix and Spindrift. [17] On the back of this popularity, hard seltzer brands have launched in numerous countries outside of the U.S., including in Canada, [18] Australia, [19] Finland [20] and the UK. [21] In February 2020, White Claw launched in Canada [22] and subsequently Australia and the UK. [23]

Fermentation process

Similarly to beer, fermentation is needed to make these drinks alcoholic. However, instead of yeast converting to glucose, [24] the fermentation process of Hard Seltzers consists of directly fermenting a sugar base. This fermentation process yields a discoloration in the product so effective filtration practices of these colors and odors is necessary. A common filtration process consists of a carbon treatment which uses CARBOFIL RW, RHC or CA filter sheets. [25] This creates a plain alcohol base where flavor can be added afterwards.

Hard seltzer market shares in the United States [26]
BrandPercentage of market share
White Claw 50%
Truly 24.9%
High Noon 10.4%
Bud Light Seltzer 10%
Bon & Viv 1.28 %
Other15.92%

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcopop</span> Flavored beverage with relatively low alcohol content

An alcopop is any of certain mixed alcoholic beverages with relatively low alcohol content, including:

  1. Malt beverages to which various fruit juices or other flavorings have been added
  2. Wine coolers: beverages containing wine to which ingredients such as fruit juice or other flavorings have been added
  3. Mixed drinks containing distilled alcohol and sweet liquids such as fruit juices or other flavourings
<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kvass</span> Fermented cereal-based non-alcoholic beverage

Kvass is a fermented, cereal-based, low-alcoholic beverage of cloudy appearance and sweet-sour taste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low-alcohol beer</span> Type of beverage

Low-alcohol beer is beer with little or no alcohol by volume that aims to reproduce the taste of beer while eliminating or reducing the inebriating effect, carbohydrates, and calories of regular alcoholic brews. Low-alcohol beers can come in different beer styles such as lagers, stouts, and ales. Low-alcohol beer is also known as light beer, non-alcoholic beer, small beer, small ale, or near-beer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ginger ale</span> Soft drink flavoured with ginger

Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavoured with ginger. It is consumed on its own or used as a mixer, often with spirit-based drinks. There are two main types of ginger ale. The golden style is credited to the Irish doctor Thomas Joseph Cantrell. The dry style, a paler drink with a much milder ginger flavour, was created by Canadian John McLaughlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malt liquor</span> Beer with high alcohol content

Malt liquor is a type of mass market beer with high alcohol content, most closely associated with North America. Legally, it often includes any alcoholic beverage with 5% or more alcohol by volume made with malted barley. In common usage, it refers to beers of high alcohol content, generally above 6%, which are made with ingredients and processes resembling those for American-style lagers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ginger beer</span> Sweetened carbonated beverage

Traditional ginger beer is a sweetened and carbonated, usually non-alcoholic beverage. Historically it was produced by the natural fermentation of prepared ginger spice, yeast and sugar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilju</span> Finnish home made alcoholic beverage

Kilju is the Finnish word for home made alcoholic beverage typically made of sugar, yeast, and water. The ABV is around 15–17%, and since it does not contain a sweet reserve it is completely dry. Crude fermented water may be distilled to moonshine. Kilju for consumption is clarified to avoid wine fault. It is a flax-colored alcoholic beverage with no discernible taste other than that of ethanol. It can be used as an ethanol base for drink mixers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sparks (drink)</span> Alcoholic beverage

Sparks was an alcoholic beverage that debuted in the US market in 2002. The original formulation contained caffeine, one of the first alcoholic beverages to do so. Its other original active ingredients included taurine, ginseng and guarana, common to energy drinks.

Ready to drink packaged beverages are those sold in a prepared form, ready for consumption. Examples include iced tea and alcopops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bionade</span> Range of non-alcoholic drinks

Bionade [ˌbi.(j)oˈnaːdə] is a German range of non-alcoholic, organic fermented and carbonated beverages. It is manufactured in the Bavarian town of Ostheim vor der Rhön by the Peter beer brewery. Sales started in 1995 and Bionade is now available in most European countries. Until 2018 Bionade GmbH was a subsidiary of Radeberger, a group of breweries which is a division of Dr. Oetker. Now Bionade is part of the Hassia Group.

Hooper's Hooch is an alcopop that was most popular during the mid-1990s. The name Hoopers refers to William Hooper, inventor of the hot water bottle and manufacturer of lemonade in the 1840s whose trademark was owned by Burton upon Trent-based brewer Bass. Launched in Britain in 1995 by Bass as an alcoholic lemonade, it attained immediate popularity, leading to the development of orange- and blackcurrant-flavoured versions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alcoholic beverage</span> Drink with a substantial ethanol content

An alcoholic beverage (also called an adult beverage, alcoholic drink, strong drink, or simply a drink) is a beverage containing alcohol (ethanol). Alcoholic drinks are typically divided into three classes—beers, wines, and spirits—and typically their alcohol content is between 3% and 50%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cider</span> Fermented alcoholic beverage from apple juice

Cider is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, as well as the largest cider-producing companies. Ciders from the South West of England are generally higher in alcoholic content. Cider is also popular in many Commonwealth countries, such as India, South Africa, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and New England. As well as the UK and its former colonies, cider is popular in Portugal, France, Friuli, and northern Spain. Germany also has its own types of cider with Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse producing a particularly tart version known as Apfelwein. In the U.S. and Canada, varieties of alcoholic cider are often called hard cider to distinguish it from non-alcoholic apple cider or "sweet cider", also made from apples. In Canada, cider cannot contain less than 2.5% or over 13% absolute alcohol by volume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fentimans</span> Botanical brewery based in Hexham, Northumberland, UK

Fentimans is a botanical brewery based in Hexham, Northumberland, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anheuser-Busch brands</span> Brewing company

Anheuser-Busch, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, is the largest brewing company in the United States, with a market share of 45 percent in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hard soda</span> Alcoholic beverage

Hard soda, also referred to as flavored beer, adult soda, fermented soda, mature soda and alcohol soda, is a type of alcoholic beverage and craft beer that is manufactured in the style of a soft drink. It has gained recent prominence in the United States after the success of the Not Your Father's Root Beer brand manufactured by Small Town Brewery. As of late May 2016, at least 39 hard soda brands exist in the United States.

A malt drink is a fermented drink in which the primary ingredient is the grain or seed of the barley plant, which has been allowed to sprout slightly in a traditional way called "malting" before it is processed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Claw Hard Seltzer</span> Brand of hard seltzer

White Claw Hard Seltzer is an alcoholic seltzer water beverage manufactured by Mark Anthony Group. The beverage was introduced in 2016 and is sold in 12 various flavors.

References

  1. 1 2 Jennings, Rebecca (August 20, 2019). "Hard seltzer is here to stay". Vox. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Alcohol Content in a Bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonade". www.leaf.tv. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  3. ↑ "DRTY Hard Seltzer". DRTY Drinks. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  4. ↑ Bernstein, Joshua M. (June 21, 2019). "Like LaCroix, but With a Buzz". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  5. ↑ Ritzen, Stacey (August 2, 2019). "Best White Claw Memes: Why Has the Hard Seltzer Gone Viral?". Dailydot.com. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Spiked Seltzer Is Now Out-Selling All Craft Beer – Best Spiked Seltzers". Delish.com. August 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  7. ↑ Contois, Emily J. H. (2022). "White Claw and Gender Neutrality: What Hard Seltzers Reveal about Alcohol Advertising's Long Journey toward Gender Inclusion". Advertising & Society Quarterly. 23 (2). doi:10.1353/asr.2022.0014. ISSN   2475-1790. S2CID   251044774.
  8. ↑ Nanos, Janelle (February 25, 2016). "5th Generation Beermaker Tries to Tap New Market". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  9. ↑ Hartmans, Avery. "Brands like White Claw and Truly changed the way Americans drink. But a crowded market and changing consumer behavior may have officially ended the hard seltzer craze". Business Insider. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Hard Seltzer Craze Makes White Claw Maker a Multibillionaire". Bloomberg News. November 8, 2019. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Big beer pops top on new hard seltzer brands in 2020". www.spglobal.com. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  12. ↑ Shank, Theresa. "The hard truth about hard seltzer: It's not as 'healthy' as you may think". Inquirer. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  13. ↑ Woolderink, Nicole (2022). "Is hard seltzer considered as a new (un)healthy drinking alternative?" (PDF): 87.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  14. ↑ "The Facts About Hard Seltzer". WebMD. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  15. 1 2 Dimitrakis, Theano (February 17, 2022). "White Claw Marketing Strategy: How the Hard Seltzer Brand Manufactured Viral Growth". NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  16. ↑ "The Key to White Claw's Surging Popularity: Marketing to a Post-Gender World". www.bentley.edu. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  17. ↑ Huddleston, Tom Jr (December 5, 2019). "How White Claw and the hard seltzer craze are taking on beer—and taking over America". CNBC. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Vodka Soda In A Can Is The Low-Calorie Hit Taking B.C. By Storm". HuffPost Canada. August 20, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  19. ↑ "A Definitive List Of 32 Hard Seltzer Brands Available In Australia". Boss Hunting. December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Hard Seltzers - Olvi" . Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  21. ↑ Mcginn, Helen (February 23, 2020). "Cheers to the boozy water, says Femail drink expert HELEN McGINN". Beverage Daily. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  22. ↑ "People In Toronto Lined Up Around The Block In The Cold For White Claw's Canadian Launch". www.narcity.com. February 29, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Hard seltzers hit the UK - but will they see the same success as in the US?". beveragedaily.com. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  24. ↑ Pilkington, P. H.; Margaritis, A.; Mensour, N. A.; Russell, I. (January 2, 1998). "Fundamentals of Immobilised Yeast Cells for Continuous Beer Fermentation: A Review". Journal of the Institute of Brewing. 104 (1): 19–31. doi: 10.1002/j.2050-0416.1998.tb00970.x .
  25. ↑ Ledergerber, Bettina (November 2021). "HARD SELTZER BASE: Color and odor reduction with activated carbon" (PDF). Filtrox Ag: 6.
  26. ↑ "Hard Seltzer Market Size & Share Report, 2022-2030". www.grandviewresearch.com. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
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