It is no secret by now that we are living in unprecedented times. The on-going COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered the fabric of American life. Among other institutions, restaurants and bars have been hit particularly hard due to safety restrictions limiting group sizes.

As we slowly inch back toward some semblance of normal life, questions remain about what dining will look like in the next few months and years. During the last six months of medical masks and stay-at-home orders, hard seltzer has continued its push toward drinks domination.

Sales continue to rise, and new brands continue to hit the market in spite of — or partially because of — the additional challenges and considerations brought on by lockdowns and quarantines. How will bars and restaurants reconcile new consumer preferences that have evolved while we’ve been trying to stay safe at home? Will we see more on premise sites offering hard seltzer on draft in place of the skinny cans to which we’ve grown accustomed?

Danelle Kosmal, VP of beverage alcohol practice at Nielsen, shared some of the trends the market research firm has been seeing . “[Our] on premise team has been talking to consumers and have shared that hard seltzer drinkers are more likely to go back to bars and restaurants once they do open,” said Kosmal.

However, hard seltzer consumers are still concerned with safety, and although they are itching to get back to restaurants and bars – and maybe even a new seltzery if they’re lucky –  they want to do so as responsibly and cautiously as possible.

“Consistently drinkers have been telling [Nielsen] that of course primary concerns are around health and safety when they do go back to bars and restaurants, and cans actually can play a role in that because there can be this perception with draft and the glassware (that) there are more sanitation issues,” Ms. Kosmal shared. “And so cans in just very simple ways in terms of safety can play a role at least right now until we get back to the new normal. “

Even though craft breweries and distilleries are releasing more seltzer options on tap, it may be some time before this format really takes off. Prepackaged bottles and cans seem to some like the more sanitary option. Since packages are single use, one needn’t wonder whether their glass was washed thoroughly enough between customers.

Many offices are also banning open glasses of water or other beverages in order to minimize germ spread. When drinking out of a bottle or can, your beverage is less exposed to the elements, potentially lowering your risk of picking up germs.

While these may seem like trivial precautions, consumer sentiment indicates many doubts about the novel coronavirus. In order to continue enjoying – and supporting – bars and restaurants as much as possible, some may opt for a can of hard seltzer, with all its marketing glory.

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