Move over White Claw: This will be the summer of wine seltzers if Colorado beverage makers have a say
Colorado may be an undisputed beer mecca, but as summer temperatures set in, it’s impossible to ignore the prevalence of hard seltzer when drinkers look for ways to beat the heat. And as of late, the state’s winemakers are tapping into the market with their own original concoctions in hopes of capitalizing on consumers’ thirst.
According to Ryan Lee, the Denver-based founder and CEO of Livvy, seltzers made from a grape base are popular among manufacturers because they add a natural sweetness to the beverages and don’t necessitate the use of artificial flavorings. Livvy, which debuted in July 2022, offers three flavors all made with ginger root, prickly pear root, dandelion root and licorice root extract, plus real fruit juice depending on the flavor.
Last summer, Neilsen reported that hard seltzers accounted for 43% of the dollars spent in the ready-to-drink beverage space. Even though that figure was down about 10% compared to 2021, Lee said the category is still ripe with opportunity.