Lighten Up!
Summer is quickly approaching and bright, sunny days call for lighter, brighter beverages too. There are plenty of light beers on the market to throw in your cooler, but walk into any grocery, convenience, or liquor store and you’ll find that there are endless “light” alcoholic beverage options. Some of the most popular light alcoholic beverages that have become extremely mainstream are hard seltzers, along with their sister libations: vodka seltzers and tequila seltzers.
Hard seltzer first started being mass-produced in 2012 by the brand SpikedSeltzer, out of Westport, CT. This first company to have skin in the seltzer game was eventually sold to Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2016. (Although, it could be argued that Zima, introduced back in 1993 by Coors, was the true OG.) Regardless, plenty of other alcohol companies jumped on the band-wagon since 2012 to produce and sell their own versions, including the Boston Beer Co., (the same company that makes Samuel Adams beer), with their creation Truly, and the Mark Anthony Group’s White Claw, (which is the company responsible for Mike’s Hard Lemonade), with both hard seltzers being introduced to the market in 2016.
While traditional beer is mainly created with malted barley and hops, spiked seltzer is created from fermented cane sugar with an infusion of carbonated water, fruits, and different flavors, both natural and artificial. The resulting alcoholic beverage is light, crisp, and bubbly – perhaps reminiscent of champagne – that is low in sugar and subsequently, calories. A typical spiked seltzer is right around the 100-calorie mark. In comparison, craft beers can be 4 times that amount(!), but light beers such as Michelob Ultra, Miller Light, and Coors Light clock in right around 100 calories too; so, if you’re watching your waistline, take your pick! When it comes to alcohol content, hard seltzer is typically higher than a light beer. We’re talking somewhere between 5-7% ABV, while a light beer of approximately the same calorie content is around 3-5% ABV and a craft beer running upwards of 7-10% ABV. Additionally, the majority of spiked seltzers are gluten-free.
The hard seltzer industry is also skyrocketing! In 2023 alone, the market was valued at 18.97 billion USD, and is projected to grow at a CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 14.9% from 2024 through 2030, according to a market analysis by Grand View Research (GVR). It is abundantly clear that hard seltzer is here to stay, which is also why many craft breweries have begun to produce their own versions in response to this growing segment of the alcohol industry. (Gotta give the people what they want!) Locally, Meier’s Creek, Willow Rock, Heritage Hill, and McGraw Box Brewing, all create their own individual hard seltzers.
Interestingly, hard seltzer manufacturers also appear to be on par with the craft beer industry in their quest to keeping-it-fresh when it comes to consumer tastes and quenching their thirst to try something “new and different.” Perusing the shelves or coolers of your store of choice or simply doing a Google search online, there are so many different and unique options to choose from; Black Cherry Lemonade (Truly), Citrus Yuzu Smash (White Claw), and Cranberry Grapefruit Vodka Seltzer (Nütrl), to Pomegranate Açai (Wild Basin), Strawberry Hibiscus Margarita (Topo Chico), and Prickly Pear Tequila Seltzer (High Noon). Of course, there are also simpler flavors of watermelon, mixed berry, lemon, lime, pineapple, etc., to choose from, but the options are essentially endless – and let’s not forget about the variety packs!
There is also the common thought-process that hard seltzer is a “better” or “healthier” choice of an alcoholic beverage because it “hydrates” you as you drink it. This is a misconception. Alcohol itself is a diuretic. This diuretic suppresses the release of the hormone vasopressin, which helps regulate the amount of water your kidneys absorb. With less vasopressin in your system, your kidneys release more water which leads to more frequent urination, and thus, leads to the potential of dehydration. Therefore, it is a great idea to supplement your alcoholic beverage intake with a bottle of water or two and grab yourself a Gatorade or some Pedialyte before bed after a big night out. Still, as aforementioned, hard seltzer can ultimately be considered an overall healthier option for people looking to imbibe without the added calories that many alcoholic beverages provide. Only, take care, because it doesn’t take much to guzzle more than a couple in a relatively short amount of time and, in the end, you could end up consuming more than you otherwise would with a regular beer or two!
While many of the folks who read this column prefer craft beer, it can sometimes be quite nice to switch things up every now and then. If you haven’t tried spiked or hard seltzer up to this point, it is certainly worth-it to pick up a variety-pack the next time you’re out shopping for adult beverages. And if you are like me, and prefer a bit of a lighter option in the summer while camping, kayaking, and golfing, get out there and hunt for some new and seasonal flavors!
Cheers to a beautiful and tasty summer ahead!
