When hard seltzer first came on the scene, no one could have guessed its future as the next craft-beverage boom. But its growing popularity goes hand in hand with the trend to embrace more health-conscious drinking habits, especially among millennials.
No one knows this better than Eddie Leon, whose M.I.A. Beer Company was the first Miami brewery to make hard seltzer, debuting its Hrd Wtr in 2016.
“Hard seltzers have positioned themselves at the nexus of convenience and health,” Leon tells
New Times. It s here to stay.
These carbonated, water-based hard seltzers are essentially ready-to-drink cocktails, most ranging from 4.5 percent to 6 percent ABV. Made from either malted barley or fermented sugar or an apple base like the one M.I.A. uses to make its Hrd Wtr+ the breweries even boast that they re gluten-free. Most contain 100 calories or less per can.