2022 in Review: the Biggest Hard Seltzer and Canned Cocktail News and Releases

It’s that time of year again. The year 2022 comes to a close. New Year’s Day and dry January approaches, and we’re all left wondering how long our New Year’s Eve resolutions will last. It’s also the time of year to look back at all the greatest events of 2022. For us at Seltzer Nation, that means looking back at the 135 delicious drinks we tested and reviewed. We were also able to interview Sammy Hagar and many more alcohol industry innovators about incredible new products and what went into making them. On top of that, we look back on all of the new releases we delighted in throughout 2022 and the products we look forward to in 2023. When looking back at the past year, it’s impossible to deny that 2022 was a great year for hard seltzer and canned cocktail fans. Here is a rundown of the biggest news to hit the hard seltzer and canned cocktail industry in 2022.

Truly Released Vodka Seltzers

Our most popular story of 2022 was the nationwide release of Truly Vodka Seltzers in October of this year. The story originally leaked on Linkedin in April with very little detail available about when, where, and how these products were going to hit the market. With the size and enthusiasm of Truly Hard Seltzer’s fan base, details didn’t matter much. The hard seltzer industry’s second leading brand announced that the flavors are Blackberry & Lemon, Cherry & Lime, Peach & Tangerine, and Pineapple & Cranberry. Not only that, these drinks have real fruit juice along with vodka. Truly Vodka Seltzers released on October 11th, 2022, and are available now across the United States.

White Claw Released Two New Flavor Lines

White Claw has long enjoyed the top spot in the hard seltzer industry. Perhaps because of this, the brand has been slower than many of its competitors in releasing new flavors and innovations. However, this year, White Claw released two brand new flavor line innovations. The first was White Claw Surf which was the brand’s first “full-flavor” hard seltzer line. Not only that, these products were the first White Claw hard seltzers to feature more than one fruit flavor. The flavors included Citrus Yuzu Smash, Tropical Pomelo Smash, Watermelon Lime Smash, and Wildberry Acai Smash.

Only two months later, White Claw announced it was releasing yet another line of flavors. White Claw REFRSHR released a line of lemonade hard seltzers and hard tea seltzers last spring. The two REFRSHR lines have eight flavors in all, including lemonades Limón with a hint of Calamansi, Blood Orange with a hint of Black Raspberry, Blackberry with a hint of Red Cherry, and Strawberry with a hint of Kiwi. In the hard tea line, the flavors are Lemon, Peach, Mango, and Strawberry.

Coca-Cola Released Two New Products: Simply Spiked and Fresca Mixed

Coca-Cola entered the US adult drink market in 2021 with Topo Chico Hard Seltzer. However, the beverage industry giant truly caught its stride in 2022, releasing two new products and announcing two more to come in 2023. Coca-Cola released Simply Spiked Lemonade Hard Seltzers in May of 2022. The flavors included Signature Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, Blueberry Lemonade, and Watermelon Lemonade. They were far from the first lemonade hard seltzers on the market. However, these drinks included the real fruit juice of one of America’s favorite lemonade brands. Even though the drinks contained high levels of sugar and carbs, they were widely popular as soon as they hit the market. As summer turned to fall, Coca-Cola released another alcoholic version of one of its popular products, this time, it was Fresca soda. Fresca Mixed released two ready-to-drink cocktails, the Vodka Spritz and the Tequila Paloma.

RTDs Coming in Early 2023: Coca-Cola & Jack Daniels, Captain Morgan and Vita Coco, Topo Chico Spirited, and Lipton Hard Iced Tea

If you are thinking of joining in on dry January, you might want to think twice. There are so many ready-to-drink cocktails to look forward to in early 2023. While none of the brands releasing products have committed to a specific release date, we do know that Coca-Cola & Jack Daniels, Captain Morgan and Vita Coco, Topo Chico Spirited, and Lipton Hard Iced Tea all plan to launch in the early days/months of 2023. That’s not all. There are many other fantastic alcoholic drinks to look forward to in 2023. For one, after a slight delay in release, Monster the Beast Unleashed also plans to roll out in January 2023. Whether you join in on dry January or not, 2023 looks to be as exciting a year as 2022. Cheers! Happy New Year!

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