Hard seltzers remain down double-digits through mid-July in Circana-tracked off-premise retailers. Hard seltzer declined -11.8% in dollars and -16.1% in volume through the rolling 52-week period ending July 14.
Spirits-based hard seltzers trended up, growing dollars (+32.4%) and volume (+30.9%), but remained small ($673.3 million) in comparison to the size of malt- and sugar-based seltzers (referred to as beer seltzer centric by Circana), which while in decline still topped $3.243 billion in the 52-week period through mid-July.
Flavored malt beverages (FMB) also posted double-digit growth rates, increasing dollar sales +12.8% and volume +11%. FMBs generated more than $4.68 billion in sales.
Premixed cocktails increased dollar sales +24.4%, to more than $1.5 billion, with volume increasing +22.7% over the 52-week period ending July 14.
Here’s a look at each segment.
White Claw Running Away with Hard Seltzer
Beer seltzers remained a two-seltzer race, with the White Claw brand family leading with a 61.07% share (+8.48% compared to a year ago) of the segment’s total dollar sales, with Boston Beer Company’s Truly Hard Seltzer brand family a distant second at 20.35% share (-2.81% compared to a year ago).
The White Claw family has grown dollar sales +2.4% but declined -3.5% in volume through the 52-week period. White Claw owner Mark Anthony Brands took the second largest price increase of the top 20 best-selling hard seltzers, increasing +6.1%, to $40.72, compared to a year ago.
Truly dollar sales declined -22.5%, to nearly $659.9 million, while volume declined -24.3%. Boston Beer has taken a +2.4% price increase per case, to an average price of $37.34. Truly also posted the largest share loss of the top 20, shedding 2.81% share in the period.
Only five other hard seltzer brands – Topo Chico (4.94%), Bud Light Seltzer (3.33%), Vizzy Hard Seltzer (2.16%), Happy Dad (1.59%) and Michelo Seltzer (1.35%) – held more than a single point of share. A sixth brand, Diageo-owned Lone River Ranch Water, was close at 0.99% share.
Outside of White Claw and Truly, only Topo Chico ($160 million) and Bud Light Seltzer ($107.8 million), recorded more than $100 million in off-premise sales.
Of those six other brands, five posted double-digit declines, while Happy Dad posted triple-digit growth in dollars (+104.9%, to $51.5 million) and volume (+103.7%) in the 52-week period through mid-July. Happy Dad gained 0.91% share, to 1.59% share of hard seltzers.
Bud Light Seltzer declined -51% in dollars and -51.6% in volume. The brand also was the second largest share donor of the top 20, shedding -2.66% share.
The only other hard seltzer brands to grow over the last year within the top 20 were:
- Aldi’s Vista Bay brand family (+70.6% dollars, +67.2% volume);
- Constellation Brands’ Modelo Hard Seltzer (+16.9% dollars, +14% volume);
- Spindrift Spiked (+47.2% dollars, +49.4% volume);
- Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark brand family (+308.2% dollars, +308% volume).
The San Juan Seltzer brand family took the largest price increase (+20.3%), to an average case price of $53.94, the highest average case price of the top 20.
High Noon Keeps Doubling Up
Within spirits-based seltzers, Gallo-owned High Noon Sun Sips dominated the segment with 65.2% share. High Noon dollar sales increased +31.2%, to more than $439 million, while volume increased +27.8%.
The only other spirits-based brand with a double-digit share of spirits-based seltzer is Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) Nütrl (12.76% share, +4.14% over the last 52 weeks). Nütrl sales increased +96%, while volume grew +89.9%.
Crossover brand Sunny D Vodka Seltzer ranked third, with dollar sales topping $20.1 million (+124.7%) and volume increasing +126% over the last 52-week period. Sunny D Vodka Seltzer, made by Harvest Hill Beverage Company, held just under 3% share of spirits-seltzer dollars.
The spirits-based counterparts of White Claw (+32.2% dollars, +40.7% volume) and Truly (+5.3% dollars, +7.2% volume) rounded out the top five best-selling spirits-based seltzer brands. White Claw posted $19.8 million in sales, while Truly recorded more than $16.33 million. Each held under 3% share, with White Claw at 2.95% and Truly at 2.43%.
BuzzBallz, BeatBox & Cutwater Dominate Share of Premixed Cocktails
BuzzBallz, which is owned by Sazerac, holds the largest share (16.66% share) of the premixed cocktail segment. BuzzBallz generated more than $251.3 million in sales (+41.9%), and increased volume +33.9%. The average case price for BuzzBallz products increased +5.9%, to $169.28.
BeatBox ranked second in sales, with more than $161.99 million (+154.8%) in the 52-week period. BeatBox’s volume also increased triple digits in the period (+152%). BeatBox is the only other brand to hold double-digit share in premixed cocktails, with 10.74% share.
BuzzBallz and BeatBox were the largest share gainers, picking up +2.05% and +5.5% share, to 16.66% and 10.74% share, respectively. Other brands picking up notable share included The Long Drink (+0.83% share, to 2.9% share), Carbliss (+1.17% share, to 2% share) and Big Sipz (+1.6% share, to 1.78% share).
A-B-owned Cutwater Spirits ranked third in sales (more than $144 million), growing off-premise dollar sales (+30.7%) and volume (+27.6%).
Rancho La Gloria was the only other premixed cocktail brand to post more than $100 million in sales, at $105.6 million.
Twisted Tea, Monster & AriZona Gain Most Share of FMBs
Boston Beer’s Twisted Tea has maintained the largest piece of the FMB business, with a 27.4% share (+2.04% compared to a year ago). Twisted Tea dollar sales topped $1.28 billion (+21.9%), while volume increased +18.6%. The average case price of Twisted Tea increased +2.8%, to $37.95 in the period.
Diageo’s Smirnoff brand family ranked second with more than $535.7 million in sales (+3.5%), while volume increased +1.2%. The Smirnoff family was the only other brand family with double-digit share (11.44%, -1.02% versus a year ago).
Mark Anthony Brands owns the back half of the top five brands, with Mike’s Harder ($454.6 million in dollar sales), Mike’s Hard ($300.78 million) and Cayman Jack (more than $260 million). Those brands hold 9.71%, 6.42% and 5.55% share of FMBs, respectively.
In the under $200 million in sales club, Geloso’s Clubtails brand family (+20.4% dollars), Molson Coors’ Simply Spiked brand family (+17.7%) and the Four Loko brand family (+10%) each posted double-digit dollar sales growth.
Three FMB brand families have posted triple-digit dollar sales and volume growth over the 52-week period ending July 14. They are:
- Monster’s portfolio of The Beast Unleashed and Nasty Beast (+179.9% dollars, +174.6% volume);
- AriZona’s hard tea brand family (+578.6% dollars, +573% volume);
- And A-B’s Jarritos brand family (+508.9% dollars, +505.1% volume).
Beyond Twisted Tea, Monster gained the most share in FMBs, picking up +1.49% share to 2.5% share, followed by AriZona, which gained +1.03% share, to 1.23% share.
Notably, Boston Beer’s Hard MTN Dew brand family posted double-digit declines (-13.2% dollars, -16.7% volume) and ranked 19th in FMB dollar sales. Boston Beer took the most price on the brand among the top 20 FMBs, increasing +4.2%, to an average case price of $37.51.