It’s no secret that the hard seltzer brand list is exploding right now. Everyone wants to get in on the bubbly action, from soft drink companies to hard liquor distillers. Smirnoff and Jose Cuervo have both released their own versions of the increasingly popular spiked and sparkling drinks. French company Pernod Ricard may be the next spirits company to follow into the hard seltzer space through their Smithworks vodka brand. 

Pernod Ricard applied for a trademark for “Smithworks American Brewed” hard seltzer, a spin on its “Smithworks American Made,” the vodka co-owned by The Voice’s resident country star, Blake Shelton. 

Perhaps trying to capitalize on the recent popularity of Texas-made craft vodkas, Smithworks vodka boasts water from Lake Fort Smith and corn from Kansas, Missouri, and Shelton’s home state of Oklahoma. Embracing its Great Plains roots, Smithworks bills itself as “the spirit of the heartland.” 

If Smithworks vodka is any indication, the hard seltzer is sure to be a craft concoction. “I grew up in Ada, Oklahoma and was raised on the values of hard work, humility and an appreciation for the simple things that make up a good life” Shelton said at the time of the vodka’s debut. “As part of the Smithworks family, I’ve been involved in the development of the brand and I’m excited for everyone to finally taste what we’ve been crafting. At its core, Smithworks celebrates that moments in life are better spent with good people and great drinks.”

In Vodka as well as hard seltzer, water quality matters. Both are composed primarily of water, so the purity and filtering process are critical. As Shelton’s own favorite cocktail is a vodka paired with diet lemon lime soda, hard seltzer seems like a natural extension of the line. 

In addition to the big names like Smirnoff, we’ve seen a huge trend among craft distillers moving into the hard seltzer space. Michigan’s own New Holland brewery launched a seltzer made with its own Lake Life Vodka. This move is seen as a necessity for many beer brewers as consumers are fleeing beer in favor of lighter, better-for-you options, such as low carb and low sugar hard seltzer. 

Joining Lake Life Hard Seltzer in the ready-to-drink (RTD) vodka market is the Heart Distillery’s Colorado Spiked Seltzer. Made with Heart’s own vodka – brewed Rocky Mountain water from the Cache La Poudre River – Colorado Hard Seltzer is marketed as an organic canned cocktail, and it makes a great mixer. 

For distillers, expanding the portfolio into hard seltzer is typically seen as more of an advertising move than one of survival. By capitalizing on the hard seltzer trend, many distilleries are trying to expand their market by introducing new consumers to their spirits. In other words, through the introduction of a (RTD) cocktail or hard seltzer, Smithworks could be looking to introduce potential new customers to its vodka. 

Whether Smithworks is trying to introduce more customers to its vodka, or Blake just wants to make an RTD cocktail for longtime girlfriend Gwen Stefani, we’re excited to see their take on hard seltzer.

Erin Grafton
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