Consumers preferred crisp, refreshing hard seltzers with fruit and botanical flavors during the summer months, says Messina Truttman, VP-sales and marketing, Beck’s Flavors.
“The top two factors that consumers say they pay importance to when buying hard seltzer are flavor and brand, with 46% selecting flavor and 45% brand, Truttman said. “While staple fruit flavors like lemon and lime have been extremely popular across hard seltzers, consumers are now craving more exotic options, so we expect to see a rise in more unique flavors like guava, hibiscus, wildberry or elderflower.
“This trend also made its way into beers, ready-to-drink cocktails and even mocktail varieties. Normally we associate beer flavors with heavier, more indulgent offerings, but with the rise in cider beers and IPA’s, we’ve also seen an influx in more fruity flavor pairings like mango, raspberry, blackberry, or peach. The same trend holds true in RTD cocktails and mocktails as consumers continue to crave those pleasant, refreshing flavor selections in a majority of their beverage choices,” Truttman added.
What’s driving the trend? Truttman cites the pandemic, which has made consumers to crave new experiences. That translates to a more adventuresome flavor profile.
“We’ve found that 63% of consumers find exotic foods and beverages from all over the world appealing, so we are constantly exploring new exotic pairings that work well across a series of applications,” says Adam Berge, applications technologist at Beck Flavors.