3 Nonalcohol Companies Exploring Hard Seltzer

CHICAGO — With sales booming, seemingly everyone wants in on hard seltzers. Even companies that don’t traditionally make alcoholic beverages.

And it’s no secret why.

Hard seltzer sales soared in the past year, taking in more than $1 billion in sales in convenience stores for the 52 weeks ending on July 25, according to Nielsen. That’s a 368% change in dollar sales compared to 2019.

Click through to see which traditionally nonalcohol companies are exploring hard seltzer ...

Monster Beverage Co., Corona, Calif., CEO and Chairman Rodney Sacks said in August the energy-drink company is looking at developing some products in the alcohol space.

“There's been no definitive decision on when to launch, what to launch and under what brand names,” Sacks said. “Obviously, we're getting there. We're quite close, but we haven't gotten to that position, yet.”

Analyst Bonnie Herzog, managing director of Goldman Sachs, New York, said Monster could capture about 7% of the hard seltzer category by fiscal year 2025 if it launches a hard seltzer in early 2021. That would represent nearly $1.4 billion in annual retail sales.

Coca-Cola, Atlanta, announced this summer it will bring Topo Chico Hard Seltzer to the United States in 2021.

The drink is inspired by the company’s Topo Chico sparkling mineral water. And was first launched in this year in Latin America as an experiment.

Molson Coors Beverage Co. will be the exclusive distributor of The Coca-Cola Co.’s Topo Chico Hard Seltzer in the United States.

The hard seltzer will initially be available in 12 packs of slim cans in four flavors: Tangy Lemon Lime, Exotic Pineapple, Strawberry Guava and Tropical Mango.

Known for its flavored fizzy waters, Sparkling Ice, Preston, Wash., launched Sparkling Ice Spiked in August in limited markets. The drink has 4% alcohol, zero sugar, 1 gram of carbs and 80 calories.

It is available in Cherry Lime Cooler, Lemonade Refresher, Ruby Fizz and Strawberry Citrus Smash flavors.