When life gives you lemons… it’s time to get excited that new lemonade hard seltzers are about to hit store shelves. In fact, we are just days away from one of the most anticipated spiked and sparkling releases of 2021: Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer.

Mark Anthony Brands, makers of the immensely popular White Claw Hard Seltzer, is set to release the new lemonade seltzer via its first ready-to-drink (RTD) disruptor, first introduced to US consumers in 1999.

Today Hard Seltzer News got its first look at the anticipated new drink, which we initially reported on in October. The hard lemonade seltzer will initially be available in four flavors: Mango, Pineapple, Strawberry, and classic Lemon. Each can contains a fairly standard 100 calories and five percent ABV.

Rise of the Lemons

Interestingly enough, a new trend seems to be popping up among boozy lemonade; Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer will come in a sleek, black skinny can. The newly announced Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade from Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD) comes in a similar slim black aesthetic, as does last spring’s citrusy hit, Truly Hard Seltzer Lemonade.

The variety 12-pack was a huge hit for the Boston Beer (NYSE: SAM) owned Truly in 2020. “Truly Lemonade was the most successful incremental innovation of the year,” the company recently boasted via press release, and in less than a year captured a nearly 10 percent share of the entire category.

Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer and Bud Light’s new expansion are sure to be two major additions to the sub-category, likely to give Truly’s Lemonade variety pack a run for its bubbly money. In spite of their similar style, Bud Light’s version comes in a few different flavors: Black Cherry and Peach join Strawberry and original Lemon.

Mike’s Hard Makes International Waves with Seltzer

The new incarnation of Mike’s Hard looks more like these new lines of spiked and sparkling lemonades than its British cousin, the more traditionally packaged Mike’s Hard Seltzer. The UK version of Mike’s Seltzer was released in October of 2019, by none other than ZX Ventures, AB InBev’s global arm.

 

In Britain, consumers can enjoy Mike’s Hard Seltzer (sans lemonade) in Black Cherry, Lemon, or Lime.

The alcoholic sparkling water more closely resembles a Bud Light Seltzer than a Mike’s Hard Lemonade, but it has been a hit with consumers so far.

“Since our initial launch last year we’ve seen tremendous growth in the hard seltzer space. As people in the UK actively try to live healthier lives, they are looking for more options in the ready-to-drink space that deliver on taste but remain light and refreshing, relying on natural flavours,” said the brand’s product owner, Ana De La Guardia.

A Brand that’s been Brewing

Last October, HSN learned that Mark Anthony Brands planned to release Mike’s Hard Lemonade Seltzer in five months time, which would place the release sometime in March. The news was confirmed by both Mark Anthony Brands’ president, Phil Rosse, and Mike’s Hard Lemonade’s Chief Marketing Officer, John Shea, via a message to Hard Seltzer News.

At the time, the company had just officially applied for two trademarks regarding Mike’s new bubbly boozy water, including “The full flavor lemonade seltzer,” and “Nobody makes lemonade like Mike’s.”

While there are several new hard lemonade seltzers about to hit the market, we are indeed excited to see if the branding lives up to reality. Given the original Mike’s massive success in the early RTD market – and White Claw’s place as the gold standard of hard seltzer – we are excited to see how Mike’s does seltzer.

Erin Grafton
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