Whether you call it hard seltzer, spiked seltzer, or hard sparkling water, one thing is for sure—the newest alcoholic beverage trend is, by all accounts, here to stay. According to NielsenIQ, the most recent annual total hard seltzer sales were $2.7 billion, which was 10 percent of the entire beer, flavored malt beverage, and cider market. And it’s not just one or two behemoths that are fueling the swell. At the beginning of 2018, there were 10 hard seltzer brands on the market. Over the course of a year, that number expanded to 26, and now there are more than 65 brands to choose from. But with more than five dozen choices, where do the uninitiated go to dip their toe in the pool of spiked seltzer? Well, Best Life is here to tell you. We’ve combed the most recent available data to determine which of the major brands is churning out the most popular hard seltzer in America.
First, we analyzed the market share of the leading hard seltzer brands using data provided by industry information site The Drinks Business. Then, we factored in the ever-important influence of social media by gathering the number of followers each brand has on Instagram. (Note: Some brands don’t have an Instagram handle unique to their hard seltzer because they are marketed along with other beverages under a flagship brand.) In addition, we included survey results tallied by YouGov on the popularity (who likes the brand) and the fame (who’s heard of the brand) of each seltzer in our study. Finally, after scouring dozens of internet rankings, we incorporated Mashed's analysis of the best and worst hard seltzers on the market.
We then assigned each of the five metrics a weighted value before running them through our exclusive algorithm to determine how each seltzer scored on our 100-point scale Seltzer Satisfaction Index. With so many brands out there, we decided to showcase the top eight, as data became increasingly hard to access for lesser known brands. So sit back, crack open a can of your favorite beverage—be it hard or soft, sparkling or flat—and read on to find out the most popular hard seltzer in America. And for a bubbly beverage that isn't up to consumers' standards, This Is the Most Unpopular Soda in America, According to Data.
Editor’s note: “N/A” indicates that data was not available for that particular metric. We adjusted the algorithm to ensure that each brand was scored fairly and accurately.
Read the original article on Best Life.
8 | Natural Light Seltzer
David Tonelson / Shutterstock.comMarket share: N/A
Instagram followers: N/A
YouGov popularity rank: 8
YouGov fame rank: 6
Mashed rank: 12
Seltzer Satisfaction Index Score: 0.00
7 | Henry's Hard Sparkling Water
Keith Homan / Shutterstock.comMarket share: 3.41 percent
Instagram followers: 3,208
YouGov popularity rank: 7
YouGov fame rank: 9
Mashed rank: 13
Seltzer Satisfaction Index Score: 0.92
6 | Corona Hard Seltzer
Joni Hanebutt/ShutterstockMarket share: 1.10 percent
Instagram followers: N/A
YouGov popularity rank: 3
YouGov fame rank: 3
Mashed rank: N/A
Seltzer Satisfaction Index Score: 4.50
And for the place you're likely to find someone cracking open a cold one, This Is the Hardest-Partying State in America, According to Data.
5 | Smirnoff Seltzer
Joni Hanebutt/ShutterstickMarket share: N/A
Instagram followers: N/A
YouGov popularity rank: 1
YouGov fame rank: 2
Mashed rank: 14
Seltzer Satisfaction Index Score: 6.69
4 | Bud Light Seltzer
Joni Hanebutt/ShutterstockMarket share: 9.00 percent
Instagram followers: N/A
YouGov popularity rank: 5
YouGov fame rank: 1
Mashed rank: N/A
Seltzer Satisfaction Index Score: 7.74
And for more exclusive rankings sent directly to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
3 | Bon Viv Spiked Seltzer
Joni Hanebutt/ShutterstockMarket share: 7.40 percent
Instagram followers: 45,900
YouGov popularity rank: 11
YouGov fame rank: 19
Mashed rank: 3
Seltzer Satisfaction Index Score: 22.97
2 | Truly Hard Seltzer
David Tonelson/ShutterstockMarket share: 21.80 percent
Instagram followers: 85,500
YouGov popularity rank: 6
YouGov fame rank: 8
Mashed rank: 2
Seltzer Satisfaction Index Score: 50.21
1 | White Claw Hard Seltzer
David Tonelson/ShutterstockMarket share: 58.60 percent
Instagram followers: 184,000
YouGov popularity rank: 2
YouGov fame rank: 5
Mashed rank: 1
Seltzer Satisfaction Index Score: 100.00
And for more about the beverage you might need the morning after too many of these, This Is the Most Unpopular Coffee Chain in America.
