Big boys push hard seltzer


While small craft breweries have been the ones driving the beer industry, with hard seltzers it’s been the big breweries creating the market.

Now Bud Light has come onboard with its new Bud Light Seltzer, which will be released early next year. The 100-calorie, 5% ABV seltzer will come in four flavours: black cheery, lemon lime, strawberry and mango. It will be packed in single-flavour 12-packs; a variety 12-pack; and a massive 25-ounce can.

White Claw currently has 54% of US hard seltzer sales, according to an analysis of Nielsen data from Beer Marketer’s Insights. That’s made by Mark Anthony Brands, makers for Mike’s Hard Lemonade, which is coming to the UK, a virgin market from hard seltzers with no existing consumer base.

Expect Bud Light to go big guns in trying to claw to the top of the hard seltzer market in North America.