Everyone is talking about it so I’m finally doing an article on it . . . Hard Seltzers. And for some, it may be a bit annoying that every “beer person” in the world is talking about a product that isn’t beer. But over the last year, there has been numerous breweries pivot into the hard seltzer space; so it would be impossible not to take notice. Which makes it worth discussing hard seltzer in the craft beer world and what impact it may have.
What Is Hard Seltzer?
Before discussing hard seltzer in the craft beer world, it’s important to understand what it is. But this won’t take long, as it is water with bubbles and alcohol. The alcohol is typically created through fermentation of cane sugar. Most producers are adding fruit flavors after fermentation.
While there is some variation, it is a fairly straightforward process. You can even make them at home with basic home brewing equipment.
This relatively simple product is versatile with regards to flavor and is produced much quicker than beer. It is easy for a brewery to start producing these beverages because they already have most of the equipment and knowledge.
Hard Seltzer In The Craft Beer World
It wouldn’t be right to talk about something that I hadn’t yet experienced. So I’ve given a number of them a try. Below I’ve outlined the brands along with my thoughts.
Truly
As one of the early options in the hard seltzer category, Truly is one of the most popular brands. They have lots of different flavors to choose from too.
Truly is one of Boston Beer’s brands (aka Sam Adams).
And while I never tried their original version, it is worth noting that Truly revamped their recipe in late 2019 to give a bolder, crisper flavor. Then in early 2020, they launched their Lemonade series which includes 4 different flavors. These are half seltzer and half lemonade giving them a distinct flavor while remaining 100 calories and 1g sugar.
These have a nice lemonade flavor and the strawberry variation was my favorite. They aren’t overly sweet either which makes them refreshing and not heavy. The flavor was considerably stronger than I anticipated – they aren’t watered down. These are a must try for hard lemonade fans.
Ska Hard Seltzer
Breweries of all sizes are developing hard seltzers as part of their offerings. Regional brewery, Ska, has released three flavors in their lineup.
Side note: Check out their website. Their branding is great!
The flavor options you’ll find from Ska Hard Seltzer are Blood Orange, Black Raspberry, and Hibiscus Lime. They even package these in mixed packs so you can try them all.
What I found unique about these is the flavors reminded me of craft sodas. The Blood Orange and Black Raspberry had the flavors profile you’d expect from sodas of these flavors while the Hibiscus Lime tasted close to lemon-lime.
However, they aren’t sugary or heavy as a soda. Instead, they are light with flavors that are nostalgic. Of the three they offer, the Blood Orange was my favorite and made me think back to all of the orange soda I consumed as a kid.
Avery Sparkle
For a long time, Avery has been a staple of the craft beer world with classics like White Rascal. They’ve always had a wide product offering with everything from IPAs to Sours to big Barrel-aged Stouts. So it isn’t shocking that they’d continue to diversify and enter in the hard seltzer world.
“Glacier-spiked” is their description of their seltzer called Sparkle. They have three flavors of their Sparkle: CranRaz, Grapefruit, and Cherry Lime.
Sparkle has a touch of mineral water-like flavor which I think is the glacier-spiked aspect. It gives it more depth of flavor. The actual flavors that are added are more subtle than other versions of seltzers. This subtly reminded me of the standard seltzer products like LaCroix and Bubly.
Of the three available, I really liked the Cherry Lime. This is a flavor combination that I’ve always enjoyed and having it in a hard seltzer was great. It would be nice to have a bit more bold fruit flavor in these but in general they are a good option.
Monday Night Narwater
Monday Night Brewing is making quite the name for itself as a premier brewery in Atlanta. And as they continue to expand distribution, adding new options is also a strong focus of this brewery which brings us to Narwater.
They’ve released three flavors that can be found in mixed packs as well. Narwater comes in Grapefruit Pineapple, Mango Guava, and Blueberry Raspberry.
Monday Night focuses their messaging on how their seltzer is made with real fruit as well as being brewed (not blended), and 3-stage filtered. In the end, they believe this delivers a better flavor.
There is a noticeable flavor difference in Narwater as the fruit flavors are more true to real life but still avoid being sweet. The Blueberry Raspberry even has a nice purple-red hue to it. My favorite from them was the Grapefruit Pineapple as it really highlighted a pineapple juice profile. I also found the body of Narwater to be a bit heavier which I enjoyed.
Beaches Hard Seltzer
While some breweries are releasing seltzers under their brewery name, others are creating a separate brand. That’s what Short’s Brewing is doing with Beaches Hard Seltzers. I think this highlights that many see the craft beer drinker and hard seltzer drinker as different and unique customers.
Their main mixed pack features cocktail inspired flavors of Paloma, Pina Colada, Margarita, and Mojito. In addition, they have a Tropical flavor featuring mango. The overall marketing is focusing on the connection of hot summer days and hard seltzers.
The cocktail flavors are really well executed and taste like the beverages you’d want to drink on a beach. The advantage is you just have to open and enjoy rather than mixing a cocktail. The Mojito was my favorite as the lime and mint were perfectly balanced giving it a fresh profile.
I enjoyed these on a cold Saturday but I can easily envision how they would be refreshing on a hot summer day. If you’re looking for a seltzer that goes beyond fruit flavors, then Beaches is for you.
Perrin Brewing Clear Coast
In the world of beer, it is quite common for a brewery to gain popularity with just a single beer. For Perrin Brewing, the beer that put them on the map is No Rules. This is a 15% Imperial Porter that wins awards and makes Perrin a household name among craft beer fans. Like any other brewery, their abilities and interests go well beyond a single beer and their Clear Coast hard seltzer is the complete opposite of the well-known No Rules.
The seasonal variety that I tried included Pineapple Papaya, Kiwi Strawberry, and Orange Passion. However, if you check out their website, they also have year round flavors: Mango Guava, Mixed Berry, and Watermelon Lime.
Using a Reverse Osmosis system, all impurities are removed from the water they use to brew. The result is a fresh flavor profile that highlights the fruit flavors above anything else. And it shows as these drink very clean and light.
Of the flavors I tried, the Orange Passion was most surprising as it had a huge citrus pop that was more intense than I expected from a seltzer. However, my favorite was the Kiwi Strawberry. This is a flavor combination that I’ve always enjoyed so I am a bit bias. I’d love to try their over flavors, especially the Watermelon Lime.
More Thoughts On Hard Selzter
Overall, you can see that these products deliver exactly what they claim. And I think that is really an important part of hard seltzers success. When a product lists a flavor, the consumer expects it to taste like that. Seltzer does that remarkably well since there’s no other flavor in it.
If I was forced to choose, the Narwater Grapefruit Pineapple was my favorite with the Truly Strawberry Lemonade and Beaches Mojito coming in close behind. But given the right scenario, I’d drink any one of these. Much of the interest around the seltzers is the variety of flavors and getting to try many myself highlighted the fact that I don’t see people sticking to a single flavor.
Side note, you may have noticed that White Claw wasn’t on my list. While this is by far the most popular version of this beverage, they don’t fit the topic of “hard seltzer in the craft beer world” for me because the producer of White Claw isn’t a brewery (they only make flavored malt beverages). Nothing against their product but the intent of this article is to discuss what is happening with breweries. But it is worth mentioning that much of the focus on hard seltzer is a direct result of White Claw’s success.
Why Is Hard Seltzer So Popular?
There are a number of factors driving hard seltzer popularity. The two that stand out the most are flavor profile and “healthy” lifestyle branding.
For flavor profile, they deliver exactly what they say they are. If the can says Mango, then it tastes like mango and nothing else. While in the beer world, a beer could say it tastes like chocolate but to the consumer, they just taste a stout. Those not as deep into the craft beer world are often confused and disappointed when this happens.
And these are being promoted as the healthy option compared to other alcoholic beverages. I hate this argument because there are low calorie beers but hard seltzer focuses in on the 100 calorie per 12oz can. Consumers love that. Even the thin cans help people feel like they are drinking a healthier option.
Furthermore, seems to me that hard seltzers could be displacing light American lagers for those that want a light, easy drinking, and social drink. There have been many situations where I’ve noticed seltzers in the hands of those that would normally drink a light beer.
Will Hard Seltzer Last?
We aren’t mind readers so we can’t know for sure but I think these seltzers have some staying power. They have wide acceptance, are very approachable, and tie into the concept of healthier living with lower alcohol consumption.
What isn’t sustainable is the meteoric rise in sales. At some point, sales will slow down and level off. Predicting when that happens is the difficult part. When that happens, will White Claw be the Bud Light of hard seltzer and control the majority of the market? Or will hard seltzer in the craft beer world thrive with hundreds of breweries sharing the market?
Chasing trends and knowing when to jump in on a new product is a tough business. For the craft breweries that are making hard seltzers, most are doing a great job. There’s no doubt that more will follow making hard seltzer in the craft beer world just as common as beer.
