White Claw hard seltzer will finally launch in the UK next month

The king of the hard seltzers, White Claw, will finally land in the UK next month.

White Claw, founded by Okanagan winery owner Mark Anthony von Mandl, is made with sparkling water, triple distilled spirit and natural fruit flavouring. Each 330ml can contains 95 calories, and 4.5% ABV.

The UK will be the first country outside of North America to sell the infamous fizzy drink, which some drinks producers are hoping will boost their own sales by proxy.

Mark Anthony Brands International, White Claw’s parent company, will distribute the seltzer in the UK.

Davin Nugent, CEO of Mark Anthony Brands International, said: “we are delighted to launch White Claw Hard Seltzer in the UK, the brand’s first market outside of North America.

“Making the decision to come here was an easy one, as consumers familiar with the brand in America have made sure to have their voices heard on our social media channels; demanding we bring White Claw to these shores.

“UK retailers have also been hugely supportive of our plans as we seek to lead the development of an entirely new category in alcohol beverage, just as we have done in the US.”

Hard seltzers are typically low in alcohol (around 5% ABV), low calorie (around 100 per can), and low in sugar, with most cans containing between 1-2 grams. They are also largely vegan and gluten free, which has helped them to win over a legion of health conscious millennial fans in the US.

In 2016, Mark Anthony Brands and Boston Beer Co both launched hard seltzer brands: White Claw and Truly.

Truly has proved so successful for the brewer that it now sells more hard seltzers than it does beer, while White Claw’s sales surpassed US$1.5 billion last year.

White Claw has become one of Mark Anthony Brands’ most valuable products. More drinks groups made hard seltzers of their own and experienced similar growth, creating a new category in the alcohol market. Sales of Hard Seltzer in the US last year were in excess of 80m cases, and the category is valued at $2.5 billion, according to IRI.

UK-based companies Brewdog and Kopparberg also launched hard seltzer brands only days before White Claw’s arrival to the UK became official.

Steven Kersley, head of distillation at Brewdog Distilling Co, told the drinks business his own employer’s seltzer will bring “worthy competition” to the category in the UK.

“White Claw doesn’t have a great deal of equity in the UK, but Brewdog does,” he said.

“White Claw may have taken the US by storm…but if and when they come to the UK, they’ll find some worthy competition.”