In the world of light drinks, and the many innovations in the field, hard-seltzers are gradually taking on an important role. However, the concept is still poorly understood in France. In some supermarkets, they can be found in the middle of vodkas or they can be described as "flavoured beers", but this is not the case.

    By definition, a hard seltzer is an alcoholic, flavoured sparkling water, but the category is much more diverse. For example, there are more and more wine seltzer, a hard seltzer made from de-alcoholised wine and flavourings. These drinks, which rarely exceed 5% alcohol, are also very low in calories, which explains their success on American beaches.

    Indeed, hard-seltzers are a runaway success across the Atlantic. The market analysis institute IWSR announced last week that the category will "far exceed" the initial forecast of 281 million cases sold in the US by 2023, two years ahead of schedule. Analysis in 2019 predicted that sales would double in four years, but the phenomenal success of these beverages is exceeding all estimates. Molson, for example, after increasing its production of hard seltzer by 400% in 2020 in the United States, has decided to invest $100 million in this category in order to increase its Canadian production by 300%. The hard-seltzer market appeared five years ago and is now worth $3 billion.

    If the success of hard-seltzers is growing in the United States, France is not to be outdone. Coca-Cola just launched its hard seltzer in French supermarkets last month and 100% French creations are flourishing (DILU, Café de Paris, Opean, etc.). Hard seltzers are already present in one shop out of two. If their launch is still timid, the progression of sales seems to have accelerated in the last few weeks, with turnover having doubled between March and April. According to Nicolas Léger, analyst director at NielsenIQ, the category should be very successful this summer, particularly thanks to the Euro football tournament and the high temperatures forecast.

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    Mocktails, these non-alcoholic cocktails, have long been considered as drinks for underage consumers. However, in line with the development of non-alcoholic beers and wines, in recent years there have been strong innovations in spirits with the development of "non-alcoholic spirits" similar in characteristics to their alcoholic counterparts. They have played a key role in the renaissance of the mocktail.

    From Diageo with Seedlip to Pernod-Ricard with Ceder's and the French Djins, innovations in alcohol-free products are a hot topic. These alternatives were initially mainly appreciated by barmen, allowing them to revisit traditional cocktails for customers seeking to limit their alcohol consumption. Some bars have even decided to develop this concept by opening establishments serving only non-alcoholic drinks. Among the most notable examples are the Listen Bar in New York, the Virgin Mary in Dublin but also the Gueule de Joie bar in Nantes or Drinks&Co in Paris.

    Then these "non-alcoholic spirits" found their audience among all consumers and are becoming increasingly popular. In France, the market for non-alcoholic drinks has jumped by 30% in 2018. In England, sales of non-alcoholic spirits are expected to increase by 80% in 2022. 

    In the same way, mocktails have become much more democratic and recipes for non-alcoholic cocktails are flourishing on the web for everyone. Traditional cocktails such as Gin Tonic, Spritz, Mojito, are all being reinterpreted without alcohol and are becoming increasingly popular, especially among health-conscious consumers who want to reduce their sugar intake. In fact, they can be up to 4 times less sweet than their alcoholic versions. 

    Thanks to such developments in non-alcoholic spirits, the future of the mocktail is assured: to drink without moderation. 

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