The young ecosystem of hard seltzers is evolving at an alarming rate. It was only a matter of time before a big enough company like Bud Light put its scientists to the test and gave us a fascinating seasonal variety pack. With no official release date, it looks as if the long-established brewing company intends to release new flavors of their hard seltzer sometime soon. And yes. Those will apparently include the highly beloved and equally maligned flavor… Pumpkin Spice.
It’s a story as old as Starbucks. Well, as old as 2003, when the global coffee powerhouse first debuted its sensational Pumpkin Spice Latte. Ever since then, it’s been a staple of the Fall season. Now, Bud Light is getting in on the action by including it in its seasonal hard seltzer variety pack. According to MyBeerBuzz, the pack will also include flavors called Toasted Marshmallow and Maple Pear.
This is not your grandpa’s Bud Light. In fact, this is… this is something new entirely. Of course, smaller companies like Vive have experienced with pumpkin spice hard seltzer before. But Bud Light putting it on the shelves with the brand recognition it enjoys will be interesting to watch.
It’s important to keep in mind that Bud Light hasn’t yet announced this pack or confirmed these flavors officially. But that hasn’t stopped people from running with the news. On the surface, the seltzers look pretty normal. 5% alcohol with 100 calories seems to be the industry standard among hard seltzer producers. At least, those are the same numbers other big dogs like White Claw and Truly boast.
Bud Light Entering New Territory with Interesting Hard Seltzer Flavors
Look a little deeper, however, and this seasonal pack is anything but normal. For one, the “leaked” designs indicate a flannel theme for the boxes and cans.
Second, the Toast Marshmallow flavor isn’t even pretending to contain natural flavors. In a beverage space dominated by fruit flavors, putting out a marshmallow one is a bold choice. Then again, traditional hard seltzers already divide opinion, so it’s possible something like this could find traction.
Finally, we arrive at the Maple Pear flavor. Depending on who you ask, this may very well be the most promising flavor of the bunch. A maple pear pie doesn’t sound half bad. But how do these flavors translate to a mass-produced alcoholic beverage operation? Only time will tell. And at least one Twitter user seemed troubled by its very existence.
“As a Canadian I am stunned with a maple – pear taste. Who could come up with such a combination of tastes?” someone replied to the MyBeerBuzz tweet.
Point taken from an authority on the maple subject. Though the question hardly needs answering. Bud Light is the mastermind behind these seasonal flavors, that based on the initial reactions will surely shake up the world of hard seltzers.
