White Claw Goes Booze-Free
The Claw’s staying well within the laws as consumers’ tastes change.
White Claw is to the hard seltzer boom as Popeyes is to the Chicken Sandwich Wars. But in a surprising business move, it seems that the leader of the hard seltzer movement is taking a 180-degree turn into the booze-free realm. Say hello to White Claw 0% Alcohol.
This lineup of drinks includes four varieties, with each 12-oz. can containing two grams of sugar and 15 calories, compared to the classic product's 85 calories and 5% ABV. The beverage contains around half as many electrolytes as a typical sports drink and comes in Black Cherry Cranberry, Mango Passion Fruit, Peach Orange Blossom, and Lime Yuzu flavors.
A brief history of White Claw products
White Claw became synonymous with drinking culture during the summer of 2019 and picked up steam throughout 2020. By 2021, the brand even doubled down on its alcohol-forward image by releasing White Claw Surge, a line of White Claw flavors with 8% ABV instead of 5%. And just this summer, the brand released a premium vodka and an accompanying line of canned ready-to-drink vodka sodas.
However, as much as White Claw continues to expand its alcoholic offerings, the newest generation of drinking-age adults appear to be progressively less interested in alcohol altogether. The press release for White Claw 0% Alcohol notes that in a recent survey conducted by White Claw, 81% of Gen Z and 78% of millennials who drink alcohol noted their interest in exploring a "sober curious" lifestyle. The same survey also found that 64% of consumers wish there were better non-alcoholic options available, with many saying they'd be more likely to choose non-alcoholic beverages if they came in flavors they like, were from brands they already know, contained electrolytes, and were low in sugar.
"The industry is ripe for disruption as demand for flavorful, non-alcoholic drinks is on the rise," said Phil Rosse, President of Mark Anthony Brands Inc., which owns the White Claw brand. "But current options like excessively sweet mocktails, bland waters, and near-beers are disconnected from what today's adult drinkers want."
White Claw's biggest selling point for the new line is that it's meant to deliver the distinct taste and "complexity" of alcoholic drinks that many other alcohol-free beverages do not. (We beg to differ!) White Claw 0% Alcohol will begin rolling out to nationwide retailers starting January 1, 2024.