The Sudden Decline of Hard Seltzer
Why Does Everyone Suddenly Hate Hard Seltzer?
Three years ago, hard seltzers started popping up everywhere and it is not hard to see why. They are a low calorie drink with fun flavors. They don’t make you feel bloated like beer. They have fewer calories than most cocktails. At around 5% ABV, they were perfect for parties and BBQs. Plus it has BUBBLES!!! Who doesn’t enjoy a cold, bubbly beverage?
With the craze of White Claw and other brands of hard seltzers sweeping parties and bars across the nation, it was clear, people were excited about the products being offered and couldn’t get enough.
Brands and breweries saw the market demand and began pushing out product to a market thirsty for the fruity, bubbled beverages. With people stuck at home in 2020, people were bored and open to trying the hard seltzer offerings, it was a perfect recipe for success in the hard seltzer market.
Fast forward to 2022. The innovative charm of hard seltzer has worn off; it is no longer the shiny new focus of wide spread attention. I fully admit, I was one of the millions across the country that would pick up a new brand of hard seltzer to try when I wanted to change things up.
I learned what many seem to be realizing. Many of the hard seltzers on the market kind of suck. Sure, they have splashy names, conjuring the idea of tropical beaches and exotic flavors, but what is promised doesn’t really match the reality of what’s in that can.
If the hard seltzers had been a delicious beverage, I probably would have continued buying the same brand over and over, but instead, I found myself sampling. I was never super satisified with the taste of what I was drinking. Instead, I found many of the brands had a distinct chemical flavor to them that was poorly covered with often artificial fruit flavors.
For many, the reality of these low calorie beverages just didn’t match the promise. Sure, there were a few good options out there, but all too often, you could only get the good flavors packed in with a bunch of ok or disappointing flavors. Not only did the flavors generally suck, these drinks were EVERYWHERE. Each new brand promised a better experience of their competitors and the more I tried, the more I was convinced that hard seltzer just wasn’t that good.
With the world re-opening and people leaving home to meet with friends and enjoy a night out, people are drinking less hard seltzer. Perhaps people drank too much while in isolation and want to put some distance between themselves and their time spent alone. Maybe it is as simple as the trend fizzling out like a can of hard seltzer left open too long. Whatever the reason, hard seltzer fatigue is here.
Do I think the demand for the drink is dead? No. I think there will always be people who do enjoy hard seltzers. Still, with demand dropping, the market is about to get a lot smaller. Hopefully, this smaller market will mean the best brands will rise to the top.
Cheers!
