No longer an aperitif or a party without someone bringing back a pack of White Claw, Bon & Viv or Bud Light Seltzer. These alcoholic and flavored sparkling waters are snapping up in the United States, on a market with more than 200% growth per year. Why such a success ? This is the stupid question of the moment.
A low-calorie and gender-neutral drink
Take some sparkling water, alcohol made from fermented cane sugar and natural dyes. Mix everything together and serve in a can with attractive packaging. Well done, you are ready to sell hard seltzer and carve out a share of a market that is expected to reach $ 2.5 billion in sales in 2021. Behind this simple recipe is Canadian company Mark Anthony Brands , which was the first to launch on American soil with the White Claw brand in 2016. “The White Claw drink has joined several fashionable trends currently on the market”, analyzes Lara Crystal, founder in New York of the home alcohol delivery service Minibar Delivery. “Over the last few years, we have seen a strong demand for drinks that are less alcoholic, healthier and ready to consume, such as hard seltzer”. Count 150 to 160 calories for an average beer, against 100 calories per can of White Claw. This famous soft drink is also gluten-free and contains between 4 and 6% alcohol per can, which is the percentage of a light beer. “White Claw has succeeded in seducing those who normally chose wine and beer”, summarizes Lara Crystal.
The genius of White Claw also lies in its marketing. The brand, consumed by both women and men (50/50), is intended to be gender-neutral. She opted for a sober black and white logo and her ads show as many men as women. “Our vision is not of a world where men find themselves in the garage drinking beers while women drink on their own with their friends. Our brand reflects the notion of sharing, of common celebration, regardless of gender ”, Sanjiv Gajiwala, deputy marketing director of White Claw, explained to the Washington Post in September 2019.
Major alcohol brands are launching as well
While White Claw now covers more than 50% of the American “hard seltzer” market, several major alcohol brands have recently entered the market, such as Bud Light in January. The company from Missouri even offered an advertisement during the SuperBowl on February 2, the most watched sporting event in the world, featuring the American rapper Post Malone. Sales of “Bud Light Seltzer” have since exploded, with triple-digit growth. Among the other ogres on the market, Truly Hard Seltzer owned by the Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea), the Bon & Viv brand. AB InBev (Stella, Goose Island, Leffe) and Smirnoff Seltzer, brand of Smirnoff.
The “hard seltzer” arrives in France
These large multinationals have not yet planned to open in France, but two young French entrepreneurs have just launched their brand, Natz, in July. Valentin Bros and Florentin Cugnot met at a business school in Nantes. With the help of a retired brewing engineer and a flavorist, they experimented with recipes for several months until they finally selected two infused with lemon juice and black tea. Like the American versions, Natz’s “hard seltzers” are made from fermented cane sugar and are low in calories. On the other hand, they are found in bottles, available for the moment to order on their website.
