Summertime Seltzers

By Annemarie D'Alessandro

Many people are beginning to ditch sugary sodas for flavored sparkling water as it offers zero sugars, simple ingredients, and oftentimes zero calories. This societal transition to favoring more health-conscious products has hit the alcoholic beverage industry in the form of hard seltzers – spiked versions of supermarket sparkling water with light fruit flavors, low caloric contents, and minimal alcohol by volume. Hard seltzers have become so popular, it’s hard to go anywhere throughout the summer without hearing “ain’t no laws when you’re drinking Claws” at least once!

Hard seltzers have become a $550 million industry within a few years, and it is projected to be worth over a billion dollars by 2021. More than 80 percent of all sales in the industry are White Claw and Truly Seltzer, but as time goes on more brands are jumping into the industry with their own takes on seltzers. And as beer sales continue to decline, every major beer company has managed to put at least one seltzer onto the shelf this year in an attempt to safeguard themselves from declining beer profits. But what exactly is the driving force behind the popularity of these simple drinks?

Non-alcoholic seltzers usually only have a few ingredients: spring water, carbon dioxide (for the bubbles!), and fruit flavors. But when making hard seltzers, another ingredient comes into the mix to produce the alcohol. The alcohol in seltzers is made differently across brands, but the two main ways are fermenting cane sugar or malting barley. Regardless of the way the alcohol is produced, hard seltzers remain low in calories while still delivering between 4-6% alcohol by volume. The limited ingredients also allow for the seltzers to remain cheap – a 12 pack of seltzers will usually only cost you about the same amount as a 12 pack of domestic beer!

Besides being lower in sugar, calories, and price, hard seltzers also have a few other things going for them. The lower alcohol by volume allows grocery stores in some states to sell them alongside beer and they are packaged in easy to transport, ready-to-drink cans! This makes seltzers highly convenient and accessible for a last-minute beach day or a backyard party. Because of the way seltzers are made, many of them are also gluten-free which is welcoming news to people who may have gluten sensitivities!

Over the years, hard seltzers have also transitioned into being viewed as gender-neutral unlike traditional wine coolers and low ABV fruity drinks that are often regarded as “feminine”. Many seltzer companies have embraced the gender neutrality of seltzers and shifted their marketing tactics. They oftentimes market a lifestyle which is often consistent with many summer activities like boating, attending concerts, and hanging out with friends. They have made it hard to imagine a summer get together without seltzers being involved!

The marketing tactics have clearly been a hit, and it ultimately led to the White Claw shortage last year. White Claw was anticipating an increase in sales, but the demand ended up being much higher than the company originally anticipated which made it impossible for them to maintain enough stock. But with more flavor options, more brands in the mix, and a better understanding of customer demand, another shortage is unlikely to happen again although it is still possible.

Overall hard seltzers are fantastic but which ones are best for you to try? My first piece of advice would be to try out a flavor of hard seltzer that you know you already like in non-alcoholic seltzers. If you normally like lime seltzers try a hard lime seltzer from all different brands too, not just White Claw as different brands will often produce slightly different flavor profiles. If you’re sensitive to gluten, make sure the seltzer says it’s gluten-free somewhere on the packaging! Also, if you’re someone who likes bolder flavor and doesn’t mind a little extra sugar and calories, look for seltzers with added juices! Bud Light Ritas and Truly Lemonades are both great starting points for those kinds of seltzers.

Hard seltzers are definitely here to stay for years to come and I’m sure there will be many more exciting flavor additions in the near future! I hope you’ve learned something new about seltzers and plan on branching out and trying some of the new seltzers on the market. Despite the popular catchphrase tied to White Claws, please drink responsibly as there are still laws when drinking Claws!