The Future of “Hard” Beverages By Samantha Des Jardins, Datassential “Hard” seltzers have been the menu darling of recent years, creating a new category that brought in millennials who craved the flavor choices of seltzer water, the low calories of a light beer, and the ease and portability of a cocktail in a can. And the segment shows no signs of slowing down. That’s because hard seltzer makers are not only answering a call for boozier beverages but also making other “hard” options for consumers to experiment with, and ones that could take this typically heavily summer-skewed beverage well into other seasons. Just like the explosion, and then the evolution, of the seltzer water market, so went the rapid rise of hard beverages. Brands like LaCroix led the way as an alternative to soda and sugary drinks, and now the market has swelled with a number of competitors that offered diversity in sweetness, carbonation or flavor. There was soon something for everyone. Except perhaps, one with that boozy kick. Enter hard seltzer. White Claw came on the market in 2016, and since then the hard seltzer market has exploded and brought on a myriad of new brand competitors including Truly, made by Sam Adams maker 52
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