Truly's New Vodka Is Inspired By These 3 Popular Hard Seltzer Flavors
Spring is around the corner, and folks are ready to trade in their hot toddys for an ice-cold cocktail; Cinnamon sticks are being pushed to the back of the spice cabinet, as lime wedges prepare to make their annual comeback. Those looking to enjoy a fruity, low-cal spiked beverage have reached for Truly Hard Seltzer in the past, and now the brand is getting spirited by releasing three flavored vodkas inspired by its top-selling hard seltzers (via Bar Business).
Truly has partnered with Beam Suntory, a global premium spirits producer, to create Truly Flavored Vodka. With a history of experimenting with bold flavor combinations and alcohol by volume (ABV) percentages, Truly offers a range of products in addition to its classic hard seltzers: from spiked iced teas and lemonades to Truly Extra Hard Seltzer with an 8% ABV.
Influenced by its most popular hard seltzer flavors, Truly Flavored Vodka will come in Strawberry Lemonade, Wild Berry, and Pineapple Mango. Like the hard seltzers, the new product line is made from cane sugar and contains about 100 calories per serving, shares Food & Wine. The vibrant colors and fruity flavors should lend themselves nicely to a refreshing and eye-catching mixed drink for the warmer months.
Why is Truly venturing into vodka?
Despite the fact that alcohol consumption is the highest it has been in decades, beer sales have waned, causing alcoholic beverage makers to think outside the beer can (via FoodDive). Enter the hard seltzer category that seemingly took over retailers' shelves as consumption increased 130% in 2020. Along with White Claw, Truly dominates a now saturated market that has recently experienced a dip in growth and sales, so it makes sense the brand would be looking to differentiate itself from other hard seltzers by venturing into a new market and offering a line of flavored vodkas.
Boston Beer ramped up its production in response to the wild popularity of hard seltzers, but when the market started to fizzle, CNBC says that the company decided to destroy millions of cases of Truly inventory before it went stale. When life gave Truly lemons, it made strawberry lemonade-flavored vodka. Like a few other brands venturing into unfamiliar markets, Truly hopes that its top-selling hard seltzer flavors will be just as popular in vodka form.
According to Food & Wine, Truly's new 60 proof vodka line will be sold in 50-milliliter, 375-milliliter, 750-milliliter, and 1-liter bottles, and should be available soon at retailers nationwide.