White claw.. Is it really that good or marketing hype?

[matridium]

The title says it all. I've never drank it, but I read an article last night that the company is clean out of the drink and can't keep up. Also its more popular than American IPA and apparently some how even guys drink it in public, so it's not a "girls" drink (whatever that's supposed to mean). Personally, it looks like another marketing fad like Zima.

 

[K_tile]

Whiteclaw taste like carbonated fruit water with no alcohol taste. Zima had a malty flavor but was early technology. I tried Zima again when it was rereleased...gross.

I have heard other hard stelzer have flavoring that taste like cough medicine. Whiteclaw ( Mikes Hard Lemonade) or Truly (Sam Adams) are supposed to be the better ones.

On vacation we bought Whiteclaw for the beach. Its pretty refreshing with 95 degree weather.

 

[GoeHaarden]

Never had white claw. The Bon & Viv seltzers are actually pretty tasty on a hot day. My wife brought some out to the pool one day, and I tried one and I actually enjoyed it. Quite refreshing on blistering days...

 

[S-Met]

When my wife was Beverage head for her prior employer, we got to sample lots of goodies including hard seltzer and the alca-pops (not your father's... and similar).
We felt White Claw was gross (bad aftertaste) , but Truly was ok if it was cold and you squeezed a wedge of lemon or lime.

No way does it replace a beer, but ok for a can cocktail hot day.

 

[matridium]

Apparently the company can't keep up with demand.. I'm calling BS. They are trying to build hype to sell more

 

[Beernik]

I haven’t had one, but it sounds like premixed vodka tonic.

 

[Steveruch]

The bigger the hype, the smaller the quality.

 

[TBC]

I’ve tried a few of the wife’s different hard seltzer’s and Crook and Marker by far is the best in my opinion. Better than Truly and White Claw.

 

[Robert65]

I haven’t had one, but it sounds like premixed vodka tonic.

And if you can't mix a vodka tonic, you really don't need a drink.

 

[Bean]

I find it more enjoyable than a lawnmower beer and at ~5% how could you not, its just refreshing, even better when you add more vodka to it. Yes, it's the crazy of 2019 now that all the basics know about it but hard seltzer isn't anything new. It isn't like the, Not your fathers root beer craze of a few years ago.

 

[OnePlate]

My wife loves White Claw now. We didn't even know what this stuff was until we tried some at a party a couple months ago. My mouth got bored really fast. I'd rather have a vodka tonic made with good tonic or better yet, a well-made Mexican mule.

 

[dlettow]

Over the past year or so I've seen a steady increase in my circle of friends that are drinking it regularly. Last night I was playing sheepshead with about 20 people, and it seemed there were no less than a couple hundred white claws in the coolers, which were near empty by the end of the night. Seens everyone is watching their waistline a lot more these days. I've had them a few times when the beer I bring runs out and some of them are ok. Depends on the flavor.

I heard someone saying last night that there was a shortage and I immediately thought BS. But then I read the article myself and it stated sales were up almost 300% from a year ago. That is astronomical growth. I believe there could be challenges when a brewery needs to triple its output that quickly.

 

[BruceH]

This sounds like wine coolers in the 1980's, anyone remember Bartel's and James? Great commercials, big demand for awhile.

 

[Robert65]

This sounds like wine coolers in the 1980's, anyone remember Bartel's and James? Great commercials, big demand for awhile.

Like my comment on fixing a V & T above, if you can't fix a white wine spritzer... what I thought about those bottled spritzers in the day. Bartles and James ads were some of the best campaigns ever. Current floggers of alcopops got some catching up to do.

 

[Beernik]

And if you can't mix a vodka tonic, you really don't need a drink.

Literally, LOL

 

[Nate R]

So on a recent trip to Vegas with my wife's girlfriends us boys were sent out more often for white claws than i can count. I think the girls matched us beer for claw.
It was said above but here is the draw of white claw:
Low Calorie! Low Carb!
It's the Coors Light of girl drinks. You can drink it all day and not feel too drunk or too fat.

Unlike a wine cooler it's less calories. And it is way easier to drink vs. a vodka mix as its in a can.

To me it is all the same (truly, white claw, etc.) I assume white claw just was first to market and/or best distribution deals.

Watch wahat happens to sales as the summer temps drop. I bet the draw will drop a bit. It seems like a summer drink to me.

 

[Robert65]

Low Calorie! Low Carb!

Really? Don't see it. X alcohol = x calories. Y sugars included in other stuff to make that palatable = y calories. Beer, wine, mixed drink, no matter what, same buzz will get you just as much drunker and fatter. But you could piss a lot more money into some marketing scheme to get the same hangover, or not. Chicks who think they aren't drinking calories because it looks light in color are the ones you want to move in on; not very bright at all and probably can't remember how to find you. DISCLAIMER!!!!!: that last sentence was pure satire.

 

[Nate R]

Really? Don't see it. X alcohol = x calories. Y sugars included in other stuff to make that palatable = y calories. Beer, wine, mixed drink, no matter what, same buzz will get you just as much drunker and fatter. But you could piss a lot more money into some marketing scheme to get the same hangover, or not. Chicks who think they aren't drinking calories because it looks light in color are the ones you want to move in on; not very bright at all and probably can't remember how to find you. DISCLAIMER!!!!!: that last sentence was pure satire.

Hey man... i didnt say i get it. The day i get why women do stuff is the day i am a very very rich man.
But i think compared to say a beer the stats are better.
Give me a fully loaded fully carbed fully chockfullocalories beer anytime. But i fill out a swimsuit if you know what i mean. Not in a good way.
Insert Tastes Great Less Filling gif here.

 

[bob1852]

Really? Don't see it.

Budweiser, 12oz. 5% ABV, 145 calories, 11g carbs

White Claw, 12oz. 5% ABV, 100 calories, 2g carbs

 

[Nate R]

Budweiser, 12oz. 5% ABV, 145 calories, 11g carbs

White Claw, 12oz. 5% ABV, 100 calories, 2g carbs

What he said!!!!

 

[matridium]

Budweiser, 12oz. 5% ABV, 145 calories, 11g carbs

White Claw, 12oz. 5% ABV, 100 calories, 2g carbs

Eventually, the Alcohol is metabolized and stored as fat...especially if someone is drink these back one after the other. 5% contributes to the weight gain as well. The only difference I see is the 45 calories and the 2g carbs.
A friend stopped by last weekend and brought some Cape Line, the ladies drank that and we drank homebrew. There was two cans left over in the fridge, I tried one last night, not impressed. And another thing the article I was reading about the shortage, said its not "B****beer" masculine men can drink white claw. But I'm seeing lots of replies here stating women drink white claw the most. I just figured people drink what they like....whatever.. But I think the watching the weight thing comes into play for wome the last thing I think about when I drink a good beer is "I wonder if I'm going to fit into those new jeans I just bought"

 

[Qhrumphf]

I recall hearing the hard seltzer industry growth is more like 800%. It's not surprising that even small/local craft breweries are making this trash.

My hope is now that Pabst and Four Loko are making stronger versions, the big three will make em too, and craft breweries will stop this nonsense.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Also I thought with ethanol, if you knock em back at least, as the body can't store it it's rather quickly processed from ethanol > acetaldehyde > acetic acid by the liver and then secreted and the alcohol calories aren't taken up by the body. Drinking slowly they have more impact. To that end, the carbs and residual sugars of beer make hard seltzer much easier on the waistline.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Also the "guys drink" vs "girls drink" part is as much garbage as hard seltzer itself. Just throwing that out there.

 

[dmtaylor]

 

[matridium]

Also I thought with ethanol, if you knock em back at least, as the body can't store it it's rather quickly processed from ethanol > acetaldehyde > acetic acid by the liver and then secreted and the alcohol calories aren't taken up by the body. Drinking slowly they have more impact. To that end, the carbs and residual sugars of beer make hard seltzer much easier on the waistline.

Generally, your probably right, but every persons liver is different. I have no clue about how one can assay the temporal resolution of alcohol matbolic rate vs drinking rate. Slow or fast..I'm sure someone has studied this. Interesting.

 

[grampamark]

My daughter, who’s 39 and has been a beer drinker since her college days, has started drinking hard seltzer because she likes the variety of flavors. She mentioned yesterday an item on the local news about the White Claw shortage, and that the story reported that Bozeman, MT, a college town, had the highest per capita consumption of White Claw in the nation (how this was determined I have no idea; random sampling of distributors, perhaps).

This morning I went to the west end Wally World here in Billings to pick up a few groceries. I noticed that there were 12-packs of White Claw stacked 6 feet high in the beer/wine section. I called my daughter and told her there was no shortage of seltzer here; apparently, tweakers drink less White Claw than college students.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Went to a Dierks Bentley concert on Friday, and the crowd in general was a cautionary tale... #whiteclawgonewrong

 

[applescrap]

Had to chime in. Sometimes I drink them and drink tons of them. Other times I take a drink and shudder and wonder htf do I drink something like this. Tonight I like this one. We get truly here among others. I have been wanting to make one and have been fairly active towards that. Some have come up with some great stuff. Anywho what is interesting to me is in Florida I got two 12 packs for the price of one and here it is 15 for 12.

 

[BruceH]

I was at the local walmart today. The refrigerated beer aisle was missing many beer brands. However, there was plenty of "White Claw". Just an observation and possible confirmation of the news story all being a marketing ploy.

 

[SanPancho]

We sell a metric ****-ton of this stuff every month. Millennial hipster craze. Very strange.

Dunno about any shortage. Our orders always get filled.

 

[505-Brewer]

White Claw outsold every other brand of “beer” over 4th of July weekend. That speaks volumes.

Its mainly considerably lower carb and slightly lower calories than “beer”. Some of the light beers are very close in values so one could always have those instead. Of course those aint tooty fruity enough for some of you fellers.

Personally Id rather drink less high quality beer than more hard seltzer.

 

[Nate R]

White Claw outsold every other brand of “beer” over 4th of July weekend. That speaks volumes.

Its mainly considerably lower carb and slightly lower calories than “beer”. Some of the light beers are very close in values so one could always have those instead. Of course those aint tooty fruity enough for some of you fellers.

Personally I rather drink less high quality beer than more hard seltzer.

I'd rather just go sober than a fruity seltzer. I like to drink but not that much. I'll drive that night so the rest can party.
Next time we go to a brewerie/pub and you can drive!

 

[S-Met]

I'd rather drink a half-decent hard seltzer than a pisswater bmc. Though I'd probably be as satisfied if I were having a soft seltzer or water. At this point in life, I am not drinking to get drunk, I drink for the taste.

 

[505-Brewer]

I dont drink the stuff. I’ll have a few NA seltzers now and then but I’ll skip on the Slut Juice thank you very much.

 

[matridium]

I was in the package store last night asked the clerk and he said we have tons of it and never had a problem getting it.

 

[verboten]

I prefer the pamplemousse, but my Mango seltzer, and to a slightly lesser extent the peach, have not lasted very long at the house. The neighbors drink it, the girls drink it. I drink it.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I drink a crapton of normal seltzer water (I *very* rarely drink soda). If I wanted to, add a shot of vodka to regular seltzer. Same damned thing, and a hell of a lot cheaper.

I'll keep my beer, thanks.

 

[S-Met]

I drink a crapton of normal seltzer water (I *very* rarely drink soda). If I wanted to, add a shot of vodka to regular seltzer. Same damned thing, and a hell of a lot cheaper.

I'll keep my beer, thanks.

Granted all bars are different and this is just one example:
Local pub: pint =6.00
Bottle/can domestic/hard seltzer =4.00
Mixed well drink including vodka seltzer =7.50

Also thinking about backyard bbq/camping/boating ice chest full of cans or a bottle of booze, bottles of mixers, cups and something sorta resembling responsible drinking... can of hard seltzer is much more convenient. And I don't need to worry about sloppy drunks making 3x-5x super cocktails because they can't taste the alcohol.

 

[Robert65]

I recall something I saw long ago that's relevant. It was one of the early post-WW2 Budweiser ads, and probably the earliest beer ad featuring an image of young people in bathing suits on the beach with a cooler. The text explicitly pointed out that taking cans (relatively new packaging) of Bud, which only needed to be opened with a churchkey, to the beach, was more practical than taking bottles of booze, glasses, mixers.... This has obviously always been a good marketing angle. Now you don't have to have a beer instead of a cocktail, you can have a cocktail with the convenience of a beer, and that ad suggests that several generations ago many people would have taken that option if offered.