We’re not big fans of any alcoholic beverage, of course, but we really worry about the implications of this one.
According to this article, sales of White Claw, one of the top alcoholic seltzer brands, were up 265% year over year.
Here’s why we think this could be a bad thing:
It gives drinking a veneer of “health" by promoting itself as low calorie (like light beers that promote themselves to athletes), gluten-free, and low-carb. It’s kind of like those old commercials that used to promote chocolate frosted sugar bombs-esque breakfast cereal as part of a complete breakfast… along with 10 oranges. Alcohol isn’t healthy; this just means you’re choosing a healthier mixer.
A higher calorie beer might have the advantage of making you feel full, and therefore drink less. A light seltzer, probably not so much.
It’s a lot more convenient to grab a mango seltzer than to make yourself a cocktail. That means people who love sweet cocktails might be likely to drink more often, or drink more, than they would otherwise. It’s just lower effort, less time between drinks, less planning required.
We’re not saying it’s less healthy, just saying if your goal is a reduction in the amount of alcohol you consume, this might not be a good idea for you.
If you’re cutting back or quitting drinking, we’d love to help. Drinker’s Helper is an app that provides motivational exercises, drink tracking and insights into why you drink, and a support group of your peers to help you make needed changes. Try it free for a week before joining!
