{"id":49536,"date":"2023-05-23T08:50:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T12:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/?p=49536"},"modified":"2026-09-13T11:59:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T15:59:14","slug":"what-is-a-hard-seltzer-the-centuries-old-history-and-origin-of-flavored-carbonated-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/what-is-a-hard-seltzer-the-centuries-old-history-and-origin-of-flavored-carbonated-water\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Hard Seltzer? The Centuries-Old History and Origin of Flavored Carbonated Water"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"thebe-4198364041\" class=\"thebe-antes-del-contenido-3 thebe-entity-placement\">\n            <div \n                class=\"elfsight-widget-popup elfsight-widget\" \n                data-elfsight-popup-options=\"%7B%22blocks%22%3A%5B%7B%22id%22%3A%22babc7e96-e195-4da3-a8c5-7072d42f2f5c%22%2C%22type%22%3A%22image%22%2C%22imageFile%22%3A%7B%22type%22%3A%22uploaded%22%2C%22data%22%3A%7B%22name%22%3A%2261d71zGp0%2BL._SL1500_%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.thebeertimes.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2F2026%5C%2F02%5C%2F61d71zGp0L._SL1500_.jpg%22%2C%22size%22%3A45654%2C%22type%22%3A%22image%22%2C%22extension%22%3A%22jpeg%22%2C%22width%22%3A940%2C%22height%22%3A1500%2C%22ext%22%3A%22jpeg%22%7D%7D%2C%22imageScale%22%3A60%7D%2C%7B%22id%22%3A%226689e0da-ab1d-42a0-ac83-457ff13f91dd%22%2C%22type%22%3A%22button%22%2C%22buttonText%22%3A%22Buy%20on%20AMAZON%22%2C%22buttonAction%22%3A%22redirect%22%2C%22buttonStyle%22%3A%22filled%22%2C%22buttonShape%22%3A%22rectangle%22%2C%22buttonColor%22%3A%22rgb%28255%2C%2038%2C%2067%29%22%2C%22buttonFontSize%22%3A16%2C%22label%22%3A%22Button%22%2C%22buttonUrl%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.amazon.com%5C%2Fdp%5C%2FB0GDGJJWD2%22%7D%5D%2C%22layout%22%3A%22modal%22%2C%22width%22%3A500%2C%22popupBlocksAlignment%22%3A%22center%22%2C%22popupShape%22%3A%22rounded%22%2C%22popupBackgroundColor%22%3A%22rgb%28255%2C%20255%2C%20255%29%22%2C%22popupBackgroundImage%22%3Anull%2C%22popupBackgroundImageOverlayColor%22%3A%22%22%2C%22overlayVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22overlayClose%22%3Atrue%2C%22overlayBackgroundColor%22%3A%22rgba%2817%2C%2017%2C%2017%2C%200.7%29%22%2C%22overlayBackgroundImage%22%3Anull%2C%22overlayBackgroundImageOverlayColor%22%3A%22%22%2C%22closeButtonVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22closeButtonColor%22%3A%22rgba%2817%2C%2017%2C%2017%2C%200.7%29%22%2C%22triggerPageLoadEnabled%22%3Afalse%2C%22triggerTimeOnPageEnabled%22%3Afalse%2C%22triggerTimeOnPageDuration%22%3A30%2C%22triggerScrollEnabled%22%3Atrue%2C%22triggerScrollPosition%22%3A25%2C%22triggerScrollToElementEnabled%22%3Afalse%2C%22triggerScrollToElementId%22%3Anull%2C%22triggerClickEnabled%22%3Afalse%2C%22triggerClickElementId%22%3Anull%2C%22triggerExitIntentEnabled%22%3Afalse%2C%22displayFrequency%22%3A%22everytime%22%2C%22displayPages%22%3A%22allPages%22%2C%22displayExcludedPages%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22displaySpecificPages%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22displayDevices%22%3A%5B%22desktop%22%2C%22tablet%22%2C%22mobile%22%5D%2C%22widgetId%22%3A%224%22%7D\" \n                data-elfsight-popup-version=\"1.0.0\"\n                data-elfsight-widget-id=\"elfsight-popup-4\">\n            <\/div>\n            <\/div><div id=\"thebe-4165724996\" class=\"thebe-fuente-preferida-2 thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=thebeertimes.com\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"A\u00f1adir como fuente preferida en google\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Anadir-como-fuente-preferida-en-google-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Anadir-como-fuente-preferida-en-google-1.jpg 638w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Anadir-como-fuente-preferida-en-google-1-300x60.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\" width=\"175\" height=\"127\"  style=\"display: inline-block;\" \/><\/a><\/div><p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">By <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/aeronautbrewing.wordpress.com\/2021\/02\/24\/hard-times-call-for-hard-seltzers-the-history-of-seltzer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mark Bowers<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>To properly discuss and understand what a hard seltzer is, we first need to know something about its history, origins, and evolution, starting with naturally carbonated spring water.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21068\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21068\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21068 size-full\" title=\"Hard Seltzer\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Hard-Seltzers.jpg\" alt=\"Hard Seltzer\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Hard-Seltzers.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Hard-Seltzers-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Hard-Seltzers-114x60.jpg 114w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21068\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hard seltzer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Naturally carbonated mineral spring waters have been known for millennia, being used even as medicinal agents by the ancient Greeks.<\/p>\n\n<div id=\"thebe-3881416679\" style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9395258998211551\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9395258998211551\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"8775458773\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<h2>History and Origins of Hard Seltzers<\/h2>\n<p>Over the centuries, naturally bubbly spring water continued to be a novelty for those lucky enough to live around these aquifer environments until the 18th century, when <a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Spa_(salud)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spa culture<\/a> became definitively established, especially in Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Hotels, inns, and resorts developed around many of these naturally carbonated mineral springs, where people could come and benefit from their supposedly &#8220;healthy&#8221; and &#8220;curative&#8221; powers.<\/p>\n<p>The word &#8220;Seltzer&#8221; in fact derives from the name of the spa town of Niederselters in Germany, which began bottling its carbonated spring water around 1728.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21069\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21069\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21069\" title=\"Niederselters\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Niederselters.jpg\" alt=\"Niederselters\" width=\"400\" height=\"266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Niederselters.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Niederselters-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Niederselters-270x180.jpg 270w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Niederselters-370x245.jpg 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21069\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Niederselters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>By the 19th century, with the industrial revolution underway, city dwellers had access for the first time to bottled natural mineral water that began to be sold in pharmacies.<\/p>\n<p>Some enterprising pharmacists even chemically analyzed naturally occurring mineral waters to reproduce them from tap water, replicating the mineral composition and then artificially carbonating and bottling them before selling them.<\/p>\n<p>These waters and carbonated beverages assumed different names over time. Originally, the term seltzer was used to refer to natural sparkling mineral spring water.<\/p>\n<p>However, once carbonated water began to be manufactured industrially, the terms soda and carbonated water became mass-used, even generating the first associated trademarks, such as Club Soda, by the Irish company Cantrell &amp; Cochrane in 1877.<\/p>\n<div id=\"thebe-2720443951\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9395258998211551\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9395258998211551\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1179889612\" \ndata-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\ndata-ad-format=\"fluid\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Flavored Carbonated Waters<\/h2>\n<p>Because these natural seltzers sometimes had flavors that might not be pleasant to everyone, due to their mineral compounds, pharmacists began adding extracts such as lemon juice to improve their flavor.<\/p>\n<p>The first carbonated lemonade as such hit the market in 1833, and just 4 decades later, in 1870, carbonated beverages were already considered more as refreshments than as medicinal tonics.<\/p>\n<p>It was at the end of the 19th century that the boom in sweetened soft drinks occurred, all similar in composition, but referred to by different names such as &#8220;flavored soda&#8221; or &#8220;soda pop.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Years later, the first root beer was introduced to the market in 1876, followed by the creation of Coca-Cola by John Pemberton in 1881.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21070\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21070\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21070\" title=\"John Pemberton\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/John-Pemberton.jpg\" alt=\"John Pemberton\" width=\"400\" height=\"381\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/John-Pemberton.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/John-Pemberton-300x286.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21070\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">John Pemberton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Seltzers became even more popular as the <a href=\"https:\/\/es.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Movimiento_por_la_Templanza\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">temperance movement<\/a> gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, eventually triggering what was the Prohibition era in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>During <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/el-fin-de-la-ley-seca-en-estados-unidos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prohibition<\/a>, many bars and pubs converted into soda fountains to avoid closing completely. But the popularity of seltzers spread, of course, far beyond the end of Prohibition.<\/p>\n<p>However, in the late 1950s, when people began leaving cities en masse for the suburbs, soda fountains were replaced by coffee shops, and the popularity of seltzers, as well as sugar-free and generally flavorless carbonated waters, began to continuously decline.<\/p>\n<p>By that time, the market began to be dominated by highly sweetened sodas or pop, and Coca-Cola was crowned the king of them all.<\/p>\n<h2>Hard Seltzers and the Healthy Lifestyle Concept<\/h2>\n<p>It was in the late 1970s when Americans began to question the purity of drinking water, which triggered the resurgence of mineral water as a healthy alternative.<\/p>\n<p>This not only helped sales but also marked the beginning of the bottled still water market craze. <span style=\"font-size: 19px;\">During this time, flavored (but sugar-free) seltzers were the most common.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In parallel, meanwhile, alcoholic beverage producers had been continuously launching new drinks.<\/p>\n<p>The wine cooler segment had become very popular in the 1980s, a team that <span class=\"\">was essentially a packaged form of homemade wine spritzer<\/span><span class=\"\">,<\/span><span class=\"\"> a mix of inexpensive white wine with lemon-lime soda, marketed basically as &#8220;a soft drink for adults.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>However, most of these beverages contained not only alcohol but also a substantial amount of sugar. They were sweet and certainly attracted many consumers who had grown up drinking sodas like Pepsi or Coca-Cola.<\/p>\n<h2>The Birth of Hard Seltzer<\/h2>\n<p>The appearance of the term &#8220;hard seltzer&#8221; dates back to 2012 with the introduction of the &#8220;West Indies Lime&#8221; seltzer under the SpikedSeltzer brand, when brewer Nick Shields and his business partner Dave Holmes at the family brewery called Haffenreffer Private Stock developed the first product with this designation in Nick&#8217;s garage in Westport, Connecticut.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"goog-text-highlight\">Nick Shields himself recounts the following about the birth of spiked seltzer:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span class=\"goog-text-highlight\">The idea overwhelmed me after observing a group of women order vodka-sodas over and over at a local bar. At that moment I thought what would happen if I could prepare something as light, simple, and clear but with a moderate alcohol level of about 6% ABV. Something bubbly, refreshing, low in sugar, and with natural flavors. Something that tasted like sparkling water. It was such a simple idea, but a product with those characteristics did not exist.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Clearly, at least in retrospect, the time had come when consumers would strongly consider the alternative of a healthier alcoholic beverage.<\/p><div id=\"thebe-2311038577\" class=\"thebe-libros-amazon thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div style=\"background-color: #ffffff; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 12px; padding: 16px; max-width: 320px; margin: 20px auto; text-align: center; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3LddZmQ\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-43340 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Gu\u00eda Pr\u00e1ctica Catar Cerveza Amazon\" width=\"200\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-370x370.jpg 370w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #0000ff; font-weight: bold; margin: 8px 0; line-height: 1.2;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3LddZmQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\">Gu\u00eda pr\u00e1ctica para catar cerveza: C\u00f3mo apreciar correctamente todas las cervezas del mundo<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-medium fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium fasc-ico-before dashicons-cart\" style=\"background-color: #ff9900; color: #000000;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3LddZmQ\">Comprar en Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Refined sugar began to be constantly vilified, as did gluten and any other ingredient considered artificial.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21071\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21071\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21071\" title=\"Dave Holmes and Nick Shields\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Dave-y-Nick.jpg\" alt=\"Dave Holmes and Nick Shields\" width=\"400\" height=\"279\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Dave-y-Nick.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Dave-y-Nick-300x209.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21071\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dave Holmes and Nick Shields<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>By those years, the trend of opting for healthy alternatives to almost everything we ate and drank up to that moment had already developed.<\/p>\n<p>Athletically active people wanted a beverage that was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/how-many-calories-in-beer-and-how-to-calculate-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">naturally low in calories<\/a> but still tasted good.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, there was a growing group of consumers who wanted a low-alcohol alternative for their drinks.<\/p>\n<p>Consumers were ready to abandon the sweet, sugary soft drinks they had grown up with and even the artificially sweetened diet sodas they had transitioned to, for something more adult that also qualified as a &#8220;healthy option.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>These new seltzers met most of the requirements considered healthy at the time. They were low in calories (around 100), all ingredients were natural (nothing artificial, nothing transgenic, simple and organic ingredients), and healthy (no refined sugar and no gluten).<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, one of the main attractions of hard seltzer was being a light, refreshing, bubbly beverage that quenched thirst with a soft fruity flavor.<\/p>\n<p>They even included a bit of &#8220;fun,&#8221; since most hard seltzers had an alcohol content of around 5% ABV.<\/p>\n<p>Even aluminum packaging began to be considered ecologically sustainable compared to traditional packaging methods, since cans were recyclable, light, and did not break easily.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Brew a Hard Seltzer?<\/h2>\n<p>Hard seltzers can be made primarily by adding a flavoring, a neutral spirit (such as vodka), and a flavor extract to purified and carbonated water.<\/p>\n<p>But breweries are not legally authorized to add a neutral spirit to water; they must produce their alcohol through fermentation.<\/p>\n<p>The trick consists of making the yeast completely ferment a solution of sugary water into clean ethyl alcohol, which has no strange flavors and is crystal clear.<\/p>\n<p>To achieve this, special nutrients are added to the sugar wash along with some yeast strains specially developed for this purpose.<\/p>\n<p>Then, this alcoholic water is filtered to remove particle remnants and other possible unpleasant flavors before adding the desired flavorings.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, this flavored alcoholic water is artificially carbonated so that it is foamy, compact, and ready for immediate consumption.<\/p>\n<div id=\"thebe-2720443951\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9395258998211551\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9395258998211551\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1179889612\" \ndata-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\ndata-ad-format=\"fluid\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The Evolution of Hard Seltzers<\/h2>\n<p>At first, the flavors of hard seltzers were established around the addition of natural fruit extracts with a particular emphasis on citrus flavors, since lemon and\/or lime were the first to arrive and remained immensely popular.<\/p>\n<p>After citrus, tropical fruits like mango and passion fruit were also successful, as were watermelon, cucumber, ginger, and even dragon fruit.<\/p>\n<p>Berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, elderberries, and cranberries, are also very popular when combined with traditional citrus flavors.<\/p>\n<p>More recently, hard seltzer producers have been developing products around some less common berries such as acai, goji, aronia, and schisandra; flowers such as hibiscus, honeysuckle, and lavender; and herbs such as basil, thyme, and sage.<\/p>\n<p>All of them, not to mention the somewhat more unusual hard seltzers, but with a rising market, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/lanzamiento-del-libro-brewing-with-cannabis-using-thc-and-cbd-in-beer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">made with CBD<\/a> and other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lavanguardia.com\/vivo\/lifestyle\/20181222\/453670725005\/plantas-adaptogenas-estres.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CLas%20adapt%C3%B3genas%20son%20un%20grupo,adaptar%C2%BB%E2%80%9D%2C%20explica%20esta%20experimentada\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">adaptogenic<\/a> herbs.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/h2>\n<h3>1. What is the difference between a hard seltzer and a &#8220;ready to drink&#8221; (RTD)?<\/h3>\n<p>Although both are sold in cans, the main difference lies in the alcoholic base. While many RTDs are combinations of distilled spirits (such as gin and tonic), traditional hard seltzer is produced through the fermentation of cane sugar or malt, a process similar to beer, but filtered until a neutral, transparent, and gluten-free profile is obtained.<\/p>\n<h3>2. How many calories does a hard seltzer have compared to a craft beer?<\/h3>\n<p>A standard 355 ml hard seltzer contains approximately 100 calories and between 1 and 2 grams of carbohydrates. In contrast, a craft beer (such as an IPA) can exceed 200-250 calories due to its malt content and residual sugars, which positions seltzer as a &#8220;light&#8221; alternative for fitness-conscious consumers.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Does hard seltzer contain gluten?<\/h3>\n<p>For the vast majority, yes, they are gluten-free. Being made from the fermentation of cane sugar instead of barley or wheat, the result is naturally &#8220;gluten-free.&#8221; However, it is always vital to check the label, since some smaller-scale brands use a barley malt base that could contain traces.<\/p>\n<h3>4. What is the average alcohol content of these beverages?<\/h3>\n<p>The standard alcohol volume in a hard seltzer ranges between 4% and 5% ABV, which is approximately equivalent to a light lager beer. However, a category called &#8220;Imperial&#8221; or &#8220;Harder&#8221; seltzers has emerged that can reach up to 8% alcohol content.<\/p>\n<h3>5. How should a hard seltzer be properly served to highlight its flavor?<\/h3>\n<p>For an optimal experience, it is recommended to consume it very cold (between 2\u00b0C and 4\u00b0C) directly from the can. If served in a glass, it is suggested to use a wine glass or a tall glass with plenty of ice and a slice of fresh fruit (citrus or berries) that complements the base flavor, thus enhancing its refreshing and bubbly character.<\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is the difference between a hard seltzer and a ready to drink (RTD)?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Although both are sold in cans, the main difference lies in the alcoholic base. While many RTDs are combinations of distilled spirits (such as gin and tonic), traditional hard seltzer is produced through the fermentation of cane sugar or malt, a process similar to beer, but filtered until a neutral, transparent, and gluten-free profile is obtained.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How many calories does a hard seltzer have compared to a craft beer?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"A standard 355 ml hard seltzer contains approximately 100 calories and between 1 and 2 grams of carbohydrates. In contrast, a craft beer (such as an IPA) can exceed 200-250 calories due to its malt content and residual sugars, which positions seltzer as a light alternative for fitness-conscious consumers.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Does hard seltzer contain gluten?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"For the vast majority, yes, they are gluten-free. Being made from the fermentation of cane sugar instead of barley or wheat, the result is naturally gluten-free. However, it is always vital to check the label, since some smaller-scale brands use a barley malt base that could contain traces.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is the average alcohol content of these beverages?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"The standard alcohol volume in a hard seltzer ranges between 4% and 5% ABV, which is approximately equivalent to a light lager beer. However, a category called Imperial or Harder seltzers has emerged that can reach up to 8% alcohol content.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How should a hard seltzer be properly served to highlight its flavor?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"For an optimal experience, it is recommended to consume it very cold (between 2\u00b0C and 4\u00b0C) directly from the can. If served in a glass, it is suggested to use a wine glass or a tall glass with plenty of ice and a slice of fresh fruit (citrus or berries) that complements the base flavor, thus enhancing its refreshing and bubbly character.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<h2>We Recommend<\/h2><div id=\"thebe-1270523177\" class=\"thebe-adsterra-300-x-250 thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 15px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9395258998211551\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9395258998211551\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1930811761\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/beer-and-chinese-food-pairing-guide-explore-full-potential\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Beer and Chinese Food Pairing Guide, Explore Its Potential<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/10-ingredientes-para-el-exito-de-una-cerveceria\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">10 Ingredients for a Craft Brewery&#8217;s Success<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"thebe-1165142911\" class=\"thebe-adskeeper-fin-articulo thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 20px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1705281\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Naturally carbonated mineral spring waters have been known for millennia, being used even as medicinal agents by the ancient Greeks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40617,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21119],"tags":[21170,21122,21279,22356,21134],"class_list":["post-49536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-culture","tag-business","tag-culture","tag-fermentation","tag-hard-seltzer","tag-history"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49536"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49536\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49538,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49536\/revisions\/49538"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}