hard seltzer

The concept of flavored malt beverages has been popular since the 1990s.{{Cite journal |last=Contois |first=Emily J. H. |date=2022 |title=White Claw and Gender Neutrality: What Hard Seltzers Reveal about Alcohol Advertising's Long Journey toward Gender Inclusion |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/21/article/859951 |journal=Advertising & Society Quarterly |volume=23 |issue=2 |doi=10.1353/asr.2022.0014 |s2cid=251044774 |issn=2475-1790|url-access=subscription }} The first widely available commercial product was Two Dogs, which launched in Australia in 1993 and 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 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 concept of hard seltzers started with Nick Shields developing the 'Spiked Seltzer' branding style, in Westport, Connecticut, brewing the first commercial batches in November 2013.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/02/25/with-spiked-seltzer-fifth-generation-beermarker-tries-tap-new-market/vCgNAGhy0FlSqzG4q2nqCM/story.html |title=5th Generation Beermaker Tries to Tap New Market |last=Nanos |first=Janelle |date=February 25, 2016 |work=The Boston Globe |access-date=April 25, 2020}} Other hard seltzers rose to popularity later, in 2018.{{Cite web |last=Hartmans |first=Avery |title=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. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/hard-seltzer-craze-timeline-white-claw-truly-bud-light-seltzer-2021-10 |access-date=2023-01-21 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}} Sales of the most popular US hard seltzer brand, White Claw, grew 85% in just one year, with revenues of over $4 billion in 2020 alone.{{Cite news |date=2019-11-08 |title=Hard Seltzer Craze Makes White Claw Maker a Multibillionaire |language=en |publisher=Bloomberg News |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-08/hard-seltzer-craze-makes-white-claw-creator-a-multibillionaire |access-date=2023-01-21}} Analysts attributed the success of White Claw and the appeal of hard seltzer in general to increased demand from health-conscious consumers.{{Cite web |title=Big beer pops top on new hard seltzer brands in 2020 |url=https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/big-beer-pops-top-on-new-hard-seltzer-brands-in-2020-56743493 |access-date=2020-10-09 |website=www.spglobal.com |language=en-us}}

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 are gluten free. Manufacturers assert that they are healthier than more calorically heavy alcoholic beverages.{{Cite web |last=Shank |first=Theresa |title=The hard truth about hard seltzer: It's not as 'healthy' as you may think |url=https://www.inquirer.com/health/expert-opinions/hard-seltzer-not-as-healthy-as-you-think-20191231.html |access-date=2023-01-21 |website=Inquirer |language=en}} For example, nutrition information is often displayed prominently on packaging. The social media presence of hard seltzer companies is massive and often depict healthy people drinking and having fun, further promoting the message that hard seltzers are a healthy alcoholic alternative.{{Cite journal |last=Woolderink |first=Nicole |date=2022 |title=Is hard seltzer considered as a new (un)healthy drinking alternative? |url=http://essay.utwente.nl/91527/1/Woolderink_MA_BMS.pdf |journal= |pages=87}} However, although it may be ‘healthier’ than some other alcoholic drinks, nutritionists have warned that it is not a healthy beverage per se. Many hard seltzers have added flavoring and are mixed with sugary soda waters to add sweetness.{{Cite web |title=The Facts About Hard Seltzer |url=https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-hard-seltzer-facts |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=WebMD |language=en}}

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 six million times. Following the video, sales of White Claw (as well as other hard seltzer brands) rose sharply and White Claw experienced a shortage.{{Cite web |last=Dimitrakis |first=Theano |date=2022-02-17 |title=White Claw Marketing Strategy: How the Hard Seltzer Brand Manufactured Viral Growth |url=https://nogood.io/2022/02/17/whiteclaw-seltzer-growth-marketing-strategy/ |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=NoGood™: Growth Marketing Agency |language=en-US}}

While alcoholic beverage ads are often targeted at one or other gender, seltzer companies have made a point to have gender-neutral advertising in order to reach the most people possible. This has also contributed to the drink's surge in popularity.{{Cite web |title=The Key to White Claw's Surging Popularity: Marketing to a Post-Gender World |url=https://www.bentley.edu/news/key-white-claws-surging-popularity-marketing-post-gender-world |access-date=2023-01-31 |website=www.bentley.edu |language=en}} The demographics of hard seltzer drinkers are Caucasians who are 21 to 44 years of age.

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.{{Cite web|last=Huddleston|first=Tom Jr |date=2019-12-05|title=How White Claw and the hard seltzer craze are taking on beer—and taking over America|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/05/how-white-claw-and-the-hard-seltzer-craze-are-taking-on-beer.html|access-date=2020-10-09|publisher=CNBC|language=en}} On the back of this popularity, hard seltzer brands have launched in numerous countries, including Canada,{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/hard-seltzer-white-claw-canada_ca_5d5c31cfe4b05f62fbd64073|title=Vodka Soda In A Can Is The Low-Calorie Hit Taking B.C. By Storm|date=2019-08-20|website=HuffPost Canada|language=en|access-date=2020-04-22}} Australia,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bosshunting.com.au/vices/definitive-list-of-hard-seltzer-in-australia/|title=A Definitive List Of 32 Hard Seltzer Brands Available In Australia|date=2020-12-31|website=Boss Hunting|language=en-US|access-date=2020-12-31}} Finland{{cite web |url=https://www.olvi.fi/en/products/hard-seltzers-en/hard-seltzers/ |title=Hard Seltzers - Olvi |access-date=26 December 2022}} and the UK.{{Cite web|url=https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2019/11/19/Hard-seltzers-hit-the-UK-but-will-they-see-the-same-success-as-in-the-US|title=Cheers to the boozy water, says Femail drink expert HELEN McGINN|last=Mcginn|first=Helen|date=2020-02-23|website=Beverage Daily|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-04-23}} In February 2020, White Claw launched in Canada{{Cite web|url=https://www.narcity.com/news/ca/on/toronto/white-claw-canada-launch-had-people-lining-up-around-the-block-in-toronto|title=People In Toronto Lined Up Around The Block In The Cold For White Claw's Canadian Launch|date=2020-02-29|website=www.narcity.com|language=en-CA|access-date=2020-04-22}} and subsequently Australia and the UK.{{Cite web|url=https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2019/11/19/Hard-seltzers-hit-the-UK-but-will-they-see-the-same-success-as-in-the-US|title=Hard seltzers hit the UK - but will they see the same success as in the US? |publisher=beveragedaily.com|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-04-22}}

Similarly to beer, fermentation is needed to make these drinks alcoholic. However, instead of yeast converting starch to glucose,{{Cite journal |last1=Pilkington |first1=P. H. |last2=Margaritis |first2=A. |last3=Mensour |first3=N. A. |last4=Russell |first4=I. |title=Fundamentals of Immobilised Yeast Cells for Continuous Beer Fermentation: A Review |date=1998-01-02 |journal=Journal of the Institute of Brewing |language=en |volume=104 |issue=1 |pages=19–31 |doi=10.1002/j.2050-0416.1998.tb00970.x|doi-access=free }} 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.{{Cite journal |last=Ledergerber |first=Bettina |date=November 2021 |title=HARD SELTZER BASE: Color and odor reduction with activated carbon |url=https://www.filtrox.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/AN_FB_001_HardSeltzer_Sept2021-1.pdf |journal=Filtrox Ag |pages=6}} This creates a plain alcohol base where flavor can be added afterwards.{{Cn|date=February 2025}}

• {{anl|Alcopop}}
• {{anl|Chūhai}}
• {{anl|Dirty soda}}
• {{anl|Hard soda}}
• {{anl|High Noon (seltzer)}}
• {{anl|White Claw Hard Seltzer}}
• {{anl|Brewing}}
• {{anl|Fermentation in food processing}}
• {{anl|Fermentation in winemaking}}
• {{anl|Truly (brand)}}

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Category:Alcoholic drinks

Category:Carbonated drinks

Category:Brewing

Category:Australian inventions

Category:Alcohol in Australia