Hard Seltzers – A trend that’s here to stay

Gagan Sharma traces the evolution of the latest entrant in the ready-to-drink category and declares it a trend that’s here to stay

Call it whatever — hard seltzer, spiked seltzer, boozy soda water — it’s a drink that has turned heads in the recent past. What was once considered a niche category, a fad, a drink for the uninitiated, something for beginners before you moved on to the more serious drinks, has been on the rise with its timing fueled by Covid, and the general shift towards limited-yet conscious
drinking. In the beginning it was called “the world’s first, brewed alcoholic lemonade” by the Aussie brand, “Two Dogs”, circa early 1990s. Now, it’s generally accepted in the US which has added more shades to its personality and pushed it to become a global citizen. The drink has found a home in India too and is making waves across the board. Despite its tardy awakening from the slumber of adolescence, hard seltzer is becoming a permanent addition in the spectrum of daily elixirs, and you must know about them, or fear being called a social outcast!