Hard seltzer
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Hard seltzer, spiked seltzer or hard sparkling alcohol water is a type of highball drink containing carbonated water, alcohol, and often fruit flavoring.[1] In the US the alcohol is usually made by fermenting cane sugar; sometimes malted barley is used.[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.[5][6]
The first widely available commercial example of the style was Two Dogs which was brewed from 1993 in Australia and is widely considered to have been the "world’s first brewed alcoholic lemonade" (despite the pre-existence of traditional drinks like sima), paving the way for similar products such as Hooper's Hooch and Mike's Hard Lemonade.
Nick Shields developed the beverage branding and style with Spiked Seltzer, in Westport, Connecticut, brewing the first commercial batches in November 2013.[7] The category saw a spike in popularity around 2018–2019 in the U.S.[1] As of 2019, in the U.S. the most popular brand is White Claw.[8] Hard seltzer is expected to generate $2.5 billion in sales in the US by 2021.[9] Analysts attribute the success of White Claw and the appeal of hard seltzer in general to increased demand from health-conscious consumers.[10] 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.[11] On the back of this popularity, hard seltzer brands have launched in numerous countries outside of the U.S., including in Canada,[12] Australia[13] and the UK.[14] In February 2020, White Claw launched in Canada[15] and has a registered trademark in the UK.[16]
See also
- Chūhai, flavored hard seltzer from Japan
References
- ^ a b c Jennings, Rebecca (August 20, 2019). "Hard seltzer is here to stay". Vox. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Alcohol Content in a Bottle of Mike's Hard Lemonade". www.leaf.tv. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ "DRTY Hard Seltzer". DRTY Drinks. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ Bernstein, Joshua M. (June 21, 2019). "Like LaCroix, but With a Buzz". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ^ Ritzen, Stacey. "Best White Claw Memes: Why Has the Hard Seltzer Gone Viral?". Dailydot.com. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ "Spiked Seltzer Is Now Out-Selling All Craft Beer – Best Spiked Seltzers". Delish.com. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ Nanos, Janelle (February 25, 2016). "5th Generation Beermaker Tries to Tap New Market". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ Valinsky, Jordan. "Bud Light is coming out with hard seltzer". CNN. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ^ "Disrupting The Drinks Menu: 95+ Beverage Brands Taking On The Holidays". CB Insights Research. December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
- ^ "Big beer pops top on new hard seltzer brands in 2020". www.spglobal.com. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Vodka Soda In A Can Is The Low-Calorie Hit Taking B.C. By Storm". HuffPost Canada. August 20, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
- ^ "A Definitive List Of 32 Hard Seltzer Brands Available In Australia". Boss Hunting. December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ Mcginn, Helen (February 23, 2020). "Cheers to the boozy water, says Femail drink expert HELEN McGINN". Beverage Daily. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "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.
- ^ "Hard seltzers hit the UK - but will they see the same success as in the US?". beveragedaily.com. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
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