Alcohol brands today are trying to attract health-conscious consumers by offering low-calorie products and natural flavors. The premium seltzer Nauti Seltzer has been a rising trend. Wachusett Brewing Company launched the seltzer last spring as a healthier alternative to hard sodas in an effort to diversify its brand in the crowded craft beer market.
Valerie Toothman told Bloomberg that there’s no reason why people wear yoga pants in New York City. It’s not because they are working out. It’s the idea that health and wellbeing is now the new premium.
Truly Sparkling is a new product launched by the Boston Beer Company in April. It contains 100 calories and no artificial sweeteners or flavors. The new brand aims to capitalize on a wave of interest in carbonated water that is replacing soda among health-conscious consumers. (See the spike in sales of La Croix, which has doubled in just two years to reach $255 million, according to Euromonitor).
Brands are scrambling for low-calorie and health-focused alternatives to seltzer. MillerCoors released Zumbida in September, an alcoholic version of the popular aguas fruta that is found all over Mexico. According to Reuters, Smirnoff released a line of vodkas flavored using real fruit juices last winter. Stolichnaya also launched a vodka labeled as gluten-free.
Major companies have even changed their long-term strategy, anticipating the fact that health-forward spirits will not be a passing trend but rather a shift in consumer behavior. Anheuser-Busch InBev forecast this summer that by 2025, low- or non-alcohol beer would account for 20% of their sales.
