Hard seltzer dollar sales topped $4.14 billion in 2020, increasing 160.4% compared to 2019, according to Bump Williams Consulting (BWC), citing NielsenIQ all-outlet, plus convenience and liquor data through December 26, 2020.

Distributors expect the hard seltzer segment to end the year with 155% growth and come close to doubling in 2021 with much of the growth coming from leading brands, White Claw (Mark Anthony Brands) and Truly Hard Seltzer (Boston Beer Company), according to a report from Goldman Sachs Equity Research arm.

Mark Anthony Brands — the maker of White Claw and Mike’s Hard Lemonade — plans to build a $400 million production facility in Columbia, South Carolina, according to a press release posted on Tuesday to South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s website.

Despite out of stock issues from key suppliers, Labor Day weekend beer sales increased over the holiday weekend last year and indicate the beer category’s off-premise sales will finish the year strong, according to a report from Goldman Sachs Equity Research.

Former Mark Anthony Brands marketing VP Sanjiv Gajiwala has joined the Kraft Heinz Company in the newly created role of U.S. chief growth officer.

Mark Anthony Brands has named former Jimmy John’s CMO John Shea to lead the marketing efforts for the White Claw hard seltzer brand. Shea will assume the role this month, a spokesperson confirmed to Brewbound.

Mark Anthony Brands’ long-time senior vice president marketing Sanjiv Gajiwala will depart the maker of White Claw and the Mike’s Hard Lemonade franchise at the end of the month, according to a memo president Phil Rosse sent to wholesalers.

Nearly 60% of Drizly users ages 21-26 plan to drink hard seltzer this summer, the on-demand e-commerce marketplace and delivery platform for alcohol beverages, found during its second annual consumer survey.

Off-premise beer category sales topped $1 billion for the second consecutive week, which included the Memorial Day holiday, according to the latest one-week data slice shared by market research firm Nielsen.

The hard seltzer segment is on pace to capture 10% of the beer category dollar sales by this summer, according to Cowen analyst Vivien Azer. Last week, hard seltzer segment’s share of beer category dollar sales reached 8.8%, according to market research firm Nielsen. And there are no signs that the segment is slowing down.

Two of the largest hard seltzer makers are launching new offerings outside of the segment’s standard 5% ABV, 100-calorie playbook.

The hard seltzer category could reach about 10% of the beer market in the next few years, according to research reports from two leading financial services firms. Meanwhile, FIFCO USA has stopped production of Pura Still, the 95-calorie, 4.5% ABV spiked still water brand after less than two years, according to a memo sent to wholesalers this week. Finally, Iron Heart Canning, the country’s largest mobile canning service provider, announced today an agreement to acquire Michigan Mobile Canning.

Hard seltzer is not a fad; it’s a category, Brandy Rand, the COO of market research firm IWSR, declared today during Beer Business Daily’s Beer Industry Summit in Palm Beach, Florida.