What Is The Alcohol In Seltzer?

What kind of alcohol is in a seltzer?

All About the Base – The basic definition of a hard seltzer is seltzer water with alcohol. Where the alcohol comes from depends on the alcohol base you choose to work with. Many hard seltzers have a base of fermented cane sugar with added flavors, but seltzers can also be made with malted barley, grain neutral spirits, or wine.

While the end result is a hard seltzer, the path you choose dictates a lot more than most people realize. One way to make a hard seltzer is to use a neutral malt base (NMB), Neutral malt base is an alcoholic base derived from malt that has been stripped of all its malt characteristics such as flavor, color, and aroma through carbon filtration, reverse osmosis, or another method.

A brewer creates a wort and then ferments it in a similar manner to beer. From there, you can add flavors and carbonation to make a hard seltzer like Press or Henry’s Hard Sparkling Water. A sugar brew base is made from “cold-brewed sugar” or “fermented cane sugar” from cane, beet, or corn.

• Non-malt sugars produce different flavors and textures than malt sugars that come from malts or malt extracts.
• Sugar brew tends to be more neutral in flavor when compared to malt base due to flavor contributions from the boiling process necessary to produce malt base.
• In addition, sugar, unlike malt which inherently has some color, is colorless.

This makes sugar-brews the perfect canvas for formulation. Products such as this, or those that are made from substitutes for malt and/or without hops are referred to as Internal Revenue Code Beers (IRC Beers). Grain neutral spirits (GNS) are distilled from a fermented mash of grain at or above 95% alcohol by volume (190 proof).

Distillation is when a liquid is heated to create a vapor and then condensed back into a liquid again. The result is removing diluting components, which increases the proportion of alcohol content (measured as percent alcohol by volume (ABV)). Produced from grains such as corn, wheat, rye, or barley, GNS is called “neutral” because it is tasteless and odorless.

Wine is made from fermented grapes or other fruits. Other Than Standard (OTS) wine is typically wine made from orange peels or grape skins that have been filtered and treated for a neutral taste profile. Some examples of OTS wines include high fermentation wine, and heavy-bodied blending wine.

What alcohol is in White Claw seltzer?

What are White Claw Hard Seltzers? – White Claw is arguably somewhat of a pioneer of the hard seltzer industry, being one of the first brands to establish itself as a household name in the U.S and beyond. Since launching in America in 2016, White Claw has experienced an absolutely staggering amount of growth – it has the largest market share of any hard seltzer brand, and saw a 246.7% increase in sales from 2019 to 2020 in the U.S alone! These days, you can find White Claw in the U.K, Canada, Ireland and Australia.

White Claw is owned by Mark Anthony Brands International, which is also responsible for producing other innovative alcoholic drinks such as Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Cayman Jack and MXD Cocktails. Production and distribution sites tasked with keeping up with the growing demand for White Claw can be found in Glendale, Arizona, New Jersey and Columbia.

But do White Claw Hard Seltzers live up to the hype? We think they absolutely do! They have a light, crisp and clean taste, providing a guaranteed hit of refreshing fruitiness, no matter what flavour you choose. There is also no unpleasant aftertaste that sometimes accompanies similar types of drinks.

Why is it called seltzer?

The name seltzer comes from the German town of Selters which was famous for its naturally effervescent mineral springs. Plain seltzer is also often confused with sparkling mineral water, which is made of natural spring water that contains minerals like calcium, magnesium, and sodium as well.

Is a White Claw just vodka and seltzer?

What’s Really Behind White Claw’s New Vodka? A Canned Cocktail Play White Claw, the popular brand, has officially entered the space. In March 2023, the Mark Anthony Group of Companies, which owns White Claw, announced a vodka line that includes a “premium” variety and a trio of fruited versions.

• Playing into its waved logo, is “Triple Wave Filtered—named for the use of immense pressure equal to three 30-foot waves—which has the same smoothing effect on vodka that ocean waves have on stones and shells,” reads a press release.
• And it is filtered through activated carbon from charred coconut shells.

Each bottle of White Claw Premium Vodka is carefully bottled in and embossed with the White Claw logo.” This month, the producer also announced the arrival of, a “new 100-calorie canned cocktail made with the same White Claw Premium Vodka, because better vodka makes for a better vodka + soda.

• Varieties include White Claw Vodka + Soda Pineapple, Peach, Wild Cherry, and Watermelon.” How did we get here, and what’s behind the move? To understand the hard seltzer-to-vodka-to-canned-cocktail pipeline, one must first understand the current hard seltzer landscape.
• Consider summertime at the Jersey Shore, a remarkable place to gain insights into the drinking habits of consumers.

Up and down the strips of sand, swimmers and ocean worshippers flagrantly disregard the law and crack open bottles and cans of their preferred adult beverage to add relaxation to their relaxation. Back in the days when smoking wasn’t frowned upon, it was common to see silver bullets of Coors or shiny blue cans of Bud Light.

Then a shift occurred a few years ago when in 2016,, the hard seltzer produced by Boston Beer, the maker of Samuel Adams, began popping up. Easy drinking, tinted with fruit flavors and 5% ABV, hard seltzers came onto the scene like a wrecking ball. Viewed as a “better for you” alternative thanks to its clear and fizzy nature, a disrupter category was born.

By the next summer,, complete with its memes and lifestyle, was dotting the shore. Both Truly and White Claw, the latter of which is now the best-selling hard seltzer, fall into the Flavored Malt Beverage (FMB) category, meaning its alcohol content is derived from fermenting sugar or grain, not from a neutral spirit like vodka.

From the start it seems that the clear spirit and hard seltzer were destined for each other, as many drinkers would add a shot (or two) of that booze into their seltzer for a higher kick. Soon enough, which began life as a vodka brand, was turned into a juiced hard seltzer and boomed in popularity. Now, the trend would appear to be getting rid of the water and bubbles altogether and just going for the vodka.

This is space with which Truly is already familiar. “We released Truly Flavored Vodka in March 2022 with three varieties inspired by popular Truly styles: Strawberry Lemonade, Wild Berry, and Pineapple Mango,” wrote company spokeswoman Brittany Zahoruiko in an email.

1. This premium, triple-distilled vodka is produced and distributed in partnership with the world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory.” was also released last year.
2. White Claw, in calling its new vodka soda offering a canned cocktail, appears to be taking aim at the ready-to-drink (RTD) category, which is surging in popularity.

Recent sales data from Evercore ISI in early March revealed that “traditional” hard seltzers sales were down 16.9% in 2023 compared to 2022. Meanwhile, selected other RTDs were up 33.5% in the same period. Why? Pre-mixed and canned rum and cola, margaritas, bay breezes and more are offering up familiar flavors, from known producers and at alcohol-by-volume contents that are consistent with what would be served at a bar.

What are seltzers made of?

What Is Hard Seltzer? – By definition, the only requirement for a beverage to be a hard seltzer is that it contains seltzer water and alcohol. However, specialty brewing markets have popped up to develop the most popular brands and forms of hard seltzer you find in stores. With seltzer water being an essential hard seltzer ingredient, it’s helpful to understand what the various forms of sparkling water are and how they are developed.

• Sparkling/Carbonated Water: These are generic terms used to describe any bubbling water.
• Seltzer: Seltzer is artificially carbonated, plain water made by dissolving carbon dioxide. This process raises the pH balance.
• Club Soda: Like seltzer, club soda is an artificially carbonated water made by dissolving carbon dioxide. Club soda also contains potassium and/or sodium salts to combat the carbon dioxide’s acidic taste.
• Soda Water: Commonly used to describe the water that comes from a bar’s soda gun, soda water rarely contains added salts. However, soda water can be used to describe both club soda and seltzer water.
• Sparkling Mineral Water: Sparkling mineral water comes from natural springs filled with sulfur and minerals which organically carbonate it. Sparkling mineral water has both the most distinctive taste and the highest cost of all the sparkling waters, making it an undesirable choice for crafting housemade hard seltzer beverages.

Is White Claw seltzer a beer?

Is White Claw Beer or Hard Seltzer? – White Claw is a hard seltzer, not a beer. According to the brand representative, White Claw hard seltzer can be considered a flavored malt beverage. The alcohol specifically found in each can is made from (malted) gluten-free grains (so really, hard seltzers are just fancy vodka soda).

That said, you wouldn’t be completely wrong to assume that White Claw is a type of beer since this beverage is made from malted barley, a type of grain. However, it’s not as simple as that. According to the German Purity Law of 1516, beer can only be classified as beer if made with these four ingredients: malt, water, hops, and yeast.

We can assume that this alcoholic beverage has three of the four ingredients down pat. However, their website’s FAQs specifically state that their hard seltzers do not contain hops, so White Claw cannot be classified as beer. Find out what type of beer Budweiser is here,

Which seltzer has real vodka?

Dive Insight: – Few brands are as synonymous with hard seltzer as White Claw. But the category has struggled recently as consumers have become overwhelmed by a plethora of choices on store shelves, and increased demand for other popular drinks, such as ready-to-drink cocktails, has grabbed a larger share of the consumer’s pocketbook.

• Even though hard seltzer remains a strong category, booze makers such as White Claw that depend heavily on the beverage are cognizant of the fact that the once torrid growth is unlikely to return and it would be wise to diversify into other alcohol categories as consumer tastes continue to change.
• To be sure, ready-to-drink cocktails have attracted a bevy of other CPG beverage makers, including Coca-Cola and Vita Coco, that promise to offer fierce competition.

White Claw’s vodka will also be going up against market leader Tito’s Handmade Vodka and other popular brands in the category, including Diageo’s Smirnoff. In an effort to stand out, White Claw said its vodka is Triple Wave Filtered — named for the use of immense pressure equal to three 30-foot waves — which it claims has the same smoothing effect on vodka that ocean waves have on stones and shells.

“We disrupted the industry, creating an entirely new taste in the Hard Seltzer category with White Claw by bringing new thinking, technology breakthroughs, and our unmatched iconic flavors to market,” said Anthony von Mandl, founder and CEO of The Mark Anthony Group of Companies. “The same innovative spirit and technological know-how inspired the creation of our premium vodka—we believe the vodka category is ready for its White Claw moment.” A catalyst for the new spirit came in 2020 when regulators changed the rules for vodka, White Claw said.

Before then, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Board required the spirit to be “without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color.” White Claw is not the first major alcohol brand to bring a popular hard seltzer product into vodka. Last October, Boston Beer launched Truly Vodka Seltzer, made with six-times-distilled premium vodka and real fruit juice.

What is different about seltzer alcohol?

Beer has been around for thousands of years, but it wasn’t until 1993 that the first hard seltzer was introduced. Hard seltzer sits somewhere in the middle between beer and traditional cocktails, and while it wasn’t too well-received originally, hard seltzers have skyrocketed in popularity over the past several years since the pandemic.

1. These two alcoholic beverages are similar in their creation, but there are many differences between the two.
2. The true difference between the two beverages comes down to what is being fermented.
3. Both beer and hard seltzer are brewed and fermented from a sugar source that when paired with yeast creates alcohol.

This process means hard seltzer somewhat surprisingly falls into the beer category as a “flavored malt beverage,” rather than into a pre-mix category. However, hard seltzer is made from fermenting cane sugar or sugar with water, whereas beer uses malted grains as the primary source of sugar.

Beer begins with malted grains like barley or wheat, which are mashed into hot water to extract the sugars resulting in a substance known as wort. Afterward, this liquid is boiled, hops are usually added, and then cooled. Finally, brewers transfer the brew to fermentation tanks and add yeast. The seltzer brewing process starts with fermenting pure sugar sources such as cane sugar, agave syrup, glucose, liquid invert sugar or honey in water.

The high-quality and viable strains of yeasts are used to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Next, the fermented alcohol is filtered thoroughly to get a colorless, odorless and flavorless alcohol base which acts like a blank canvas for the addition of natural or artificial flavoring agents.

Afterward, this liquid goes through a carbonation process. With beer, there are aromatic notes of herbs, spices and tropical fruits from hops paired with malty, toasty and sweet aroma from malts. The type and quantity of malts, hops and yeasts are responsible for the overall flavor profile of a beer, which can range from sweet, balanced, malty and hoppy to clean and crisp.

Hard seltzer typically tastes like sparkling soda with subtle alcoholic content and a fruity flavor. One of the main selling points for hard seltzer is the low-carbohydrate and low-calorie profile of about 100 calories per can, whereas most beers is 150 calories or more.

Can White Claw get you drunk?

Can you get drunk off 2 White Claws? – While White Claws may seem like an innocent, refreshing beverage choice with its sweet flavor profile and low ABV of 5%, a beginner drinker can easily become intoxicated after consuming two to three cans. While it’s possible for your drinking capacity to increase over time – if you choose to do so – be mindful not to overestimate the amount of beverages needed before feeling effects.

Is White Claw alcohol healthy?

Are White Claws and Other Hard Seltzers Actually Healthy? – While having fewer calories and sugar than other alcoholic beverages, White Claw and other Hard Seltzers may not necessarily have any appreciable health advantages. Hard Seltzers’ lower calorie and sugar content, which can aid people in lowering their overall calorie and sugar intake, is what primarily helps people’s health.

1. After strenuous exertion, some Hard Seltzers may also contain extra vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes that can help replace the body’s fluids and nutrition.
2. It’s crucial to remember that Hard Seltzers cannot replace water or other hydrating drinks and shouldn’t be used as a sole source of hydration.

Also, it’s crucial to keep in mind that consuming any alcoholic beverage in excess can have harmful health consequences, including dehydration, liver damage, and a higher risk of developing certain cancers, among other health issues. As a result, it’s crucial to drink Hard Seltzers and other alcoholic beverages sparingly.

What is different about seltzer alcohol?

Beer has been around for thousands of years, but it wasn’t until 1993 that the first hard seltzer was introduced. Hard seltzer sits somewhere in the middle between beer and traditional cocktails, and while it wasn’t too well-received originally, hard seltzers have skyrocketed in popularity over the past several years since the pandemic.

These two alcoholic beverages are similar in their creation, but there are many differences between the two. The true difference between the two beverages comes down to what is being fermented. Both beer and hard seltzer are brewed and fermented from a sugar source that when paired with yeast creates alcohol.

This process means hard seltzer somewhat surprisingly falls into the beer category as a “flavored malt beverage,” rather than into a pre-mix category. However, hard seltzer is made from fermenting cane sugar or sugar with water, whereas beer uses malted grains as the primary source of sugar.

• Beer begins with malted grains like barley or wheat, which are mashed into hot water to extract the sugars resulting in a substance known as wort.
• Afterward, this liquid is boiled, hops are usually added, and then cooled.
• Finally, brewers transfer the brew to fermentation tanks and add yeast.
• The seltzer brewing process starts with fermenting pure sugar sources such as cane sugar, agave syrup, glucose, liquid invert sugar or honey in water.

The high-quality and viable strains of yeasts are used to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Next, the fermented alcohol is filtered thoroughly to get a colorless, odorless and flavorless alcohol base which acts like a blank canvas for the addition of natural or artificial flavoring agents.

Afterward, this liquid goes through a carbonation process. With beer, there are aromatic notes of herbs, spices and tropical fruits from hops paired with malty, toasty and sweet aroma from malts. The type and quantity of malts, hops and yeasts are responsible for the overall flavor profile of a beer, which can range from sweet, balanced, malty and hoppy to clean and crisp.

Hard seltzer typically tastes like sparkling soda with subtle alcoholic content and a fruity flavor. One of the main selling points for hard seltzer is the low-carbohydrate and low-calorie profile of about 100 calories per can, whereas most beers is 150 calories or more.

Is seltzer stronger than alcohol?

Beer vs Hard Seltzer – Beer is an alcoholic drink made with grains and hops that has a yeast and bread flavor. Most drunk during sports events, this beverage is a low-alcohol alternative for someone wanting alcohol but not wanting to become drunk. Some countries like Germany have classifications for beer, with their definition describing a drink made with malted barley, yeast, and hops. This beverage is made with carbonated water, leaving the final beverage bubbly, and refreshing. It has a lower alcohol content than most alcoholic beverages and is a healthy option for most drinkers. This is due to the low sugar content and the lower calorie count within the beverage.