White Claw Hard Seltzer is an alcoholic seltzer water beverage owned by Mark Anthony Brands and designed by Bulletproof. The beverage was introduced in 2016. It is sold under nine different 100-calorie, 5% ABV flavors that include Black Cherry, Ruby Grapefruit, Natural Lime, Raspberry, Mango, Lemon, Tangerine, Watermelon and Pure Hard Seltzer. The lemon, tangerine and watermelon flavors were added in March 2020. White Claw is made from a blend of seltzer water, a gluten-free alcohol base, and fruit flavor. In the summer of 2019, it was reported that White Claw accounted for over half of all total hard seltzer sales; volume sales of White Claw grew 275% over the year prior. White Claw has a shelf life of about 12 months.
History
The founder of White Claw, Anthony von Mandl is a British Canadian business owner who made his beginnings in the wine industry in the 1970s. He marketed his wine out of his car and eventually a small office in Canada's Vancouver region. In 1996, Mandl had also founded Mike's Hard Lemonade, a brand of flavored alcoholic lemonade beverages. Von Mandl founded the two beverage companies through his brand Mark Anthony. Von Mandl had purchased his first vineyard, Mission Hill, at 31 in 1981. Von Mandl currently owns three other vineyards aside from Mission Hill: Checkmate Artisan Winery, Martin's Lane Winery, and Cedar Creek Estate Winery, all located in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.
Popularity
Since 2016, hard seltzer sales have been steadily increasing at a triple-digit annual rate. As of 2019, White Claw was noted the top-selling hard seltzer in the country: dominating 60 percent of the category market. White Claw's popularity was met with a nationwide shortage; resulting in the company working towards significantly increasing supply in order to meet consumer demand. Throughout 2019, White Claw's popularity grew as a result of the hard seltzers being circulated through viral social media videos, which included the slogan "Ain’t no laws when you’re drinking Claws," coined in a video by YouTube comedian Trevor Wallace which gained 4.2 million views. Wallace then attempted to popularize his video further by releasing a t-shirt with the phrase from his video. White Claw took action by issuing Wallace a cease-and-desist. Many White Claw memes have also circulated and Halloween costumes of the beverage have also shown to be a growing trend. As the popularity of the beverage brand rose throughout the summer, many media personalities coined the term "White Claw summer". The light beer brandNatural Light, better known as 'Natty Light' struck back in the fight to be the better beverage brand by using Wallace in a stunt directed at White Claw. Wallace was flown in via helicopter on a yacht at the Catalina Wine Mixer, on Catalina Island, California. Furthermore, it is noted that the low-calorie count, fruity flavors, and "meme-ability" of the hard seltzer were aspects that stood out to millennials and Gen Z. Mission Hill Winery served as a tourist spot for Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in September of 2016. By July 2020, White Claw recorded a 246.7% increase in sales when compared with the early summer months of 2019.
Shortages
Due to the increase in volume sales in the United States, Mark Anthony Brands put into place an allocation distribution practice to ensure that the hard seltzer can continue to be sold in all markets. Senior Vice President of Marketing Sanjiv Gajiwala stated that White Claw will continue the practice until all stocks are in a "safe position". Stores that sell out of the hard seltzer will not receive an increase in volume distribution while the allocation is in place. While White Claw has only been around for three years, it is a big enough brand to have had experienced shortages in stores nationwide. According to Nielsen data, White Claw is the top-selling hard seltzer and its sales have risen by 250% from the previous year. In 2019 White Claw was America's number one hard seltzer, collectively bringing in about $1.5 billion in sales according to Gajiwala.
Factory Locations
Mark Anthony Brands has revealed that a $250 million new White Claw production facility will be erected in Glendale, Arizona and is expected to open June 2020. Von Mandl has planned to spend $385 million into two new production facilities with the second one being in New Jersey.
