#Tequila Seltzers Market Share

[industryforecastnews]

Tequila Seltzers Market Size, Share And Business Outlook Report, 2030

 Tequila Seltzers Market Growth & Trends 

The global tequila seltzers market size is expected to reach USD 6.01 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.9% from 2024 to 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. With the growing demand for healthier alternatives in the beverage industry, tequila seltzers have emerged as a popular choice among health-conscious consumers. These beverages combine the refreshing taste of tequila with the low-calorie, low-sugar nature of seltzer, offering a guilt-free way to enjoy alcohol.

The combination of low calories, low sugar, and convenience has made tequila seltzers increasingly popular among health-conscious consumers. They offer a way to enjoy alcohol without the guilt of consuming excessive calories or sugar. This has contributed to their growing popularity in both the U.S. and international markets.

Moreover, innovation in product offerings and packaging solutions has played a crucial role in making tequila seltzers more accessible and convenient for consumers. Some flavored tequilas are infused with natural ingredients and flavors, appealing to health-conscious consumers who prefer beverages with perceived health benefits or lower calorie counts compared to traditional sugary mixers. The rise of cocktail culture has driven demand for flavored spirits that can be used to create innovative and exciting drinks. Flavored tequilas provide mixologists and home bartenders with versatile ingredients that can enhance a wide variety of cocktails.

The expansion of offline and online distribution channels is another crucial factor contributing to the growth of the market. The availability of tequila seltzers across various retail formats, from supermarkets and hypermarkets to specialty gourmet stores, has improved consumer accessibility. E-commerce platforms and direct-to-consumer sales models have also made it easier for smaller, niche producers to reach a global customer base, fueling competition and driving innovation within the market.

Request a free sample copy or view report summary: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/tequila-seltzers-market-report

Tequila Seltzers Market Report Highlights

Lime tequila seltzers segment held a share of 31.23% in 2023, owing to its versatility and can be enjoyed in various settings, from casual gatherings and barbecues to beach outings and parties. Their light and crisp nature makes them suitable for a wide range of occasions.

Canned tequila is expected to witness a CAGR of 9.9% during 2024 to 2030. They are ready-to-drink, eliminating the need for mixing or measuring ingredients. This makes them ideal for on-the-go consumption, social gatherings, and outdoor activities like picnics, barbecues, and beach outings.

The off-trade distribution channel held a share of 71.0% in 2023. Retailers frequently run in-store promotions, discounts, and sampling events to attract customers. These activities provide consumers with the opportunity to try new tequila seltzers and discover new favorites, driving sales and increasing popularity.

North America held a market share of 31.43% in 2023. In the North America, consumer demand for distinctive and flavorful beverages is driving the expansion of the tequila market. To meet this demand and discover novel taste experiences, major manufacturers are introducing innovative flavors.

Tequila Seltzers Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global tequila seltzers market report based on flavor, packaging, distribution channel, and region:

Tequila Seltzers Flavor Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

Lime

Strawberry

Grapefruit

Others

Tequila Seltzers Packaging Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

Bottles

Cans

Tequila Seltzers Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

Off-trade

On-trade

Tequila Seltzers Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Central & South America

Middle East & Africa

List of Key Players in the Tequila Seltzers Market

Anheuser-Busch InBev

Diageo plc

Hard Seltzer Beverage Company, LLC

Cutwater Spirits

Que Onda Beverage, Inc.

Jose Cuervo

Suntory Global Spirits Inc.

Heineken N.V.

Constellation Brands, Inc.

Boozy Bubbles

Browse Full Report: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/tequila-seltzers-market-report

[shreyas-inkwood]

Global Alcoholic RTD Market Entertain New Players for Innovation

Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcoholic beverages (Alcopops) are flavored drinks with relatively low alcohol content. These are premixed alcoholic drinks with various fruit flavors and are mainly spirit-based, malt-based, or wine-based. Changing dynamics of the alcohol market, rising consciousness about its consumption, and innovations led to the introduction of such canned bottles RTD and high strength premixes globally. These low-content alcoholic beverages appeal to the young demographics worldwide, pushing the global alcoholic RTD market.

Since its inception in the 1990s, the alcopops drew brows around the world. The first player that launched product in this segment was Barcadi’s Breezer in 1993, followed by Smirnoff Ice, Two dogs, and others. With the changing lifestyles and consumption habits, and the rising interest in low alcohol content drinks, the market is expected to grow at 4.38% of CAGR from 2021 to 2028.

Top manufacturers such as Bacardi Limited, Anheuser Bursch InBev, Suntory Spirits Ltd have strained the competition with massive investments. However, rising consumption of RTD beverages and the industry’s attractiveness will open opportunistic entrance for new players & the market.

Top Ready-To-Drink Alcoholic Beverages with its Brands:

1. Bud light

The malt-based Bud light drinks manufactured by Anheuser Busch InBev is dominating the market, especially in the United States. With the massive success of Bud light Ritas, the company launched Bud Light Mixxtail in 2015. Numerous variants of Bud Lights are significant attractors of the young female population.

2. Ritas Spritz

Rita spritz, another innovation by multinational brewing company Anheuser Busch InBev, initially launched as Lime-A-Rita explicitly targeted the women population. The canned margaritas come in variants like Grape-A-Rita, Orange-0- Rita, and others.

3. Barcardi

Barcadi’s RTD cocktails dominate the market, launched under various product names like Bacardi Limón, Bacardi Pineapple, Bacardi Tangerine, Bacardi Dragonberry, and others. These RTDs are manufactured by the largest spirits company. Bacardi Limited is consumed mainly by the young generation and women globally.

4. Truly Spiked and Sparkling

The light, low alcohol content Truly spiked & Sparkling manufactured by US-based, The Boston Beer Company comes in variants namely, Colima Lime, Grapefruit & Pomelo and others. The company launched this new hard seltzer range in 2016.

5. Smirnoff Pure of Diageo PLC

The Smirnoff Pure, manufactured by multinational beverage company Diageo PLC, grabbed the RTD market globally. This bubbly drink is its first premix to combine vodka and natural fruit ingredients with no added preservatives and artificial ingredients.

6. Austin Cocktails

The vodka-based Austin cocktails come with a mix of natural ingredients and low alcohol content crafted authentic cocktails. The drinks manufactured by a family-owned company, Austin Company, include Bergamot Orange Margarita, Paradise Found, Cucumber Vodka, and Tea Twister.

7. Jack Daniel’s RTDs

Jack Daniel’s ready-to-drink beverage is manufactured by one of America’s largest spirits companies, The Brown-Forman Corporation. The brand grabs a significant share of America’s market and globally. Jack Daniel’s country cocktails are suitable for various occasions with a blend of whiskey and fruity flavor.

8. Sparkling Margaritas

Jose Cuervo, known as the world’s oldest tequila brand, manufactures the ready-to-drink canned sparkling margaritas. The drink is available in flavors, namely classic lime, strawberry, and Paloma, along with its authentic golden margaritas. The company has an operating presence across the globe and holds a significant share in the global alcoholic beverages market.

All in all,

The dominant players are influencing the market by launch of alluring products & capital. Also, with the growing expansion in emerging economies, innovations in packaging, and the presence of new entrants with crafty products, the global alcoholic RTD market has massive opportunities and prospects.

[johnboothus]

Boston Beer Beam Suntory Partner for Truly Spirits Sauza Canned Cocktail Lines

With consumer preferences evolving, two major players in the drinks business are coming together to satisfy demands with innovative collaborations.

Beam Suntory, known for its wide range of spirits, including iconic Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbons in addition to a host of Japanese, Scotch, and Canadian whisky labels, is entering into a long-term strategic partnership with the Boston Beer Company, a firm with a diverse portfolio of brands, including Truly and Twisted Tea, that began with its Samuel Adams beer.

The agreement will combine the efforts of a premium spirits leader and a brewing pioneer to launch products that bring Suntory’s Sauza tequila brand into the ready-to-drink (RTD) market and bridge Truly Hard Seltzer into the bottled spirits world, according to a Thursday press release.

“We are each tapping opportunities in adjacent categories by unleashing our shared creativity and respective distribution strengths in spaces that resonate with consumers,” remarked Albert Baladi, Beam Suntory president & CEO in the announcement.

Recent trends indicate that RTDs are increasing in popularity, and Beam Suntory has a proven track record in Japan, Australia, and Germany as an industry leader. The new move looks to capitalize on these opportunities by expanding offerings and taking advantage of solid demand for hard seltzer and canned cocktails.

As America’s second-best-selling hard seltzer, Truly will benefit from Beam Suntory’s expansive distribution network and advanced distillation capabilities. Suntory will, in turn, have access to Boston Beer’s expertise in the production and distribution of brewed beverages. (Though Sauza is a tequila brand, the new RTD line will most likely not be spirits-based, according to multiple outlets, including Beer Business Daily.)

The conglomerates are not entirely new to the crossover market, as Beam Suntory entered the bottled cocktail industry with its acquisition of On The Rocks in 2020. Boston Beer has flirted with the spirits category since purchasing Dogfish Head in 2019, via which it recently launched a liquor-based canned cocktail line.

While the partnership will surely draw attention from across the globe, it will be months before any products hit shelves, with an expected U.S. launch date scheduled for mid-2022.

The article Boston Beer, Beam Suntory Partner for Truly Spirits, Sauza Canned Cocktail Lines appeared first on VinePair.

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[drinkerrs789]

Hard Seltzer Delivery To Your Home

Hard seltzer is made with cane sugar and malted rice with soda water also added water and stir to dissolved sugar. Added flavorings and little fruit juice but not added any nutrition. Then check this solution strength and adjust the pre-boil gravity. Then it has to continue to heat this alcohol until the solution is boiling and it boil for 20 minutes. In the U.S., liquor stores, this type of alcohol is usually made by fermenting cane sugar, and malted barley can be used. Hard seltzer is currently doing 58% of the growth in the wine and the beer category. In the U.S. the most popular brand using this is a white claw. White claw is made from seltzer water, gluten-free alcohol, and many fruit flavors. Hard seltzer is generating $2.5 billion in sales in the U.S. by 2021. In the U.S. used usually 100 or calories, malt-based beverages such as truly also liquor store delivery is there. Many people see that it is the most popular beverage alcohol. Most of the spiked seltzers have fewer calories and carbs as compare to beer and other cocktails. Even there is no nutrition label. Every spiked seltzer feels healthier than beer. There are 2 grams of carbs and 100 calories. Also, Hard seltzer brands are launched in numerous countries outside of the U.S. including Canada and the U.K. In the market, the sector, of white claw and truly brands are 80% of the share sector during the summer season. Hard seltzer is also making at home; it is very easy.

Ingredients

: Need a piece of all necessary equipment, and required ingredients, then make step-by-step instructions. In another way to make this type of alcoholic seltzer, take a clear spirit, such as vodka, and then mix water 4.5-6% ABV range, where most of the commercial seltzer falls. You should be careful with mixed drinks, as they often pack sugar from soda or fruit juice.

Benefits

: Drinkers drinking hard seltzer there are many long-term health effects, including heart disease, digestive problems, high blood sugar, cancer, and more. Spiked seltzer doesn’t necessarily too healthier than beer. The carbonated beverage has been linked with diabetes and kidney stones, all risk factors for chronic kidney disease. Healthier alcohol red wine is at the top of the list of alcohol. Because it contains antioxidants, can protect cells from damage, which can promote a healthy heart. White wine rose wine contains just smaller quantities. Liquor stores serve seltzer as a refreshing replacement for soda and other sugary drinks that raise the risk of conditions type 2 diabetes. In the market, the good product profile is the hard seltzer, and it is more attractive. Also, the best tequila seltzer, best hard seltzer with vodka, best pineapple hard seltzer, best grapefruit hard seltzer is popular in the market. Hard seltzer and hard alcohol all are keto-friendly. It is effectively sparkling water plus alcohol. Its water plus table sugar and corn sugar fermented by the yeast and then packaged and carbonated. In way beer and hard seltzer are the same in many ways, both are fermented sweet liquid or sugar source will turn into alcohol. You can also order alcohol online delivery for the nearest market and enjoying the moment. The acidity is the most important in the wine drinkers who drink the wine because it is one of the most important aspects of the balanced wine and helps the aging. Similar to the hard seltzer and rum is also be good drinking for the drinkers. It’s clear, America has a golden child as liquor, beer, and wine including hard seltzer and rum. It has a favorite beverage.

Rum

Rums are produced in American countries, but also producing the other sugar-producing countries, that is India.

Ingredients

: It is a type of liquor that is made by fermenting then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. It is clear liquor that usually aged in barrels. In liquor stores, rum is made for the distilled sugar cane juice which has been fermented to produce alcohol. Then after this cane juice is mixed with water to produce yeast. This yeast will consume the natural sugar in the juice and then it converts to alcohol. Rums produce in various grades. Rum is consumed in mixed drinks, with light rums preferred as a cocktail. While light rum is used in cocktails, cooking, flavoring in dessert sauces and other dishes also used in flavor tobacco and mixed with juices contain a high amount of carbohydrates. In many liquor stores the winemakers, rum has served as a popular medium of economic exchange. If the drinkers can add tonic water with rum that creates a refreshing drink for drinking, also can add lime juice and sugar then rum has to spicy things a bit, and if they add ginger ale then rum has to create a simply delicious drink for drinking. Various types of rum for drinking such as:

Dark rums

: This type of rum is made from caramelized sugar or molasses. It is brown, black or red. Many liquor stores add the strongest flavor than either light or gold rums, spices can be produced with strong molasses, commonly used in cooking.

Flavored rum

: This type of rum is infused with flavors of different fruits, such as mango, orange, coconut, banana. Liquor stores added various chemicals to the alcohol to simulate the taste of food and served drinks to drinkers often drunk with ice.

Light rums

: This rum is filtered after aging to remove color. It is silver or white color of rums. This is popular rum mixed with drinks that oppose drinkers drinking them straight.

Benefits

: Drinkers who drink rum can give a healthy and strong heart. Also, it helps to decreases cholesterol levels in the body. It is also a good drink for peripheral artery disease prevention and is a blood thinner, which can help to artery blockages, prevent heart attack and heart disease. Spirits that are gin, vodka, whiskey, and rum are highly distilled. If the drinkers drink rum every day then the immediate effect on the drinkers body that increase the risk of harmful health condition like high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. The safe limit for drink rum is alcohol consumption to be 21 units per bit for men and 14 units for women so at least two alcohol-free days a week. In the market most commonly rum types are available in liquor stores nearby. In the liquor store, Margarita mixed often has the double amount of calories as the rum or tequila used in the drink. Rum is the best tiki-style cocktails. If drinkers drink the best rum type of alcohol, then online alcohol delivery is also available.

[heykav]

Hornitos Tequila Seltzer Is the Newest RTD Cocktail Brand

Hornitos Tequila Seltzer Is the Newest RTD Cocktail Brand

If 2019 was the summer of hard seltzers, 2021 is shaping up to be the summer of ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails. Don’t miss The Business of Marketing, a new series featuring leading c-suite executives sharing insights on the importance of leveraging the intersectionality of marketing, finance, technology, HR and the boardroom to drive business growth. Tune in. Source link

[delfinamaggiousa]

The 30 Best Tequilas for Every Budget (2020)

Cinco de Mayo may come around once a year, but every day is a tequila celebration if you live in the United States, as the category is showing juggernaut growth.

In 2018, the agave distillate led our spirits category in both volume and value growth, according to Nielsen, while last year, the IWSR reported that America had retained its crown as the world’s top market for tequila imports. Though our current landscape already looks much different than recent history, early sales data suggests tequila is among a handful of spirits that have enjoyed a 75 percent sales spike at retail during the Covid-19 pandemic.

For those looking to stock up on booze now — or ever — tequila offers a broad range of options. There’s vegetal-accented blancos, lightly aged reposados, and luscious, complex añejos. Great examples of each can be found for $40 or less, while splurge-worthy, special-occasion bottles exist in abundance.

VinePair tasted more than 60 tequila brands to curate our best-of-the-best list, at every price point. Whether your budget is $25, $50, $100, or more, these are 30 of the best tequilas on the market today.

Under $25

Camarena Reposado

This affordable reposado pours a pale wheat color, with sweet aromas of agave syrup, vanilla, and brown sugar. It hits the palate with silky, medium-bodied richness, and finishes with a pleasant spice. Average price: $19.

Arette Blanco

The vegetal bite of this tequila’s aromas immediately capture one’s attention, followed by fresh flowers and grapefruit peel. The palate dials down the intensity, with soft vanilla sweetness and just a touch of spice. Average price: $22.

Espolòn Reposado

Pouring a striking pale gold, this tequila offers a baker’s delight on the nose, with sweet aromas that range from vanilla cookie dough to agave syrup. The palate is full-bodied, velvet- smooth, and seasoned with a crack of black pepper. Average price: $23.

Elvelo Blanco

A roller-coaster in a glass, this blanco tequila has a pungent nose, textured with earthy, dried fruit notes. The palate is similarly concentrated, but much more savory in character. Its higher proof (44.5 percent ABV) and intense flavors make this a truly memorable tequila. Average price: $23.

Milagro Silver

This easy-going tequila offers an attractive mix of floral, spicy, and fruity aromas. The palate is nicely balanced and well rounded, providing a cocktail-friendly blanco that can also be enjoyed neat. Average price: $24.

Under $50

Corralejo Reposado

A wonderful pink-gold hue makes this reposado inviting from the get-go. The nose is fruity with a spicy kick that evokes grappa. The palate continues on a similar path, adding green vegetal notes to the mix. Enjoy with seltzer and lime in a refreshing Highball or mixed with grapefruit soda for a characterful Paloma. Average price: $27.

Gran Centenario Plata

Notes of olives, jalapeño, and salty brine define this complex tequila. Its distinct, savory flavor profile promises to add character to cocktails and makes for a particularly interesting Margarita option. At this price, you can enjoy them by the pitcher. Average price: $28

Cabo Wabo Blanco

This “Pre-Clooney” celebrity tequila brand was founded by Sammy Hagar (of Van Halen fame) in the ’90s, but is now completely owned by spirits conglomerate Gruppo Campari. Cabo Wabo’s blanco expression provides the best bang for buck from its lineup, serving vegetal, spiced aromas and a silky smooth palate. Average price: $32.

Elvelo Reposado

Much like the blanco, Elvelo’s reposado comes in hot on the alcohol scale, clocking in at 44.5 percent ABV. While the prior is well suited to cocktails, this could absolutely be enjoyed neat and will appeal to those who drink overproof spirits or enjoy the bite of a rye whiskey. Average price: $35.

Gran Centenario Añejo

Añejos at this price point typically share two things in common: They look artificially colored and taste overwhelmingly sweet. Neither is true of Centenario’s offering. Aged for upwards of 18 months in French Limousin oak barrels (best associated with Cognac production) this tequila’s aromas could well be those of a blanco or reposado. The palate is fiery (read: spice not booze) with a pleasant undertone of oaky sweetness. Average price: $36.

Casa Noble Crystal Blanco

Triple-distilled for a “smoother-than-glass finish,” according to the brand, this blanco offers black pepper, cranberry, and olive brine on the nose. The palate skews more toward dried fruits, such as prunes, as well as cedar and fresh agave. This is a well-balanced, vegetal option. Average price: $37.

Partida Blanco

Twice-distilled in stainless steel pots, this blanco matches mineral aromas with the pleasant salinity of juicy green olives. There’s a light caramel profile to the palate, making it an approachable option for those who mix their Margaritas on the sweeter side. Average price: $40.

Tanteo Blanco

Tanteo offers a range of infused tequilas from chipotle to habanero to jalapeño. Its unflavored blanco expression doesn’t break that mold (at least in spirit), with a nose that opens like a jar of spicy pickled cactus. The palate is also remarkably vegetal, making this a tequila for true aficionados. Average price: $40.

Santera Blanco

This bottle stands out with a sharp rectangular design and minimalist labeling. The liquor inside has briny, slightly dusty aromas with a faint hint of cloves. That spice continues to lead the palate, but is kept in check by dried fruits and a hint of honey. Try it in a Negroni in place of gin. Average price: $41.

Corralejo Añejo

Pouring a light maple color, this tequila smells like an aged grain spirit, with notes of raisins, oak, figs, and just a hint of spice. The agave character comes out much stronger on the palate, while the flavors from oak aging take a comfortable back seat. This añejo is full of personality and priced so you can experiment in cocktails. Average price: $41.

El Tesoro Blanco

Fermented in open wooden vats using ambient yeast, this blanco has robust agave character. The nose is floral and spicy, there are  some tart berry notes, and just a hint of olive brine. The palate is incredibly smooth and well balanced, with a generous, full-bodied mouthfeel. Drink neat or on the rocks with a lime wedge. Average price: $46.

Código 1530 Blanco

There’s a wonderful depth to the nose of this tequila, which has layers of floral, spicy, fruity, and vegetal aromas. It’s almost botanical in nature, similar to gin. The palate is intense, with the sharp spice of black pepper softened by some delightful rose petal flavors. It’s pricey, but this is one of the best blancos on the market. Average price: $49.

Under $100

Fortaleza Blanco

A favorite among bar industry professionals and agave aficionados, Fortaleza Blanco delivers from start to finish. Its aromas are spicy and slightly mentholated, with floral notes and underripe stone fruits adding nuance. The palate enters well rounded and full-bodied, before a tingling spice lingers on its lengthy finish. This is another blanco that begs (and deserves) to be sipped neat. Average price: $51.

Partida Añejo

Aged in former whiskey barrels, this añejo pours a dazzling honey gold. Its nose effuses sweet baking spices, starting with vanilla and ending on a distinct licorice note. The palate continues in similar fashion, with salted caramel and brown butter notes adding depth. Average price: $51.

Patrón Reposado

While it’s one of the world’s best-selling tequila brands, Patrón doesn’t sacrifice quality in pursuit of quantity. This reposado shares the pale gold hue of a rich Chardonnay. Its nose is complex and full of citrus, vegetal, spiced aromas. The flavor profile is equally intense, with no hint of artificial sweetness. Average price: $51.

Santera Añejo

If Patron’s reposado looks like Chardonnay, this incredibly light bottling is a Sauvignon Blanc by comparison. There’s barely a hint of oak in its aromas, either, though dried fruits, vanilla, and cedar arrive on the palate. This is a lively añejo that hits all the right notes. Average price: $53.

El Tesoro Añejo

El Tesoro Añejo pours honey gold, with a perfumed nose. White petal aromas lead to sweet but not cloying flavors, followed by dried fruits and a gentle spiced finish. This is nuanced, thought-provoking añejo at its finest. Average price: $54.

Pasote Añejo

Pasote Añejo is light in color and body, and has an easy-drinking quality. Vanilla cupcake and cooked agave aromas lead the nose, followed by caramel flavors and a seasoning of tingling spice. The finish is clean and long- lasting. Average price: $58.

Don Julio 70 Añejo

This añejo tequila spends 18 months in American white oak casks before it’s charcoal-filtered to remove the color. While it looks like a blanco, it has the oaky, butterscotch aromas of an aged tequila and a full-bodied palate with dried apricot and vanilla flavors. This bottle is perfect for sipping neat or adding an extra dimension to (baller) Margaritas. Average price: $61.

Código 1530 Reposado

With an almost-maple hue, this reposado is darker than most on the market. The nose is unmistakably tequila, but also evokes other complex, aged spirits. The palate is remarkably smooth, but also spicy and layered, with an exceedingly lengthy finish. Average price: $69.

Cincoro Reposado

Sweet aromas lead the nose of this rich golden reposado, with vanilla and baking spices followed by vegetal, dried pineapple leaves. The palate is velvety and once again has a sweet core, which is textured by spice and the faintest smoky note. Sip this on special occasions. Average price: $90.

Patrón Estate Release Blanco

If you’re going to spend close to $100 on a blanco tequila, you’ll no-doubt expect a truly special bottle. This limited-edition release is made exclusively from agave grown on the grounds of the Patrón estate. And it’s more than just a marketing gimmick. This blanco’s aromas are intense and concentrated, with a nose that starts off spicy before perfumed floral notes enter the fray. The palate is perfectly balanced but not without complex character. Average price: $93.

Splurge (Over $100)

Cincoro Añejo

This pricey añejo is one for those who drink expensive brown spirits but have yet to find their preferred agave distillate. It shares the color of a light bourbon and many of the same aromas, from dried fruits to baking spices and oak. The palate is rich and raisined and introduces a hint of cooked agave. The price tag says it’s a sipper, but the flavor profile screams “mix me in an Old Fashioned.” Average price: $126.

Código 1530 Origen Extra Añejo

By law, extra añejo must age for a minimum of three years before release. This tequila doubles down on that, spending six years in French Oak barrels that previously housed Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. That combination imparts complex character, but also gives its range of flavors and aromas plenty of time to come together in one luxurious, harmonious pour. This is another great option for those who typically enjoy expensive whisk(e)y or Cognac. Average price: $298.

Don Julio Real

Let’s not kid ourselves, $375 is a lot of money to spend on any spirit, but this one-of-a-kind bottle does make it somewhat of a collector’s item. The liquid inside is equally precious. While not aged as long as the Origen (three to five years in American oak, in this case), this extra añejo is similarly layered and nuanced and has a beautifully perfumed nose. For many of us, the best chance to try this will be a pricey pour from a local agave-centric bar. Given the bottle, it shouldn’t be hard to spot on the top shelf. Average price: $375.

The article The 30 Best Tequilas for Every Budget (2020) appeared first on VinePair.

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[overthinkersguidetotheunive-blog]

life is a verb/50 lessons learned

1. Life is not a gift we simply receive. It is like a bicycle. We must learn to ride it and enjoy collecting miles or else it will simply lay abandoned collecting dust.

2. Mirrors are our worst enemies. We cannot ever see past our appearances, while our essence is what we must truly see. Close your eyes and turn inward. See whats inside not outside first. Then you never need a mirror. You look fabulous anyways.

3. Drink water. You’ll feel better. Eat enough. Starving and leaving yourself hungry is not natural. Weight loss or a pair of jeans does not define you. How you take care of yourself does. Teach people how to treat you by first treating yourself with the same kindness you seek.

4. Self care is not selfish, it is necessary. Selflessness is not possible if you cannot even go the extra mile for you. Do the face mask, take the nap, eat the cookie, see that counselor, check in with your doctor, call home. 

5. Do not love someone so much that they have control over your emotions and state of mind. Do not let them do the same with you either. Love is honest. Love is protecting truth and reality in order to benefit each others individual futures before dreaming of your own together. Do not ever become a runaway train with love. Friends either. 

6. Speak up if something does not feel right. Your intuition is usually right. 

7. Truth hurts sometimes. Take a deep breath. Get a cup of coffee. Go on a walk. Let the sting fade and then approach the situation with a clear head. You will hurt more people if you explode outwards immediately. Soak it in even though it burns. 

8. Always think of the other side of the fence. You are not always right. You do have to hear other people. Your perception is one of many. 

9. Do not let nervousness or anxiety talk you out of a situation. Sometimes it pays you to go dancing with your friends or to go out of your comfort zone even though its scary. Have fun. It is not a sin. 

10. Masks are for Halloween parties, not emotions. Admit when you are feeling down. People who love you will support you. Not everyone is at their 100 percent all the time. Its real and human to feel off.

11. If you really love someone, it does not go away overnight. Heali after a heartbreak in ways that are best for you and go at your own pace. If that means going on a date in a week or focusing on yourself for awhile - so be it! No one writes a timetable for you but YOU!

12. Moms like when you tell them they have been good moms. Dads like when you do for them it too. 

13. Cry. Alone, in the public, in the movies, when songs come on. Happy tears. Sad tears. Emotional tears. If they want to come say hello- let them. 

14. People change. Do not hold them to their past standards in the present. Grow up together, not against. 

15. Teachers define what students believe of themselves. Do not give up on them even if they SEEM like they are disinterested. They do not have to like English or Math to benefit from an older and wiser role model believing in their success. AP students are not the only ones capable of great things. 

16. You do not have to do what every other 20 something does for fun to enjoy your life. Seltzer water at the bar doesn't mean you can't dance like a fool and sing Nirvana covers like a superfan. Friday nights can mean early bedtime and you're still doing your 20s right. Same if you took that tequila shot and kissed that stranger. To each their own, but to all a good life.

17. Bridges freeze before roads. Certain washer fluid freezes. You always need snow tools in your car. Let your parents yell that at you repeatedly when you move up North, because something will happen that first snowy drive.

18. Being strong does not mean you are always doing NPC competitions. Being fit does not mean you're a size two. Your fitness goals are not other peoples’. You VS you is the only worthwhile competition. But fitness cures all doubts about your limits. 

19. Love is scary. Infatuation is short lived. Love will hit you in the overlooked moments while other interests rests in cliches and whats easy. Abandon infatuation and cling to what seems real.

20. If you break up with someone that does not mean you have to hate them or be mean or be strangers. People are friends with their exes. It is perfectly fine. 

21. Great first dates don't always make great second ones. Live in the moment. Take them piece by piece. Don't hear wedding bells because they treated you with respect. 

22. Salem, MA is amazing, but learn the history too. Do not just go for the Halloween stigma. 

23. Stay true to yourself even if that means being alone for awhile. You do not need an audience to guide you for everything. 

24. You never know when the last time together is the last time. Do not take people or moments for granted. 

25. Don’t let a kiss fool you or a fool kiss you. Do not let false flattery in your life. People who truly love and respect you will withstand the test of time, not verbal confirmation of their “loyalty”.

26. If you do not watch or like movies, do not lie to cover for that fact because people will judge you. Let em judge. Be you.

27. Listen to good music that speaks to your mind and soul. If thats Grateful Dead or Smash Mouth or Skrillex, it does not matter. Just listen to something. 

28. Do not judge a book by its cover. 

29. Give hugs to those who need them. Ask for them too. The human touch is a magical thing. 

30. Laugh. A lot. At yourself is the best type of laugh. 

31. Studying hard does not always get you an A. Your effort and quality of work gets a grade academically, but you also have to be honest with yourself. If your best got you a C thats ok! Breathe.

32. Do not judge a person by the color of their skin, the language they speak, the person they love, the gender they identify as, their pronouns, their life plans etc etc. Being open to your lived experiences and the world around you is the most informative class you could enroll in.

33. Age is a number. You can be friends with a 30 something year old and a Freshman in college. Everyone can teach you different things. Be open to it. 

34. New places can remind you of old things. Old places can be rewritten as new. Do not limit yourself to past instances. 

35. You can like many different things and have many different personalities. It is ok to experiment or realign yourself as you learn more and age more. Change is not a bad thing. Do not take it as an insult if someone says you have changed a lot. 

36. Dance in the grocery store if a good song comes on. You never know who needed that extra laugh. Maybe it was just you. Blame it on the boogie!

37. Visit your grandparents. Family is important even if they don't always understand the situation. 

38. Dementia/Alzheimer's tests your patience, but it teaches you the definition of and persistent need for love, kindness and understanding. Never forget to say I love you even when they do. 

39. Finding humor in otherwise sad situations is ok. Sometimes if you do not laugh you will cry. 

40. Parking meters in Boston are highly monitored. Show up early or else you'll be greeted with a nice ticket. (Brookline- I love you, but I will be taking the T from now on)

41. Saying sorry is strong. Realizing you make mistakes and owning up to them is mature. 

42. If you can say it online, you can say it to someones face. Do not be petty or shady. Just own up to things or have a discussion. 

43. Friendzoning is stupid. Don't ghost people or skirt the truth. Appreciate someone and understand their emotions. It is okay to want different things. Handle hearts with care. Some peoples’ are titanium while other people’s are delicate china. You never know what someone has gone through. 

44. Sometimes that cashier who says “good morning!” is having a bad day. Sometimes that silent kid playing Pokemon is the sweetest soul with the funniest jokes. The man who collects your trash may share the same sports teams. Always say hello and treat people with respect despite what they may appear to be against the societal “rating chart”. Screw stereotypes. Always ask “how are you?” back. 

45. If you get back with your ex 50 times over it doesn't make you a weak person. If you date someone who everyone thinks is not for you, it doesn't make you stupid. You have to be happy with who you are with, not them. True friends support your HAPPINESS, not your individual DECISIONS. If you are safe, supported and happy that is all the true ones will recognize. 

46. If two of your friends fall in love, do not be selfish and prevent that from happening. Be a supportive friend at all stages and try not to be an overly invasive third wheel. They will remain your friends together, apart and all around. 

47. You can lose touch and still pick up where you left off and be just as close. Connection does not mean consistent or constant contact. 

48. Be proud of your friends successes just as you should be of your own. Aging creates anxiety. Just because you chose to go through more school instead of into the job market doesn't mean you’re more right/wrong or intelligent/dumb. If you have a have a ring on your left hand or if you have never been in a relationship, that does not mean you’re less of a person. If you like to wear all black and cover up or if you like to wear slinky sequin dresses it does not mean youre less of a woman or not sexy. Be yourself. Do as you please. Express your shade of awesome. The world needs it. 

49. Be proud of who you are and who you have in your life. Love hard. Be smart. Read. Be aware and critical of what is popularly defined as truth. Be authentic. Let your vibe attract your tribe. Trust that everything is happening for a reason. People come into your life for one of three reasons - to teach you, to learn from you or both. Many of times that means they are a temporary presence with a permanent mark. Do not take offense to the changing paths of those around you. 

50. Peace cannot happen in the world if you are waring in your mind and heart. Love yourself. Triage yourself. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt and appreciate the level you are at. We can look at where our feet have traveled and worry over where they will go. The only important place to focus your attention is where your feet are firmly planted in the current moment. Take the second to soak in the instant, take a step forward and repeat. Each place is different and you can feel different at each one. The individual places do not define you. Let the journey make you stronger with its easy downhill rolls, its falls and scrapes, its endless uphill battles and everything in between.

[johnboothus]

CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer Reviewed and Ranked

After teasing his upcoming hard seltzer in interviews and music videos, Travis Scott’s agave-infused CACTI line finally dropped on March 15.

Produced in partnership with Anheuser-Busch, CACTI launched with three flavors: Lime, Pineapple, and Strawberry. As hard seltzers go, things read a little more charged in the nutritional info column than market leaders like White Claw and Truly. Each 12-ounce pour clocks in at 7 percent ABV, and contains 150 calories and 3 grams of carbohydrates.

Other than those digits, CACTI’s seltzers don’t stray too far from the by-now tried and true “hard” formula. Press releases from the brand cited Scott’s love of tequila as the inspiration for the line, but CACTI gains its buzz from cold-fermented cane sugar, just like most hard seltzers, rather than tequila.

Where wording on CACTI cans mentions the beverage is made with “100 percent premium blue agave from Mexico,” it’s a reference to the ingredient’s use as a flavoring and sweetener, rather than an alcohol base.

As one of the most-hyped hard seltzers of the year so far, VinePair was excited to test the range for ourselves and to share our tasting notes. Here are all of the CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer flavors, reviewed and ranked.

3. Strawberry

The vibrant strawberry aromas of this release are unmistakable, though they skew much closer to strawberry cream candy than freshly picked fruit. Otherwise, some faint citrus aromas poke out, but the agave influence is notable in its absence. Straight-up candied strawberry defines the palate, and each sip is rich but also crushable. Once again, there’s almost no agave flavor, though there is a noticeable sweetness compared to most hard seltzers.

2. Lime

Bursts of lime zest and lime oil kick things off, followed by a sweet undercurrent of vanilla and agave syrup aromas. The bright citrus fruit then continues onto the palate. It’s not quite as fresh as the nose but there is a nice balance of sweet, sour, and tart notes. A hint of bitterness on the finish might lead some to crave a little extra agave syrup in this one.

1. Pineapple

Of the three releases, this flavor stands out as the most interesting and complex. Intense pineapple notes lead the nose, with a hint of pineapple husk and some green, earthy agave notes. The same rings true on the palate, with the pineapple notes tasting layered, and delivering vibrant, refreshing sips. Once again, there’s a bitterness to the finish, but it weaves in more seamlessly with the concentrated pineapple flavors.

The Verdict

All in all, it’s a case of horses for courses with CACTI’s lineup. The lime flavor is the lightest and arguably most refreshing of the trio; the strawberry flavor will appeal to anyone with a sweeter tooth and to those who are not too concerned about the difference between natural and “natural” flavors; and the pineapple flavor is the most nuanced and the best all-rounder.

The bitter finish present across the board may be due to the brewing process, the higher than normal alcohol content, or a mix of the two. Unquestionably, each would benefit from not having this note.

The sheer popularity of Travis Scott ensures that many will go out and try this new hard seltzer line. In time, we’ll see whether drinkers keep coming back for more in the same way so many do with White Claw and Truly. Our verdict is likely not — but we’ve been wrong before.

The article CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer Reviewed and Ranked appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/booze-news/cacti-agave-spiked-seltzer-review/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/cacti-agave-spiked-seltzer-reviewed-and-ranked

[johnboothus]

Everything You Need to Know About Ranch Water (and Why Everyones Drinking It)

“When I think of people from West Texas, I think of this kind of no-frills, get-the-job-done attitude. And that’s very much the spirit of Ranch Water,” says Katie Beal Brown, a native Texan and founder of Lone River Beverage Company.

In terms of ingredients, the cool mix of tequila, lime, and Topo Chico is as Texan as the Whataburger Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit is Mexican. But it’s in the Lone Star State and not south of the border that the simple cocktail known as Ranch Water has become a cultural icon.

Texas natives, particularly those in the west and south of the state, have enjoyed the humble take on the highball for decades. But only in the last 10 years has the one-time ranch-worker refresher found statewide success, equally at home in dive bars, cocktail lounges, and music festivals. Now, it’s starting to sweep the nation.

In the past five months, Google searches for the term “ranch water” spiked to an unprecedented high. Browse #ranchwater on Instagram, too, and you’ll just as likely find posts from North Carolina, Maryland, and Utah, as you will from the Great State of Texas. With a flurry of canned versions hitting supermarket and liquor store shelves, the Ranch Water craze shows no sign of slowing.

Like most drinks trends, it’s impossible to pinpoint one event that brought on this success. Instead, the rise of Ranch Water is a combined tale of cultural identity, iconic brands, and good ol’-fashioned marketing.

What Is Ranch Water?

Behind every iconic drink lies a tale as opaque as a freezing cold bottle of bubbly mineral water. And Ranch Water is no different.

We will likely never know if a wild-haired 1960s rancher did indeed first concoct the drink, as local lore suggests. Nor will we know if he was inspired by the “spirit” of said drink to follow the West Texas stars and trek a lonely 50 miles from Fort Davis to Marathon before falling asleep under a piñon tree.

The other common tale for Ranch Water’s beginning seems much more plausible. “It was a way for ranchers to have a happy hour,” says Taylor Samuels, owner of Dallas-based Mexican spirits bar Las Almas Rotas. “They’re out riding the fence line all day, making repairs, and checking on cattle. Ranch Water was the refreshment for the ride at the end.”

In such a situation, simplicity is key. Sure, the ranchers could have cracked open a Shiner Bock. But would that have been as refreshing as taking a swig from a bottle Topo Chico, topping with a splash of tequila, and squeezing in a zesty lime?

Almost certainly not.

The who’s and where’s of how the drink got its evocative name are also murky. Some attribute it to Kevin Williamson, chef and owner of Austin’s Ranch 616. Others link it to The Gage Hotel in Marathon, Texas, which first put the cocktail on its menu in 2010. By this point, however, Ranch Water was well known enough in West Texas that locals had been ordering it by name at the hotel’s bar for some time.

How Has Ranch Water Become So Popular?

It’s taken a decade since the Gage Hotel first added the cocktail to its menu to arrive at the current-day Ranch Water craze. How we got here is once again largely based on speculation.

Nico Martini, Dallas-based author of “Texas Cocktails,” says industry events and bartender culture both played a role in spreading the drink across the country. “Thousands of industry people come to Texas every January to go to the San Antonio Cocktail Conference (SACC). They experience Ranch Water here then take it back home,” Martini says. “Texas also has a massive presence at Tales of the Cocktail,” he adds.

It’s easy to imagine swathes of New York and Los Angeles bartenders returning home from these events and eagerly sharing their latest discovery. While tequila, lime, and soda is by no means a novel combination, when made with a regionally specific mineral water you have the perfect build for a geeky, insider cocktail. “All those New York bartenders going down to SACC, drinking the hell out of Ranch Waters, then going back home and not being able to get Topo — it becomes a challenge,” Martini says.

The drink’s mysterious moniker only adds to the allure. Ranch Water sounds infinitely cooler than tequila, lime, and soda. (See also: Cuba Libre and Moscow Mule.) Once again, there’s also insider appeal because there’s no way of knowing from the name alone what Ranch Water contains. Instead, you need to be au fait with the latest drinking trends.

The Topo Factor

At this point, we can no longer ignore the bubbly, mineral-rich elephant in the room: Topo Chico. Bottled near Monterrey, Mexico, since 1895, Topo Chico built up a loyal following in Texas because of the state’s close culinary ties to Mexico. Speak to any Ranch Water aficionado and they’ll tell you there’s simply no substitute for Topo Chico.

Despite operating under capacity restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic, Dallas-based JAXON Texas Kitchen and Beer Garden sold 1,800 Ranch Waters last month. “It’s gotten to the point where I’m trying to buy pallets of Topo Chico versus ordering by the case,” says Alexander Fletcher, JAXON’s beverage director.

Outside of Texas, bartenders likely still struggle to buy Topo Chico by the pallet-load. But the “challenge” to get their hands on it (as Martini describes it) at least subsided in 2016, when the brand was acquired by Coca-Cola.

“Suddenly the distribution was just so much larger,” says Andy Arrington of Texas-based wine and spirits distributor Victory Wine Group. “Ranch Water has really benefited from that.”

Beyond regional connections, there’s good reason for using Topo Chico in Ranch Water. Las Almas Rotas’s Samuels says the water’s high mineral content provides a natural partner for peppery, earthy tequila, allowing the spirit to shine rather than overpowering it. And as all Ranch Water diehards will attest, Topo Chico’s turbo-charged effervescence provides the final piece of the puzzle.

“When you open a bottle of Topo Chico, you can leave it out overnight at room temperature and the next day it’s still going to have strong bubbles because of the carbonation that’s been pumped into it,” says Racheal Buie, Topo Chico’s brand development specialist for Houston.

Buie, of course, has a horse in this race. But she’s been a fan of Topo Chico for over a decade and started drinking the water long before she worked for the brand. “I’ve literally been able to witness Topo Chico go from 75 cents a bottle to being sold for $5 in fine dining places,” Buie says. “I really think the surge in popularity of Ranch Water is coupled with Topo Chico’s success over the years. As a Texan, a Topo employee, and a lover of Ranch Water, it’s an exciting time.”

Enter: Ranch Water Hard Seltzer

Whether a sign of Ranch Water’s success or a possible contributor to its recent popularity, the drink entered a new era these past 12 months when multiple canned versions hit the market.

Lone River Beverage Company debuted its Ranch Water Hard Seltzer in May 2020. After learning the legend of the “wild-haired rancher” and realizing it took place in the same area as her grandparent’s ranch, founder Brown felt there was an opportunity to tell that story to a wider audience and give people a taste of West Texas. The fact Ranch Water also lends itself to the wellness trend that’s seen hard seltzer surge in recent years also made it the perfect fit, Brown says.

Like many other hard seltzers, Lone River’s Ranch Water uses a brewed-malt rather than spirit base. The brand is currently only available in Texas and Tennessee, though expansion is on the horizon, Brown says.

For those looking to sample a tequila-based version on a national level, Cutwater Spirits launched its own Tequila Soda in March 2020. Flavored with a hint of natural lime, it’s a canned carbon copy of Ranch Water — in all but name, at least.

“[I]t’s important to clearly communicate that we use real tequila to make a signature cocktail known by many as ‘Ranch Water’ but known by all as ‘Tequila Soda,’” says Yuseff Cherney, Cutwater Spirits’ co-founder and master distiller.

Depending on how much Ranch Water’s popularity continues to grow, the decision to drop the iconic name may or may not prove savvy. To borrow (or butcher) a famous Shakespeare soliloquy: What’s in a name? That which we call Ranch Water by any other name would surely taste as refreshing and delicious.

But would that same drink be so damn popular?

The article Everything You Need to Know About Ranch Water (and Why Everyone’s Drinking It) appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/what-is-ranch-water-recipe/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-ranch-water-and-why-everyones-drinking-it

[isaiahrippinus]

Everything You Need to Know About Ranch Water (and Why Everyone’s Drinking It)

“When I think of people from West Texas, I think of this kind of no-frills, get-the-job-done attitude. And that’s very much the spirit of Ranch Water,” says Katie Beal Brown, a native Texan and founder of Lone River Beverage Company.

In terms of ingredients, the cool mix of tequila, lime, and Topo Chico is as Texan as the Whataburger Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit is Mexican. But it’s in the Lone Star State and not south of the border that the simple cocktail known as Ranch Water has become a cultural icon.

Texas natives, particularly those in the west and south of the state, have enjoyed the humble take on the highball for decades. But only in the last 10 years has the one-time ranch-worker refresher found statewide success, equally at home in dive bars, cocktail lounges, and music festivals. Now, it’s starting to sweep the nation.

In the past five months, Google searches for the term “ranch water” spiked to an unprecedented high. Browse #ranchwater on Instagram, too, and you’ll just as likely find posts from North Carolina, Maryland, and Utah, as you will from the Great State of Texas. With a flurry of canned versions hitting supermarket and liquor store shelves, the Ranch Water craze shows no sign of slowing.

Like most drinks trends, it’s impossible to pinpoint one event that brought on this success. Instead, the rise of Ranch Water is a combined tale of cultural identity, iconic brands, and good ol’-fashioned marketing.

What Is Ranch Water?

Behind every iconic drink lies a tale as opaque as a freezing cold bottle of bubbly mineral water. And Ranch Water is no different.

We will likely never know if a wild-haired 1960s rancher did indeed first concoct the drink, as local lore suggests. Nor will we know if he was inspired by the “spirit” of said drink to follow the West Texas stars and trek a lonely 50 miles from Fort Davis to Marathon before falling asleep under a piñon tree.

The other common tale for Ranch Water’s beginning seems much more plausible. “It was a way for ranchers to have a happy hour,” says Taylor Samuels, owner of Dallas-based Mexican spirits bar Las Almas Rotas. “They’re out riding the fence line all day, making repairs, and checking on cattle. Ranch Water was the refreshment for the ride at the end.”

In such a situation, simplicity is key. Sure, the ranchers could have cracked open a Shiner Bock. But would that have been as refreshing as taking a swig from a bottle Topo Chico, topping with a splash of tequila, and squeezing in a zesty lime?

Almost certainly not.

The who’s and where’s of how the drink got its evocative name are also murky. Some attribute it to Kevin Williamson, chef and owner of Austin’s Ranch 616. Others link it to The Gage Hotel in Marathon, Texas, which first put the cocktail on its menu in 2010. By this point, however, Ranch Water was well known enough in West Texas that locals had been ordering it by name at the hotel’s bar for some time.

How Has Ranch Water Become So Popular?

It’s taken a decade since the Gage Hotel first added the cocktail to its menu to arrive at the current-day Ranch Water craze. How we got here is once again largely based on speculation.

Nico Martini, Dallas-based author of “Texas Cocktails,” says industry events and bartender culture both played a role in spreading the drink across the country. “Thousands of industry people come to Texas every January to go to the San Antonio Cocktail Conference (SACC). They experience Ranch Water here then take it back home,” Martini says. “Texas also has a massive presence at Tales of the Cocktail,” he adds.

It’s easy to imagine swathes of New York and Los Angeles bartenders returning home from these events and eagerly sharing their latest discovery. While tequila, lime, and soda is by no means a novel combination, when made with a regionally specific mineral water you have the perfect build for a geeky, insider cocktail. “All those New York bartenders going down to SACC, drinking the hell out of Ranch Waters, then going back home and not being able to get Topo — it becomes a challenge,” Martini says.

The drink’s mysterious moniker only adds to the allure. Ranch Water sounds infinitely cooler than tequila, lime, and soda. (See also: Cuba Libre and Moscow Mule.) Once again, there’s also insider appeal because there’s no way of knowing from the name alone what Ranch Water contains. Instead, you need to be au fait with the latest drinking trends.

The Topo Factor

At this point, we can no longer ignore the bubbly, mineral-rich elephant in the room: Topo Chico. Bottled near Monterrey, Mexico, since 1895, Topo Chico built up a loyal following in Texas because of the state’s close culinary ties to Mexico. Speak to any Ranch Water aficionado and they’ll tell you there’s simply no substitute for Topo Chico.

Despite operating under capacity restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic, Dallas-based JAXON Texas Kitchen and Beer Garden sold 1,800 Ranch Waters last month. “It’s gotten to the point where I’m trying to buy pallets of Topo Chico versus ordering by the case,” says Alexander Fletcher, JAXON’s beverage director.

Outside of Texas, bartenders likely still struggle to buy Topo Chico by the pallet-load. But the “challenge” to get their hands on it (as Martini describes it) at least subsided in 2016, when the brand was acquired by Coca-Cola.

“Suddenly the distribution was just so much larger,” says Andy Arrington of Texas-based wine and spirits distributor Victory Wine Group. “Ranch Water has really benefited from that.”

Beyond regional connections, there’s good reason for using Topo Chico in Ranch Water. Las Almas Rotas’s Samuels says the water’s high mineral content provides a natural partner for peppery, earthy tequila, allowing the spirit to shine rather than overpowering it. And as all Ranch Water diehards will attest, Topo Chico’s turbo-charged effervescence provides the final piece of the puzzle.

“When you open a bottle of Topo Chico, you can leave it out overnight at room temperature and the next day it’s still going to have strong bubbles because of the carbonation that’s been pumped into it,” says Racheal Buie, Topo Chico’s brand development specialist for Houston.

Buie, of course, has a horse in this race. But she’s been a fan of Topo Chico for over a decade and started drinking the water long before she worked for the brand. “I’ve literally been able to witness Topo Chico go from 75 cents a bottle to being sold for $5 in fine dining places,” Buie says. “I really think the surge in popularity of Ranch Water is coupled with Topo Chico’s success over the years. As a Texan, a Topo employee, and a lover of Ranch Water, it’s an exciting time.”

Enter: Ranch Water Hard Seltzer

Whether a sign of Ranch Water’s success or a possible contributor to its recent popularity, the drink entered a new era these past 12 months when multiple canned versions hit the market.

Lone River Beverage Company debuted its Ranch Water Hard Seltzer in May 2020. After learning the legend of the “wild-haired rancher” and realizing it took place in the same area as her grandparent’s ranch, founder Brown felt there was an opportunity to tell that story to a wider audience and give people a taste of West Texas. The fact Ranch Water also lends itself to the wellness trend that’s seen hard seltzer surge in recent years also made it the perfect fit, Brown says.

Like many other hard seltzers, Lone River’s Ranch Water uses a brewed-malt rather than spirit base. The brand is currently only available in Texas and Tennessee, though expansion is on the horizon, Brown says.

For those looking to sample a tequila-based version on a national level, Cutwater Spirits launched its own Tequila Soda in March 2020. Flavored with a hint of natural lime, it’s a canned carbon copy of Ranch Water — in all but name, at least.

“[I]t’s important to clearly communicate that we use real tequila to make a signature cocktail known by many as ‘Ranch Water’ but known by all as ‘Tequila Soda,’” says Yuseff Cherney, Cutwater Spirits’ co-founder and master distiller.

Depending on how much Ranch Water’s popularity continues to grow, the decision to drop the iconic name may or may not prove savvy. To borrow (or butcher) a famous Shakespeare soliloquy: What’s in a name? That which we call Ranch Water by any other name would surely taste as refreshing and delicious.

But would that same drink be so damn popular?

The article Everything You Need to Know About Ranch Water (and Why Everyone’s Drinking It) appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/what-is-ranch-water-recipe/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/625806126701805568

[isaiahrippinus]

Breakneck Evolution is Compounding the Hard Seltzer Category’s Unprecedented Surge

Hard seltzer is big business, accounting for $2.7 billion in off-premise sales over the 52-week period ending June 13, and posted its biggest week of sales yet over the July 4 holiday, according to Nielsen. But since the category exploded in popularity last summer, it has also garnered a big reputation — one that is both positive and negative. While hard seltzer is now a go-to for consumers across the U.S., it’s also frequently used as the punchline of jokes and targeted in meme culture.

It wasn’t surprising when major alcohol companies rushed to cash in on the hard seltzer category, with brands from Bud Light to Barefoot launching beverages labeled as “hard seltzer” in the first half of 2020. What was surprising was the slew of craft brands — particularly craft breweries — launching hard seltzers. Favorite breweries like Evil Twin, Two Roads, and Solemn Oath, among others, have all added hard seltzers to their lineups alongside geeky double IPAs and hard-to-get imperial stouts.

At the same time, new wine-based hard seltzers like Del Mar Wine Seltzer are following similar formulas to industry-favorite spritzes Ramona and Hoxie, products that have deliberately chosen not to market themselves as hard seltzers. Cocktail enthusiasts looking for spirits-based options can crack open the vodka-based High Noon and Keel Sparkling, or the tequila-based Volley Spiked Seltzer. While these ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails are not made in the same way as big-brand hard seltzers, they offer the same refreshing, easy-drinking appeal.

As the young hard seltzer category continues to evolve and premiumize at a startling pace, buoyed by mainstream business and craft upstarts alike, its consumer base only seems to broaden, spanning casual imbibers and studious beverage insiders alike. The growth trajectory raises the possibility that this “basic” beverage could serve as the ultimate equalizer, appealing across all consumer demographics (similar to non-alcoholic seltzer).

At a peak moment of sales growth, VinePair reached out to experts across the drinks industry to understand how hard seltzer is carving out an entirely new beverage alcohol category, breaking out of the FMB or RTD categories to which these products have been relegated so far. With product innovation speeding forward at an unprecedented rate, hard seltzer may just be the most dynamic beverage category on the market right now.

The Laws (and Stigmas) of Drinking Claws

Early perceptions and stereotypes of hard seltzers — and the people who drink them — revolve around the three brands that largely introduced the American public to the category: Truly, Bon & Viv, and, primarily, White Claw. These dominant brands established the category style as dry, refreshing, low-calorie, lightly fruity drinks.

Hard seltzer’s target demographic emerged around these brands at the same time. “The typical consumer that comes to mind when you think of hard seltzer is young women,” says Bobbie Burgess, the wine director of Eat Local Starkville in Starkville, Miss., who has sold several brands of hard seltzer in the past. “However, I have seen men and women, younger and older, indulging in these canned beverages.”

The approachable, “better-for-you” appeal of hard seltzer, combined with the canned format’s convenience and portability, has helped the style attract many different kinds of consumers. “Hard seltzer is an anomaly,” adds Brian Miesieski, the VP of marketing and innovation for SweetWater Brewing in Atlanta, which launched the Hydroponics Hard Seltzer in January. “It really blew up what you would perceive to be a typical consumer demographic for seltzer. It struck gold, essentially.”

But while hard seltzer seems to have become an everyman’s and everywoman’s beverage, stigmas still exist. Brands like White Claw and Truly are fixtures on Instagram and have been the subject of viral memes, cementing the category’s association with less serious, millennial consumers.

“There’s the popular saying, ‘There ain’t no laws when you’re drinking Claws,’” jokes Burgess. “If you don’t caption that saying on your social media pictures, did you really drink a White Claw?”

Essentially, all the qualities that attract a broad consumer audience to hard seltzer — large production, simple flavors, mass appeal — also seem to stigmatize it, from an industry perspective. Some liken it to the difference between an independent restaurant and a fast-food chain.

“I don’t judge fast-food fried chicken and I don’t judge people who indulge in hard seltzers,” says Burgess, “but I do hope that after the first one at our bar and building trust, guests are willing to try something different and, dare I say, better.”

While claims of low-calorie, gluten-free, “health-conscious” products have been foundational to early hard seltzer brands’ successes, there has never been a focus on specific ingredients, origins, or production methods — all of which are usually important to serious beverage aficionados. Rather, hard seltzers are often viewed by industry professionals as manufactured, somewhat artificial products made from fermented sugarcane or corn syrup bases.

“Seltzer brands are not currently transparent about their ingredients and practices,” says Jordan Salcito, the founder of wine spritz company Ramona, who points out that the sugar industry often relies on exploitative conditions. “As a potential target consumer, quality and transparency do not currently seem to be part of their value proposition.”

Craft Opportunities

However, it isn’t necessarily hard seltzer’s style that steers serious beverage geeks away from the category. As evidenced by the success of spritzes like Ramona and Hoxie, industry professionals do welcome spritzy, refreshing, less serious canned beverages.

“We launched the same year as White Claw, so clearly the market was ready for a beer alternative,” says Salcito. “I’ve noticed that seltzers often serve as a gateway to spritzes; both are beer alternatives meant for casual moments.”

After all, big-brand, simple beers like PBR and Miller High Life have long been industry favorites for post-shift imbibing. “Sometimes craft consumers want a break from complex beers,” says Miesieski. “Sometimes they just want to cut to the chase and have something that’s refreshing and simple.”

Recently, brands have been recognizing the opportunities in this cross-section of interest and bridging the gap with new, more premium hard seltzer offerings. Craft breweries were some of the first to jump into the premium hard seltzer pool, primarily because it was a natural transition. “The manufacturing process of hard seltzer comes from traditional brewery practices,” says Meg Gill, the founder of both Maha Hard Seltzer, which launched in March in partnership with Anheuser-Busch, and Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles. “This allows for more breweries to supplement production of their beer products to make hard seltzer.”

However, making hard seltzer is becoming an increasingly necessary venture for breweries as well, since these products are eating away at beer sales. According to Nielsen, hard seltzers have accounted for 10 percent or more of the off-premise beer/FMB/cider sales since the week ending May 23. “Everyone is looking for new categories to drive incremental business,” says Miesieski. “With seltzer stealing share from craft breweries, as a business, it makes sense.”

While hard seltzer doesn’t have a long history like American lagers, for instance, it seems to be following a similar trajectory: After big brands dominated the category and made it popular, craft breweries stepped in to elevate quality by using better ingredients, higher standards, and smaller production processes.

“The craft beer consumer and the craft seltzer consumer overlap greatly, especially when it comes to high flavor appeal and premium ingredient appeal,” says Gill. With Maha Hard Seltzer, she aimed to create flavorful, USDA Certified Organic beverages using high-quality ingredients like cascara, sea salt, and fruit juice.

Though a fan base that is accustomed to lining up for limited releases of hazy IPAs might find craft seltzers to be incongruous with a given brewery’s ethos, Miesieski insists that sticking to the company’s core philosophies allows for experimentation without alienating existing consumers. For SweetWater, this meant staying true to the brewery’s “420 lifestyle” brand and using fruit-based terpenes to get natural-tasting flavors into their Hydroponics hard seltzers.

“The geekier consumers were taken aback at first,” says Miesieski. “But the tide is shifting quite a bit. As long as you’re doing it right, being authentic, and making it a more premium experience, consumers will realize, ‘My favorite brewery is still putting out fantastic beers but doing something different.’”

Disrupting the Formula — and Communicating It

Both new and existing beverage brands are disrupting hard seltzer by proposing new ideas of how these products can be made as well. While hard seltzer is generally classified as a flavored malt beverage (FMB), spirit- and wine-based hard seltzers that are not made from fermented malt or sugar are rapidly emerging.

One of the fastest-growing hard seltzer brands of the summer is High Noon, a vodka-based product billed as both a hard seltzer and a vodka soda. So when it comes to these spirit- and wine-based products, what’s the difference between hard seltzers and spritzy, low-alcohol RTD cocktails — particularly when the latter are typically more accepted by beverage insiders than the former?

“The decision to label a new product as a hard seltzer or RTD spritz is one ultimately made by the marketing department,” says Brie Wohld, the vice president of marketing for Trinchero Family Estates, which launched Del Mar Wine Seltzer in March. “Neither is necessarily better; it comes down to a matter of preference and desired target market.” She notes that market research indicated broad consumer and trade interpretations within both RTD spritz and hard seltzer categories. While wine-based spritzes and wine-based seltzers might be interchangeable, formula-wise, the potential connotation of spritzes as sweet led Del Mar to be labeled as a wine seltzer.

A brand might also decide to label their product as hard seltzer in order to convey that it is appropriate for a more casual occasion. “Currently, the line is very blurred as to what defines a seltzer and an RTD because the category is so new and quickly evolving,” says Chris Wirth, the co-founder and president of Volley Spiked Seltzer. “We felt that this is a product that is meant for a ‘beer moment,’ which is inherently more expansive than a ‘cocktail moment.’ Having a cocktail is a larger psychological commitment.”

The proliferation of spirits- and wine-based hard seltzers could, therefore, drive greater acceptance of the category among those who consider themselves more serious about beverages. Many of these craft hard seltzers — both FMB products and those based on spirits or wine — are also committed to ingredient and production transparency, which also helps with overall category perception.

“Malt-based seltzers with limited ingredient transparency are currently leading the pack, but we anticipate it’s only a matter of time before consumers begin expecting more transparency from their seltzers of choice,” says Wohld. “Stigmas against the larger hard seltzer category don’t necessarily apply to products that prioritize transparency and deliver on what the consumer wants.”

Some brands, like the malt-based Maha and tequila-based Volley, are so committed to transparency that they are printing ingredients on the front label. “At Volley, we believe that transparency within a product is the No. 1 priority,” says Wirth, noting that every Volley uses 100 percent blue agave tequila, sparkling water, and juice.

“Consumers care about what they put in their bodies and they want to understand what’s in it and how it’s made,” says Gill, noting that having a low-calorie option isn’t enough anymore. “That’s why we wanted to create a better hard seltzer option with ingredients you could read about on the label.”

Competition Breeds Innovation

In just a short amount of time, plenty of stereotypes, stigmas, and opinions have emerged around the hard seltzer category. However, this beverage style is in its infancy and is changing rapidly, so it’s important to keep an open mind about hard seltzer as a whole.

“I believe that as talented beverage formulation specialists get involved in the category, perceptions will change,” says Nicholas Greeninger, the CEO of Tolago Hard Seltzer, which is launching in August. “Big beer wants to commoditize the offering, but the consumer will have the final say, as they always do.”

“While there’s incredible diversity within wine and other long-established categories,” says Wohld, “the same cannot be said about the relatively new hard seltzer category.” Therefore, there’s plenty of room for growth and diversification — particularly as new and energetic innovators enter the category and create competition for the handful of dominant brands.

“As long as there’s competition, we’ll all continue to innovate and be creative,” says Miesieski, who notes that SweetWater is creating a new hard seltzer for 2021. “Consumers will demand more premium and higher-quality offerings, just like any other category.” It may seem like everyone and their mother is already drinking hard seltzer, but as new products push the boundaries of quality upward, there are sure to be even more hard seltzer fans ahead, from beverage novices to industry aficionados.

The article Breakneck Evolution is Compounding the Hard Seltzer Category’s Unprecedented Surge appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/evolution-hard-seltzer-category-surge/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/625439983283617792

[johnboothus]

Breakneck Evolution is Compounding the Hard Seltzer Categorys Unprecedented Surge

Hard seltzer is big business, accounting for $2.7 billion in off-premise sales over the 52-week period ending June 13, and posted its biggest week of sales yet over the July 4 holiday, according to Nielsen. But since the category exploded in popularity last summer, it has also garnered a big reputation — one that is both positive and negative. While hard seltzer is now a go-to for consumers across the U.S., it’s also frequently used as the punchline of jokes and targeted in meme culture.

It wasn’t surprising when major alcohol companies rushed to cash in on the hard seltzer category, with brands from Bud Light to Barefoot launching beverages labeled as “hard seltzer” in the first half of 2020. What was surprising was the slew of craft brands — particularly craft breweries — launching hard seltzers. Favorite breweries like Evil Twin, Two Roads, and Solemn Oath, among others, have all added hard seltzers to their lineups alongside geeky double IPAs and hard-to-get imperial stouts.

At the same time, new wine-based hard seltzers like Del Mar Wine Seltzer are following similar formulas to industry-favorite spritzes Ramona and Hoxie, products that have deliberately chosen not to market themselves as hard seltzers. Cocktail enthusiasts looking for spirits-based options can crack open the vodka-based High Noon and Keel Sparkling, or the tequila-based Volley Spiked Seltzer. While these ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails are not made in the same way as big-brand hard seltzers, they offer the same refreshing, easy-drinking appeal.

As the young hard seltzer category continues to evolve and premiumize at a startling pace, buoyed by mainstream business and craft upstarts alike, its consumer base only seems to broaden, spanning casual imbibers and studious beverage insiders alike. The growth trajectory raises the possibility that this “basic” beverage could serve as the ultimate equalizer, appealing across all consumer demographics (similar to non-alcoholic seltzer).

At a peak moment of sales growth, VinePair reached out to experts across the drinks industry to understand how hard seltzer is carving out an entirely new beverage alcohol category, breaking out of the FMB or RTD categories to which these products have been relegated so far. With product innovation speeding forward at an unprecedented rate, hard seltzer may just be the most dynamic beverage category on the market right now.

The Laws (and Stigmas) of Drinking Claws

Early perceptions and stereotypes of hard seltzers — and the people who drink them — revolve around the three brands that largely introduced the American public to the category: Truly, Bon & Viv, and, primarily, White Claw. These dominant brands established the category style as dry, refreshing, low-calorie, lightly fruity drinks.

Hard seltzer’s target demographic emerged around these brands at the same time. “The typical consumer that comes to mind when you think of hard seltzer is young women,” says Bobbie Burgess, the wine director of Eat Local Starkville in Starkville, Miss., who has sold several brands of hard seltzer in the past. “However, I have seen men and women, younger and older, indulging in these canned beverages.”

The approachable, “better-for-you” appeal of hard seltzer, combined with the canned format’s convenience and portability, has helped the style attract many different kinds of consumers. “Hard seltzer is an anomaly,” adds Brian Miesieski, the VP of marketing and innovation for SweetWater Brewing in Atlanta, which launched the Hydroponics Hard Seltzer in January. “It really blew up what you would perceive to be a typical consumer demographic for seltzer. It struck gold, essentially.”

But while hard seltzer seems to have become an everyman’s and everywoman’s beverage, stigmas still exist. Brands like White Claw and Truly are fixtures on Instagram and have been the subject of viral memes, cementing the category’s association with less serious, millennial consumers.

“There’s the popular saying, ‘There ain’t no laws when you’re drinking Claws,’” jokes Burgess. “If you don’t caption that saying on your social media pictures, did you really drink a White Claw?”

Essentially, all the qualities that attract a broad consumer audience to hard seltzer — large production, simple flavors, mass appeal — also seem to stigmatize it, from an industry perspective. Some liken it to the difference between an independent restaurant and a fast-food chain.

“I don’t judge fast-food fried chicken and I don’t judge people who indulge in hard seltzers,” says Burgess, “but I do hope that after the first one at our bar and building trust, guests are willing to try something different and, dare I say, better.”

While claims of low-calorie, gluten-free, “health-conscious” products have been foundational to early hard seltzer brands’ successes, there has never been a focus on specific ingredients, origins, or production methods — all of which are usually important to serious beverage aficionados. Rather, hard seltzers are often viewed by industry professionals as manufactured, somewhat artificial products made from fermented sugarcane or corn syrup bases.

“Seltzer brands are not currently transparent about their ingredients and practices,” says Jordan Salcito, the founder of wine spritz company Ramona, who points out that the sugar industry often relies on exploitative conditions. “As a potential target consumer, quality and transparency do not currently seem to be part of their value proposition.”

Craft Opportunities

However, it isn’t necessarily hard seltzer’s style that steers serious beverage geeks away from the category. As evidenced by the success of spritzes like Ramona and Hoxie, industry professionals do welcome spritzy, refreshing, less serious canned beverages.

“We launched the same year as White Claw, so clearly the market was ready for a beer alternative,” says Salcito. “I’ve noticed that seltzers often serve as a gateway to spritzes; both are beer alternatives meant for casual moments.”

After all, big-brand, simple beers like PBR and Miller High Life have long been industry favorites for post-shift imbibing. “Sometimes craft consumers want a break from complex beers,” says Miesieski. “Sometimes they just want to cut to the chase and have something that’s refreshing and simple.”

Recently, brands have been recognizing the opportunities in this cross-section of interest and bridging the gap with new, more premium hard seltzer offerings. Craft breweries were some of the first to jump into the premium hard seltzer pool, primarily because it was a natural transition. “The manufacturing process of hard seltzer comes from traditional brewery practices,” says Meg Gill, the founder of both Maha Hard Seltzer, which launched in March in partnership with Anheuser-Busch, and Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles. “This allows for more breweries to supplement production of their beer products to make hard seltzer.”

However, making hard seltzer is becoming an increasingly necessary venture for breweries as well, since these products are eating away at beer sales. According to Nielsen, hard seltzers have accounted for 10 percent or more of the off-premise beer/FMB/cider sales since the week ending May 23. “Everyone is looking for new categories to drive incremental business,” says Miesieski. “With seltzer stealing share from craft breweries, as a business, it makes sense.”

While hard seltzer doesn’t have a long history like American lagers, for instance, it seems to be following a similar trajectory: After big brands dominated the category and made it popular, craft breweries stepped in to elevate quality by using better ingredients, higher standards, and smaller production processes.

“The craft beer consumer and the craft seltzer consumer overlap greatly, especially when it comes to high flavor appeal and premium ingredient appeal,” says Gill. With Maha Hard Seltzer, she aimed to create flavorful, USDA Certified Organic beverages using high-quality ingredients like cascara, sea salt, and fruit juice.

Though a fan base that is accustomed to lining up for limited releases of hazy IPAs might find craft seltzers to be incongruous with a given brewery’s ethos, Miesieski insists that sticking to the company’s core philosophies allows for experimentation without alienating existing consumers. For SweetWater, this meant staying true to the brewery’s “420 lifestyle” brand and using fruit-based terpenes to get natural-tasting flavors into their Hydroponics hard seltzers.

“The geekier consumers were taken aback at first,” says Miesieski. “But the tide is shifting quite a bit. As long as you’re doing it right, being authentic, and making it a more premium experience, consumers will realize, ‘My favorite brewery is still putting out fantastic beers but doing something different.’”

Disrupting the Formula — and Communicating It

Both new and existing beverage brands are disrupting hard seltzer by proposing new ideas of how these products can be made as well. While hard seltzer is generally classified as a flavored malt beverage (FMB), spirit- and wine-based hard seltzers that are not made from fermented malt or sugar are rapidly emerging.

One of the fastest-growing hard seltzer brands of the summer is High Noon, a vodka-based product billed as both a hard seltzer and a vodka soda. So when it comes to these spirit- and wine-based products, what’s the difference between hard seltzers and spritzy, low-alcohol RTD cocktails — particularly when the latter are typically more accepted by beverage insiders than the former?

“The decision to label a new product as a hard seltzer or RTD spritz is one ultimately made by the marketing department,” says Brie Wohld, the vice president of marketing for Trinchero Family Estates, which launched Del Mar Wine Seltzer in March. “Neither is necessarily better; it comes down to a matter of preference and desired target market.” She notes that market research indicated broad consumer and trade interpretations within both RTD spritz and hard seltzer categories. While wine-based spritzes and wine-based seltzers might be interchangeable, formula-wise, the potential connotation of spritzes as sweet led Del Mar to be labeled as a wine seltzer.

A brand might also decide to label their product as hard seltzer in order to convey that it is appropriate for a more casual occasion. “Currently, the line is very blurred as to what defines a seltzer and an RTD because the category is so new and quickly evolving,” says Chris Wirth, the co-founder and president of Volley Spiked Seltzer. “We felt that this is a product that is meant for a ‘beer moment,’ which is inherently more expansive than a ‘cocktail moment.’ Having a cocktail is a larger psychological commitment.”

The proliferation of spirits- and wine-based hard seltzers could, therefore, drive greater acceptance of the category among those who consider themselves more serious about beverages. Many of these craft hard seltzers — both FMB products and those based on spirits or wine — are also committed to ingredient and production transparency, which also helps with overall category perception.

“Malt-based seltzers with limited ingredient transparency are currently leading the pack, but we anticipate it’s only a matter of time before consumers begin expecting more transparency from their seltzers of choice,” says Wohld. “Stigmas against the larger hard seltzer category don’t necessarily apply to products that prioritize transparency and deliver on what the consumer wants.”

Some brands, like the malt-based Maha and tequila-based Volley, are so committed to transparency that they are printing ingredients on the front label. “At Volley, we believe that transparency within a product is the No. 1 priority,” says Wirth, noting that every Volley uses 100 percent blue agave tequila, sparkling water, and juice.

“Consumers care about what they put in their bodies and they want to understand what’s in it and how it’s made,” says Gill, noting that having a low-calorie option isn’t enough anymore. “That’s why we wanted to create a better hard seltzer option with ingredients you could read about on the label.”

Competition Breeds Innovation

In just a short amount of time, plenty of stereotypes, stigmas, and opinions have emerged around the hard seltzer category. However, this beverage style is in its infancy and is changing rapidly, so it’s important to keep an open mind about hard seltzer as a whole.

“I believe that as talented beverage formulation specialists get involved in the category, perceptions will change,” says Nicholas Greeninger, the CEO of Tolago Hard Seltzer, which is launching in August. “Big beer wants to commoditize the offering, but the consumer will have the final say, as they always do.”

“While there’s incredible diversity within wine and other long-established categories,” says Wohld, “the same cannot be said about the relatively new hard seltzer category.” Therefore, there’s plenty of room for growth and diversification — particularly as new and energetic innovators enter the category and create competition for the handful of dominant brands.

“As long as there’s competition, we’ll all continue to innovate and be creative,” says Miesieski, who notes that SweetWater is creating a new hard seltzer for 2021. “Consumers will demand more premium and higher-quality offerings, just like any other category.” It may seem like everyone and their mother is already drinking hard seltzer, but as new products push the boundaries of quality upward, there are sure to be even more hard seltzer fans ahead, from beverage novices to industry aficionados.

The article Breakneck Evolution is Compounding the Hard Seltzer Category’s Unprecedented Surge appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/evolution-hard-seltzer-category-surge/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/breakneck-evolution-is-compounding-the-hard-seltzer-categorys-unprecedented-surge

[isaiahrippinus]

The 30 Best Tequilas for Every Budget (2020)

Cinco de Mayo may come around once a year, but every day is a tequila celebration if you live in the United States, as the category is showing juggernaut growth.

In 2018, the agave distillate led our spirits category in both volume and value growth, according to Nielsen, while last year, the IWSR reported that America had retained its crown as the world’s top market for tequila imports. Though our current landscape already looks much different than recent history, early sales data suggests tequila is among a handful of spirits that have enjoyed a 75 percent sales spike at retail during the Covid-19 pandemic.

For those looking to stock up on booze now — or ever — tequila offers a broad range of options. There’s vegetal-accented blancos, lightly aged reposados, and luscious, complex añejos. Great examples of each can be found for $40 or less, while splurge-worthy, special-occasion bottles exist in abundance.

VinePair tasted more than 60 tequila brands to curate our best-of-the-best list, at every price point. Whether your budget is $25, $50, $100, or more, these are 30 of the best tequilas on the market today.

Under $25

Camarena Reposado

This affordable reposado pours a pale wheat color, with sweet aromas of agave syrup, vanilla, and brown sugar. It hits the palate with silky, medium-bodied richness, and finishes with a pleasant spice. Average price: $19.

Arette Blanco

The vegetal bite of this tequila’s aromas immediately capture one’s attention, followed by fresh flowers and grapefruit peel. The palate dials down the intensity, with soft vanilla sweetness and just a touch of spice. Average price: $22.

Espolòn Reposado

Pouring a striking pale gold, this tequila offers a baker’s delight on the nose, with sweet aromas that range from vanilla cookie dough to agave syrup. The palate is full-bodied, velvet- smooth, and seasoned with a crack of black pepper. Average price: $23.

Elvelo Blanco

A roller-coaster in a glass, this blanco tequila has a pungent nose, textured with earthy, dried fruit notes. The palate is similarly concentrated, but much more savory in character. Its higher proof (44.5 percent ABV) and intense flavors make this a truly memorable tequila. Average price: $23.

Milagro Silver

This easy-going tequila offers an attractive mix of floral, spicy, and fruity aromas. The palate is nicely balanced and well rounded, providing a cocktail-friendly blanco that can also be enjoyed neat. Average price: $24.

Under $50

Corralejo Reposado

A wonderful pink-gold hue makes this reposado inviting from the get-go. The nose is fruity with a spicy kick that evokes grappa. The palate continues on a similar path, adding green vegetal notes to the mix. Enjoy with seltzer and lime in a refreshing Highball or mixed with grapefruit soda for a characterful Paloma. Average price: $27.

Gran Centenario Plata

Notes of olives, jalapeño, and salty brine define this complex tequila. Its distinct, savory flavor profile promises to add character to cocktails and makes for a particularly interesting Margarita option. At this price, you can enjoy them by the pitcher. Average price: $28

Cabo Wabo Blanco

This “Pre-Clooney” celebrity tequila brand was founded by Sammy Hagar (of Van Halen fame) in the ’90s, but is now completely owned by spirits conglomerate Gruppo Campari. Cabo Wabo’s blanco expression provides the best bang for buck from its lineup, serving vegetal, spiced aromas and a silky smooth palate. Average price: $32.

Elvelo Reposado

Much like the blanco, Elvelo’s reposado comes in hot on the alcohol scale, clocking in at 44.5 percent ABV. While the prior is well suited to cocktails, this could absolutely be enjoyed neat and will appeal to those who drink overproof spirits or enjoy the bite of a rye whiskey. Average price: $35.

Gran Centenario Añejo

Añejos at this price point typically share two things in common: They look artificially colored and taste overwhelmingly sweet. Neither is true of Centenario’s offering. Aged for upwards of 18 months in French Limousin oak barrels (best associated with Cognac production) this tequila’s aromas could well be those of a blanco or reposado. The palate is fiery (read: spice not booze) with a pleasant undertone of oaky sweetness. Average price: $36.

Casa Noble Crystal Blanco

Triple-distilled for a “smoother-than-glass finish,” according to the brand, this blanco offers black pepper, cranberry, and olive brine on the nose. The palate skews more toward dried fruits, such as prunes, as well as cedar and fresh agave. This is a well-balanced, vegetal option. Average price: $37.

Partida Blanco

Twice-distilled in stainless steel pots, this blanco matches mineral aromas with the pleasant salinity of juicy green olives. There’s a light caramel profile to the palate, making it an approachable option for those who mix their Margaritas on the sweeter side. Average price: $40.

Tanteo Blanco

Tanteo offers a range of infused tequilas from chipotle to habanero to jalapeño. Its unflavored blanco expression doesn’t break that mold (at least in spirit), with a nose that opens like a jar of spicy pickled cactus. The palate is also remarkably vegetal, making this a tequila for true aficionados. Average price: $40.

Santera Blanco

This bottle stands out with a sharp rectangular design and minimalist labeling. The liquor inside has briny, slightly dusty aromas with a faint hint of cloves. That spice continues to lead the palate, but is kept in check by dried fruits and a hint of honey. Try it in a Negroni in place of gin. Average price: $41.

Corralejo Añejo

Pouring a light maple color, this tequila smells like an aged grain spirit, with notes of raisins, oak, figs, and just a hint of spice. The agave character comes out much stronger on the palate, while the flavors from oak aging take a comfortable back seat. This añejo is full of personality and priced so you can experiment in cocktails. Average price: $41.

El Tesoro Blanco

Fermented in open wooden vats using ambient yeast, this blanco has robust agave character. The nose is floral and spicy, there are  some tart berry notes, and just a hint of olive brine. The palate is incredibly smooth and well balanced, with a generous, full-bodied mouthfeel. Drink neat or on the rocks with a lime wedge. Average price: $46.

Código 1530 Blanco

There’s a wonderful depth to the nose of this tequila, which has layers of floral, spicy, fruity, and vegetal aromas. It’s almost botanical in nature, similar to gin. The palate is intense, with the sharp spice of black pepper softened by some delightful rose petal flavors. It’s pricey, but this is one of the best blancos on the market. Average price: $49.

Under $100

Fortaleza Blanco

A favorite among bar industry professionals and agave aficionados, Fortaleza Blanco delivers from start to finish. Its aromas are spicy and slightly mentholated, with floral notes and underripe stone fruits adding nuance. The palate enters well rounded and full-bodied, before a tingling spice lingers on its lengthy finish. This is another blanco that begs (and deserves) to be sipped neat. Average price: $51.

Partida Añejo

Aged in former whiskey barrels, this añejo pours a dazzling honey gold. Its nose effuses sweet baking spices, starting with vanilla and ending on a distinct licorice note. The palate continues in similar fashion, with salted caramel and brown butter notes adding depth. Average price: $51.

Patrón Reposado

While it’s one of the world’s best-selling tequila brands, Patrón doesn’t sacrifice quality in pursuit of quantity. This reposado shares the pale gold hue of a rich Chardonnay. Its nose is complex and full of citrus, vegetal, spiced aromas. The flavor profile is equally intense, with no hint of artificial sweetness. Average price: $51.

Santera Añejo

If Patron’s reposado looks like Chardonnay, this incredibly light bottling is a Sauvignon Blanc by comparison. There’s barely a hint of oak in its aromas, either, though dried fruits, vanilla, and cedar arrive on the palate. This is a lively añejo that hits all the right notes. Average price: $53.

El Tesoro Añejo

El Tesoro Añejo pours honey gold, with a perfumed nose. White petal aromas lead to sweet but not cloying flavors, followed by dried fruits and a gentle spiced finish. This is nuanced, thought-provoking añejo at its finest. Average price: $54.

Pasote Añejo

Pasote Añejo is light in color and body, and has an easy-drinking quality. Vanilla cupcake and cooked agave aromas lead the nose, followed by caramel flavors and a seasoning of tingling spice. The finish is clean and long- lasting. Average price: $58.

Don Julio 70 Añejo

This añejo tequila spends 18 months in American white oak casks before it’s charcoal-filtered to remove the color. While it looks like a blanco, it has the oaky, butterscotch aromas of an aged tequila and a full-bodied palate with dried apricot and vanilla flavors. This bottle is perfect for sipping neat or adding an extra dimension to (baller) Margaritas. Average price: $61.

Código 1530 Reposado

With an almost-maple hue, this reposado is darker than most on the market. The nose is unmistakably tequila, but also evokes other complex, aged spirits. The palate is remarkably smooth, but also spicy and layered, with an exceedingly lengthy finish. Average price: $69.

Cincoro Reposado

Sweet aromas lead the nose of this rich golden reposado, with vanilla and baking spices followed by vegetal, dried pineapple leaves. The palate is velvety and once again has a sweet core, which is textured by spice and the faintest smoky note. Sip this on special occasions. Average price: $90.

Patrón Estate Release Blanco

If you’re going to spend close to $100 on a blanco tequila, you’ll no-doubt expect a truly special bottle. This limited-edition release is made exclusively from agave grown on the grounds of the Patrón estate. And it’s more than just a marketing gimmick. This blanco’s aromas are intense and concentrated, with a nose that starts off spicy before perfumed floral notes enter the fray. The palate is perfectly balanced but not without complex character. Average price: $93.

Splurge (Over $100)

Cincoro Añejo

This pricey añejo is one for those who drink expensive brown spirits but have yet to find their preferred agave distillate. It shares the color of a light bourbon and many of the same aromas, from dried fruits to baking spices and oak. The palate is rich and raisined and introduces a hint of cooked agave. The price tag says it’s a sipper, but the flavor profile screams “mix me in an Old Fashioned.” Average price: $126.

Código 1530 Origen Extra Añejo

By law, extra añejo must age for a minimum of three years before release. This tequila doubles down on that, spending six years in French Oak barrels that previously housed Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. That combination imparts complex character, but also gives its range of flavors and aromas plenty of time to come together in one luxurious, harmonious pour. This is another great option for those who typically enjoy expensive whisk(e)y or Cognac. Average price: $298.

Don Julio Real

Let’s not kid ourselves, $375 is a lot of money to spend on any spirit, but this one-of-a-kind bottle does make it somewhat of a collector’s item. The liquid inside is equally precious. While not aged as long as the Origen (three to five years in American oak, in this case), this extra añejo is similarly layered and nuanced and has a beautifully perfumed nose. For many of us, the best chance to try this will be a pricey pour from a local agave-centric bar. Given the bottle, it shouldn’t be hard to spot on the top shelf. Average price: $375.

The article The 30 Best Tequilas for Every Budget (2020) appeared first on VinePair.

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The 30 Best Tequilas for Every Budget (2020)

Cinco de Mayo may come around once a year, but every day is a tequila celebration if you live in the United States, as the category is showing juggernaut growth.

In 2018, the agave distillate led our spirits category in both volume and value growth, according to Nielsen, while last year, the IWSR reported that America had retained its crown as the world’s top market for tequila imports. Though our current landscape already looks much different than recent history, early sales data suggests tequila is among a handful of spirits that have enjoyed a 75 percent sales spike at retail during the Covid-19 pandemic.

For those looking to stock up on booze now — or ever — tequila offers a broad range of options. There’s vegetal-accented blancos, lightly aged reposados, and luscious, complex añejos. Great examples of each can be found for $40 or less, while splurge-worthy, special-occasion bottles exist in abundance.

VinePair tasted more than 60 tequila brands to curate our best-of-the-best list, at every price point. Whether your budget is $25, $50, $100, or more, these are 30 of the best tequilas on the market today.

Under $25

Camarena Reposado

This affordable reposado pours a pale wheat color, with sweet aromas of agave syrup, vanilla, and brown sugar. It hits the palate with silky, medium-bodied richness, and finishes with a pleasant spice. Average price: $19.

Arette Blanco

The vegetal bite of this tequila’s aromas immediately capture one’s attention, followed by fresh flowers and grapefruit peel. The palate dials down the intensity, with soft vanilla sweetness and just a touch of spice. Average price: $22.

Espolòn Reposado

Pouring a striking pale gold, this tequila offers a baker’s delight on the nose, with sweet aromas that range from vanilla cookie dough to agave syrup. The palate is full-bodied, velvet- smooth, and seasoned with a crack of black pepper. Average price: $23.

Elvelo Blanco

A roller-coaster in a glass, this blanco tequila has a pungent nose, textured with earthy, dried fruit notes. The palate is similarly concentrated, but much more savory in character. Its higher proof (44.5 percent ABV) and intense flavors make this a truly memorable tequila. Average price: $23.

Milagro Silver

This easy-going tequila offers an attractive mix of floral, spicy, and fruity aromas. The palate is nicely balanced and well rounded, providing a cocktail-friendly blanco that can also be enjoyed neat. Average price: $24.

Under $50

Corralejo Reposado

A wonderful pink-gold hue makes this reposado inviting from the get-go. The nose is fruity with a spicy kick that evokes grappa. The palate continues on a similar path, adding green vegetal notes to the mix. Enjoy with seltzer and lime in a refreshing Highball or mixed with grapefruit soda for a characterful Paloma. Average price: $27.

Gran Centenario Plata

Notes of olives, jalapeño, and salty brine define this complex tequila. Its distinct, savory flavor profile promises to add character to cocktails and makes for a particularly interesting Margarita option. At this price, you can enjoy them by the pitcher. Average price: $28

Cabo Wabo Blanco

This “Pre-Clooney” celebrity tequila brand was founded by Sammy Hagar (of Van Halen fame) in the ’90s, but is now completely owned by spirits conglomerate Gruppo Campari. Cabo Wabo’s blanco expression provides the best bang for buck from its lineup, serving vegetal, spiced aromas and a silky smooth palate. Average price: $32.

Elvelo Reposado

Much like the blanco, Elvelo’s reposado comes in hot on the alcohol scale, clocking in at 44.5 percent ABV. While the prior is well suited to cocktails, this could absolutely be enjoyed neat and will appeal to those who drink overproof spirits or enjoy the bite of a rye whiskey. Average price: $35.

Gran Centenario Añejo

Añejos at this price point typically share two things in common: They look artificially colored and taste overwhelmingly sweet. Neither is true of Centenario’s offering. Aged for upwards of 18 months in French Limousin oak barrels (best associated with Cognac production) this tequila’s aromas could well be those of a blanco or reposado. The palate is fiery (read: spice not booze) with a pleasant undertone of oaky sweetness. Average price: $36.

Casa Noble Crystal Blanco

Triple-distilled for a “smoother-than-glass finish,” according to the brand, this blanco offers black pepper, cranberry, and olive brine on the nose. The palate skews more toward dried fruits, such as prunes, as well as cedar and fresh agave. This is a well-balanced, vegetal option. Average price: $37.

Partida Blanco

Twice-distilled in stainless steel pots, this blanco matches mineral aromas with the pleasant salinity of juicy green olives. There’s a light caramel profile to the palate, making it an approachable option for those who mix their Margaritas on the sweeter side. Average price: $40.

Tanteo Blanco

Tanteo offers a range of infused tequilas from chipotle to habanero to jalapeño. Its unflavored blanco expression doesn’t break that mold (at least in spirit), with a nose that opens like a jar of spicy pickled cactus. The palate is also remarkably vegetal, making this a tequila for true aficionados. Average price: $40.

Santera Blanco

This bottle stands out with a sharp rectangular design and minimalist labeling. The liquor inside has briny, slightly dusty aromas with a faint hint of cloves. That spice continues to lead the palate, but is kept in check by dried fruits and a hint of honey. Try it in a Negroni in place of gin. Average price: $41.

Corralejo Añejo

Pouring a light maple color, this tequila smells like an aged grain spirit, with notes of raisins, oak, figs, and just a hint of spice. The agave character comes out much stronger on the palate, while the flavors from oak aging take a comfortable back seat. This añejo is full of personality and priced so you can experiment in cocktails. Average price: $41.

El Tesoro Blanco

Fermented in open wooden vats using ambient yeast, this blanco has robust agave character. The nose is floral and spicy, there are  some tart berry notes, and just a hint of olive brine. The palate is incredibly smooth and well balanced, with a generous, full-bodied mouthfeel. Drink neat or on the rocks with a lime wedge. Average price: $46.

Código 1530 Blanco

There’s a wonderful depth to the nose of this tequila, which has layers of floral, spicy, fruity, and vegetal aromas. It’s almost botanical in nature, similar to gin. The palate is intense, with the sharp spice of black pepper softened by some delightful rose petal flavors. It’s pricey, but this is one of the best blancos on the market. Average price: $49.

Under $100

Fortaleza Blanco

A favorite among bar industry professionals and agave aficionados, Fortaleza Blanco delivers from start to finish. Its aromas are spicy and slightly mentholated, with floral notes and underripe stone fruits adding nuance. The palate enters well rounded and full-bodied, before a tingling spice lingers on its lengthy finish. This is another blanco that begs (and deserves) to be sipped neat. Average price: $51.

Partida Añejo

Aged in former whiskey barrels, this añejo pours a dazzling honey gold. Its nose effuses sweet baking spices, starting with vanilla and ending on a distinct licorice note. The palate continues in similar fashion, with salted caramel and brown butter notes adding depth. Average price: $51.

Patrón Reposado

While it’s one of the world’s best-selling tequila brands, Patrón doesn’t sacrifice quality in pursuit of quantity. This reposado shares the pale gold hue of a rich Chardonnay. Its nose is complex and full of citrus, vegetal, spiced aromas. The flavor profile is equally intense, with no hint of artificial sweetness. Average price: $51.

Santera Añejo

If Patron’s reposado looks like Chardonnay, this incredibly light bottling is a Sauvignon Blanc by comparison. There’s barely a hint of oak in its aromas, either, though dried fruits, vanilla, and cedar arrive on the palate. This is a lively añejo that hits all the right notes. Average price: $53.

El Tesoro Añejo

El Tesoro Añejo pours honey gold, with a perfumed nose. White petal aromas lead to sweet but not cloying flavors, followed by dried fruits and a gentle spiced finish. This is nuanced, thought-provoking añejo at its finest. Average price: $54.

Pasote Añejo

Pasote Añejo is light in color and body, and has an easy-drinking quality. Vanilla cupcake and cooked agave aromas lead the nose, followed by caramel flavors and a seasoning of tingling spice. The finish is clean and long- lasting. Average price: $58.

Don Julio 70 Añejo

This añejo tequila spends 18 months in American white oak casks before it’s charcoal-filtered to remove the color. While it looks like a blanco, it has the oaky, butterscotch aromas of an aged tequila and a full-bodied palate with dried apricot and vanilla flavors. This bottle is perfect for sipping neat or adding an extra dimension to (baller) Margaritas. Average price: $61.

Código 1530 Reposado

With an almost-maple hue, this reposado is darker than most on the market. The nose is unmistakably tequila, but also evokes other complex, aged spirits. The palate is remarkably smooth, but also spicy and layered, with an exceedingly lengthy finish. Average price: $69.

Cincoro Reposado

Sweet aromas lead the nose of this rich golden reposado, with vanilla and baking spices followed by vegetal, dried pineapple leaves. The palate is velvety and once again has a sweet core, which is textured by spice and the faintest smoky note. Sip this on special occasions. Average price: $90.

Patrón Estate Release Blanco

If you’re going to spend close to $100 on a blanco tequila, you’ll no-doubt expect a truly special bottle. This limited-edition release is made exclusively from agave grown on the grounds of the Patrón estate. And it’s more than just a marketing gimmick. This blanco’s aromas are intense and concentrated, with a nose that starts off spicy before perfumed floral notes enter the fray. The palate is perfectly balanced but not without complex character. Average price: $93.

Splurge (Over $100)

Cincoro Añejo

This pricey añejo is one for those who drink expensive brown spirits but have yet to find their preferred agave distillate. It shares the color of a light bourbon and many of the same aromas, from dried fruits to baking spices and oak. The palate is rich and raisined and introduces a hint of cooked agave. The price tag says it’s a sipper, but the flavor profile screams “mix me in an Old Fashioned.” Average price: $126.

Código 1530 Origen Extra Añejo

By law, extra añejo must age for a minimum of three years before release. This tequila doubles down on that, spending six years in French Oak barrels that previously housed Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. That combination imparts complex character, but also gives its range of flavors and aromas plenty of time to come together in one luxurious, harmonious pour. This is another great option for those who typically enjoy expensive whisk(e)y or Cognac. Average price: $298.

Don Julio Real

Let’s not kid ourselves, $375 is a lot of money to spend on any spirit, but this one-of-a-kind bottle does make it somewhat of a collector’s item. The liquid inside is equally precious. While not aged as long as the Origen (three to five years in American oak, in this case), this extra añejo is similarly layered and nuanced and has a beautifully perfumed nose. For many of us, the best chance to try this will be a pricey pour from a local agave-centric bar. Given the bottle, it shouldn’t be hard to spot on the top shelf. Average price: $375.

The article The 30 Best Tequilas for Every Budget (2020) appeared first on VinePair.

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