HARD SELTZERS: The new kid on the block

Call it whatever — hard seltzer, spiked seltzer, boozy soda water — it’s a drink that has turned heads in the recent past.

- Gagan Sharma

What was once considered a niche category, a fad, a drink for the uninitiated, something for beginners before you moved on to the more serious drinks, has been on the rise with its timing fueled by Covid, and the general shift towards limited-yet-conscious drinking. In the beginning it was called “the world’s first, brewed alcoholic lemonade” by the Aussie brand, “Two Dogs”, circa early 1990s. Now, it’s generally accepted in the US which has added more shades to its personality and pushed it to become a global citizen. The drink has found a home in India too and is making waves across the board. Despite its tardy awakening from the slumber of adolescence, hard seltzer is becoming a permanent addition in the spectrum of daily elixirs, and you must know about them, or fear being called a social outcast!

Let’s go back in time a thousand years. Across the world there were mineral springs with naturally sparkling waters. Rich in nutrients, they were lauded for their medicinal value, whether consumed or from bathing in the waters. Seeing an opportunity here, some towns started bottling and selling them. One of the towns in Belgium was called Spa, contributing its name to the detoxifying and cleansing rituals of today. Another important German town was Niederselters which has etymologic roots with today’s moniker, seltzer. For marketing and commercial reasons perhaps, all waters came to be called ‘Seltser’s water’, which over the years was reduced to seltzer. Simply put, mineral water with a kiss of fizz equals seltzers, capisce!!