Last year may have been the summer of the hard seltzer, but 2020 has shown the drink was more than a passing fad.
You can't go to a grocery store, liquor store or socially distanced backyard barbecue without seeing a can of hard seltzer. The options seem to be multiplying exponentially, too. Last year, most of the country chose between White Claw and Truly. Now, we have hard seltzer offerings from Corona, Press, Social Club, Nauti, Nude, Kona, Smirnoff, Vizzy, Henry's and Corona. Today, Anheuser-Busch added to the list, with the launch of Bud Light Platinum Seltzer.
And people love the effervescent offerings. Heather Pearson, 25, from Haverhill, Mass., told USA TODAY that she and her friends adore hard seltzer because it's "a sweeter, lighter option than beer. It's easy to have a few (or day drink with) since they don't make you feel as heavy and bloated," she said.
Alec Lafavore, a 26-year-old New York City resident, says he's swapped "90%" of his beer consumption for hard seltzer.
"I’m a regular beer drinker who also consumes way too much (nonalcoholic) seltzer, so hard seltzer is a natural fit for me," he said.
Nielsen reported in June that hard seltzer sales quadrupled year-over-year. Drink industry analysts at IWSR expect consumption to triple by 2023. Despite its popularity, industry experts think hard seltzer is still in its nascent form.
Nick Shields, who created SpikedSeltzer (which would eventually become BON V!V) in 2013, said there's a lot of "untested territory" left, adding what the "hard seltzer players have done up until now is pretty simple in my mind."
So what's the appeal of hard seltzer that's made it more than a flash in the pan? And what's next? USA TODAY asked drink industry experts about the future of the fizz-meets-flavor amalgamation.
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What kind of alcohol is in hard seltzer? Not vodka
Jake Kirsch, vice president of innovation at Anheuser-Busch, said spiked seltzer is “the biggest thing to happen in beer since ‘Light.'"
Did he just say beer? Yes. Hard seltzer is made like a beer, but instead of barley or another grain, brewers use a sugar base, which allows the drink to be gluten-free. Hard seltzer is categorized as a flavored malt beverage (FMB) within the broader beer category, but Nielsen said in June that less than 10% of its consumers think of it as a type of beer.
But how did we get to a place in which hard seltzer is now vying for its own category in the alcohol world?
In 2012, Shields sat at a bar in Westport, Connecticut. The man, whose family started brewing company Haffenreffer & Co., Inc. and has a background in food science and product development, noticed a nearby group.
"I watched as five ladies ordered five vodka sodas one after another for their lunch," he said. He noted the appealing combination of fizz and alcohol, the clean flavor profile and the relative low-calorie nature of a vodka soda. Could he match that with a brewed drink?
"I spent most of 2012 formulating, and batching... to get to something clean and low sugar with 5 to 6% of alcohol," he said. He launched SpikedSeltzer in November 2013. The hard seltzer landscape changed rapidly between 2014 and 2019, he says. He joined up with Anheuser-Busch to begin nationally distributing under the BON V!V brand, while competitors such as White Claw and Truly helped create a new market for the drink.
"I actually always expected it to take off if we could get people to understand the concept," he said.
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Is hard seltzer a healthier choice?
Part of the appeal of hard seltzer is that it's considered a healthier option.
Lafavore said that he is happy that it's low in carbs and calories with an alcohol-by-volume similar to beer. Matt Whang told USA TODAY via Twitter he likes that it comes in fruity flavors but is still a low-calorie option.
But is it really better for you? The short answer: Kind of.
Ginger Hultin, registered dietitian with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and owner of ChampagneNutrition, told USA TODAY that there are upsides to the hard seltzer compared to other alcoholic drinks.
Averaging around 5% alcohol-by-volume, hard seltzers are similar to beer. They tend to have fewer carbs than beer and less sugar than cocktails. A Bud Light, for comparison, has 110 calories and 6.6 grams of carbs per can, whereas a Bud Light Seltzer has 100 calories and 2 grams of carbs per can. A heavier beer, such as a Budweiser, has 145 calories and 10.6 grams of carbs.
"One potential benefit of a hard seltzer is that they often don't have a high amount of added sugar," Hultin said. "If you compare that to a cocktail made with regular cola/soda, juice, or simple syrup, it could be a lower sugar option."
Shields said women were a driving force behind hard seltzer's explosion.
"The female sex is always the first to pick up the better for you products, men eventually fall into line," he said.
Early on, the hard seltzer buyer gender split was about 80% female and 20% male, Shields said. Now, the split is 55% female and 45% male.
What's next for hard seltzers?
Both big-name brands and craft brewers continue to experiment with and expand their hard seltzer offerings.
Brewing giant Anheuser-Busch has several seltzers, including BON V!V, Natty Light Seltzer, Bud Light Seltzer and Social Club — and that's not counting those in the craft sector of its portfolio. The latest, Bud Light Platinum Seltzer clocks in at 8% alcohol-by-volume and is a boozier option geared toward cocktail enthusiasts, said Andy Goeler, vice president of marketing for Bud Light.
"It’s like something I haven't seen before," Goeler said. "I think the continued proliferation of flavor variety is going to be a key piece of moving forward and being successful in the seltzer category (because) that’s what consumers are looking for."
Bud Light has also engaged in creative marketing schemes using celebrities including Post Malone, Priyanka Chopra and DJ Khaled in promoting the seltzer. Earlier this summer, they even touted a new opening at Bud Light Seltzer: a chief meme officer.
Smirnoff offers several flavors of hard seltzer, including Raspberry Rosé, Berry Lemonade and Red, White & Berry. The brand knows "taste preferences will continue to evolve," said Smirnoff brand director Krista Kiisk, so it's planning to launch a new variety pack of zero-sugar had seltzers in the coming months. They are also looking to expand by leveraging partnerships including one with "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" franchise.
Craft beer brewers, including California-based Golden Road Brewing and Connecticut's Two Roads Brewing Company, have hopped on the hard seltzer train. Meg Gill, founder of Golden Road, launched Maha Organic Hard Seltzer while Two Roads offers a trio of seltzer flavors called H2Roads.
Willie's Superbrew, a regional craft seltzer, claims to be the first brand to have put out a seasonal seltzer in its pear and cinnamon flavor. They also have two new flavors planned.
"We're really trying to dive into the craft angle... exploring new ingredients, exploring single source ingredients," said Bruce Downes, head of marketing at Willie's.
The craft brewer, along with industry experts and fans, want to see "what a seltzer can really become," he said.
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The Link LonkSeptember 04, 2020 at 03:32AM
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2020/09/03/future-of-hard-seltzers-more-flavors-more-brands-more-for-consumers-to-love/3245005001/
Americans are still obsessed with hard seltzer. What's the appeal and what's coming next? - USA TODAY
https://news.google.com/search?q=hard&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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