With alcohol sales rising as people were asked to stay at home during the pandemic, the sales of hard seltzer have been leading the growth. While overall sales rose around 2 per cent during 2020, the ready-to-drink range, including hard seltzers and tinned cocktails rose by a whopping 43 per cent.

The hard seltzer market is now a multi-billion-pound industry and drinks manufacturers know that developing a range of hard seltzers makes a lot of business sense. Even top celebrity chefs are getting in on the action with Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Seltzer being launched to a thirsty market.

It is becoming increasingly hard to avoid the latest drink craze storming the market, especially since mainstream beer brands have also created their own ranges. It is clear that hard seltzer is having a huge impact, and is set to stick around with most millennials now preferring it over traditional beers, wines and spirits.

What is hard seltzer?

With such a buzz developing around this bubbly beverage, it can help to understand exactly what it is and how it differs from other alcoholic drinks.

Hard seltzer is also known as alcoholic seltzer, spiked seltzer or hard sparkling water. It is basically carbonated water mixed with fruit flavourings and alcohol. Depending on the brand, the drink could use artificial flavourings or real fruit juice.

A lot of people describe hard seltzer as fizzy pop for grown-ups as a lot of the most common flavours include fruity or citrus flavours similar to standard soft drinks, including:

· Black cherry

· Blood orange

· Cranberry

· Guava

· Kiwi

· Lemon & lime

· Mango

· Passion fruit

· Peach

· Pineapple

· Raspberry

· Ruby grapefruit

· Strawberry

· Watermelon

How do you make hard seltzer?

In most cases, the alcohol that is used in hard seltzer comes from fermented sugar cane, whereas in winemaking it would come from fermented grapes. However, some brands do use malted grains, so while the hard seltzer from sugar cane is gluten-free, using malted grains will mean it contains gluten.

Most hard seltzers alcohol by volume (ABV) falls around 4-6 per cent, which is about the same as beer, but some brands can be as high as 12 per cent ABV, which is about the same as most wines.

The base alcohol is mixed with sparkling water and any combination of fruit flavourings, which usually results in a refreshing drink that is lower in calories than other alcoholic drinks. The amount of sugar in the drinks can vary from brand to brand, but most hard seltzers are marketed on their low-sugar content and therefore fewer calories.

Why are hard seltzers so popular?

With the variety of hard seltzer flavour combinations being virtually limitless, there will usually be something to suit everyone's taste and palate. In fact, hard seltzers are crowding out other drink products, including drinks in the non-alcoholic sector such as iced tea to sports drinks.

It is thought that with a combination of many new flavours, attractive packaging and trendy names, hard seltzers are resonating with younger consumers, as well as with women, looking to replace beer with a more appealing drink.

These drinks are so versatile and can be enjoyed anywhere, including pubs, clubs and at home with family barbecues and garden parties. A lot of the popularity can also be put down to the desire from consumers for low-calorie, low-sugar and low-carb drink alternatives in an increasingly health-conscious public.

The trend in hard seltzers is creating a huge opportunity for new drink entrepreneurs or established drink manufacturers to step in to meet the ever-increasing demand. However, the quickest and most efficient way to get your drink to market is to work with a company that has the right equipment and the right know-how - and this is where David Berryman Ltd can help!

Working with David Berryman Ltd

David Berryman Ltd has a broad range of experience and expertise in the drink industry and more than most hard seltzer manufacturers. We offer decades of knowledge with manufacturing alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and can offer you a solution that is ideal for hard seltzer production.

By partnering with us, you will be able to bring your ideas for a new hard seltzer drink into reality. You can seize your hard seltzer moment and create a truly unique drink or range of drinks that can carve out a niche for you in the hard seltzer marketplace.

No matter if you are a new drink entrepreneur or you want to add a hard seltzer to your drink range, you should look no further than David Berryman Ltd. We will support your drink ideas from day one and have the technologies and expertise to test and adapt your drink recipe and start producing your unique brand.

There is no need to worry about the expense of having to do a huge test run of thousands of products as we offer small runs that are far more cost-effective when testing out a new drink. If you are looking to start from scratch and don't even have a recipe for a new hard seltzer drink, we can team up with you to ensure a thorough plan.

You can work with our experienced recipe development team to come up with a perfect hard seltzer to take to market. We can take your original concept and turn it into reality in a cost-effective manner using skills, equipment and ingredients that you will not find anywhere else!

Our drink development team are mindful of current drink trends, whilst still following legislative requirements to get your drink approved and released to the market.

Do not hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team at David Berryman Ltd and we will help you every step of the way.

« Back to news