THE DIFFERENT WATER
Hard Seltzer is set to become the global mega trend
Simply put, its makeup consists of carbonated water, often with natural flavors
and has an alcohol content between 4 and 6 percent. However, reduced-alcohol variants with
2-3 percent are already available on the market as well. So what is the difference between “Hard
Seltzer,” which started booming in 2020, and its predecessor from the 2000s, the so-called “alcopops?”
Differences exist in various aspects: The alcohol in Hard Seltzer is primarily based on a fermentative
process and not from a distillation process. In addition, Hard Seltzer can be advertised with a
“zero sugar” claim as it contains less calories than drinks in a similar alcohol range.
20 · BBII 6/2020
precisely to the selected yeast
strain and is not subject to natural
fluctuations due to seasonal
changes of malt or grapes.
The right yeast strain
The criteria to select the appropriate
yeast strain should be kept as
simple as possible. It should not
produce any undesirable fermentation
by-products. A rather short
fermentation time is beneficial to
deliver the highest possible alcohol
content so that the maximum yield
is available for the following processing
steps. Once fermentation
is complete, a filtration step using
activated carbon filter is applied
to obtain an intermediate product
which is as neutral in taste, color
and odor as possible. In the subsequent
processing step, the alcohol
base is adjusted to the desired
drinking strength with water and, to
the extent necessary, acidified with
citric acid. In some cases, a small
amount of sugar and / or sweetener
is added with the corresponding
fruit aromas. Regarding flavors,
there are no limits to creativity.
A look at the product portfolios,
especially those of the industry
leaders, shows that cherry, mango
and lemon are very popular, while
melon, cucumber-ginger or pineapple
can be found as well to name
only a few of the broad offering.
At the next stage the beverage is
carbonated, usually using a continuous
in-line mixer. Finally, the beverage
has to be filled in a microbiologically
safe manner. Looking at
the North American market, cans
are the preferred packaging, while
those for Hard Seltzer. This means
that with changing customer habits
resulting in shrinking sales volumes
in one segment are partially compensated
by Hard Seltzer sales.
Production of Hard Seltzer requires
a certain technological know-how,
but it is less complex in comparison
to other fermentative beverages.
The starting point is a sugar
water solution, often obtained
from sugar cane, but other sugar
sources coming from malt or invert
sugar are suitable as well. The
sugar solution is fermented to alcohol
in a first step. Here the buffer
capacity of the water may have to
be increased in order to bind the
resulting carbon dioxide and to
keep the pH level at an optimal
range for the yeast, preferably
above pH 4. Furthermore, the addition
of trace elements and a nitrogen
source is recommended to
ensure the optimal yeast growth.
In contrast to beer wort or must,
the composition can be adjusted
This allows the marketing to
focus on young adults, which is
in clear contrast to alcopops that
came under criticism due to the
strong focus on teenage consumers
as a target group. With increased
taxation on alcopops,
the category faded away from the
market and became a niche product.
Financially, the favorable taxation
of Hard Seltzers, especially
in its country of origin, the USA,
is a decisive economic advantage
for this new beverage category.
Production process
The production process is in certain
respects very similar to the
production of wine or beer, which
is probably one reason why large
breweries and wineries in the USA
have particular interest in this
trend. Another supporting factor is
that relevant consumer groups for
beer or wine are resonating with
The molecule penetrates through the cell membrane and deactivates enzymes
responsible for the cell metabolism, thus inducing cell death.