Flavor of the Week: Hard seltzer — the flavored malt beverage that has captured the market

It’s hard to walk into a grocery store and not see a new brand of hard seltzer these days.

This flavored malt beverage has captured the market, with brands like White Claw and Truly leading the pack. Meanwhile, many breweries and sparkling-water companies are introducing their own lines.

Hard seltzers are similar to its easy-drinking, fairly low-alcohol predecessors such as the “malternatives” such as Smirnoff Ice of the turn of the century and Zima in the 1990s, but hard seltzers have successfully transcended gender barriers and have even broader appeal than the malt beverages that came before them.

Consumers looking for a low-sugar or low-carb alcohol option have turned to hard seltzer. Not only is this beverage ready to drink,  but it also has the adaptability to take on bold flavor innovation, from classic fruit flavors like pineapple, mango and strawberry to more exotic flavors like yuzu, sage and basil.

Market research firm Datassential reports that awareness of hard seltzer is highest among Millennials, with about 75% of the general population being familiar with it.

Click through the gallery to learn more about this Flavor of the Week and get inspired by how one restaurant is using hard seltzer on its beverage menu.