If theres a perfect fast-food brand capable of crossing over into hard seltzer, Sonic might just be it. Although this seltzer drinks well on its own merits, it doesnt stand out among highly-rated siblings within the same range. With Sonics iconic branding and flavors ranging from Pineapple to Ocean Water for all taste preferences, this refreshing drink deserves its place among cold drinks on those hot days! Brand stewardship and licensing partnership was something that was in my set of experiences previously. SONIC is part of the Inspire Brands family. Pick up a pack and host your own happy hour any time you want! Rather than having watermelon as its primary flavor which dominates many American beverages in this category Sonics version is dominated by honeydew notes with subtle hints of watermelon playing off them to create harmony and intrigue. Following the adoption of the new name, and alongside entrepreneur Charlie Pappe, owner Troy Smith opened some 41 locations before Pappes death in 1967. Despite lofty expectations, our taste testers were sorely disappointed by the Ocean Water seltzer flavor from Sonic Hard Seltzers. Of course, so-called berry lemonade often doesn't taste like berries, so we won't hold that against it. 21 New States Welcome SONIC Hard Seltzer. Those storylines, and other market factors, are creating new opportunities for brewers willing to try their hands at developing businesses beyond their own portfolios and brands. You asked and we delivered: SONIC Hard Seltzer is now available across nearly half the country! As Oklahomas top-selling craft brewer, COOP had been carefully stewarding its own brand for the last 13 years, and with popular Sonic-style hard seltzer flavors, Mossman had a ready-made conversation starter with a nationally known licensor whose offices were just a mile south of the brewery. . To celebrate 2023 Interna Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A., 56, rue Charles Martel, L-2134 Luxembourg, LuxembourgR.C.S. That doesn't mean it tastes bad, but it does mean it's putting on airs and pretending to be more special than it actually is. In its home market, Mossman says, the synonymity is more pronounced (if thats even possible.) 2023 LEARFIELD. [M]ost consumers are either fans or are at least familiar with our popular drink flavors across Sonics 46-state footprint, explains Springer, noting that while the firms franchisees are excited by the hard seltzer rollout, there are no plans to sell the alcoholic beverage at the drive-ins themselves. 4-5 Raspberries. Updated: 10:54 AM CDT November 4, 2021. Order up! By Christmas Eve, Springer had secured the green light, and the two firms set about developing Sonic-specific flavor formulas and packaging to evoke the drive-ins neon Americana branding. But in a multibillion-dollar hard seltzer market, regional and nearly national longtail brands can stack tremendous cash without leading the category. This is, after all, the brand that lets you put literal candy inside your drinks and slushes, so it would only fit for their seltzer to shoot for that kind of sugary experience. Would you also like to leave us a comment? According to data reviewed by VinePair, this spring, Sonic cracked the top-15 hard seltzer brands in Nielsen scan data for grocery, convenience, drug, and liquor stores, despite limited distribution and volume compared to both craft and mass-market category leaders. . Sonic has got the middle of America, and theyve had a grip on it for years, says Donn Bichsel, the founder of 3 Tier Beverages, an independent beverage-alcohol consultancy that provides data analytics for COOP. And the choice to package this growth? Its not just orange juice- this drink has a unique and delicious taste reminiscent of those classic corn syrup drinks from years ago now, excited for adults who want more than a refreshing treat! This seltzer might also please fans of black cherry soda. This feature was not appreciated when it came to this particular imbibe. the technical definition of sonic). Sonic hard seltzers comes in a wide variety of flavors! Hard Seltzer Market Size Worth $49.4 Billion By 2028: Grand View Research, Inc.. [online] Prnewswire.com. The taste is stronger than some of the others, and the extra sweetness really helps sell it as Limeade rather than just another weak-tasting hard seltzer. In its first three months in-market, SONIC Hard Seltzer became one of the top 10 fastest selling seltzer brands nationally. It's like if you made lemonade and just forgot to put sugar in it. This Sonic Seltzer presents an assertive orange flavor with a subtle hint of pineapple to balance. To learn more about the SONIC Hard Beverages products and where to purchase, visitsonichardbevs.com. Though no artificial sweeteners were listed on the label, its taste exhibited slight saccharine qualities that made for an overall pleasing flavor profile full of citrusy lime essence and oil notes. Sonic hard seltzer is another opportunity for us to reach our Sonic fans outside of the drive-in, explains the firms director of brand marketing and activation, Grant Springer, in response to emailed questions from VinePair. From the chains perspective, hard seltzer was an intriguing new vessel for its familiar flavors, one that could carry the brand onto supermarket shelves and into off-premise drinking occasions that even the cheesiest of footlong chili cheese dogs would have trouble reaching. The Tropical Variety Pack features Ocean Water, Melon Medley, Mango Guava and Orange Pineapple. There is no other drive-in quite like them! Its sales velocity in major chain retailers is strong. Guava is often a mysterious flavor in many products, but its distinct and unique taste can be hard to define. According to new reports, the hard seltzer market is expected to reach $49.4 billion by 2028[1], showing that the category is still highly in demand with no sign of slowing down. Born from the collaboration between SONIC Drive-in, a 68-year-old brand powerhouse, and COOP Ale Works, a 12-year-old quality craft brewery, SONIC Hard Seltzer continues to gain a devoted customer following. "Colder faster, 360-degree branding on the vessel and leading recycling rates and recycled content rates make this the . Sonics Hard Seltzer Is Hot. Together he and Mossman hashed out the structure of the licensing arrangement. And, of course, the branding and packaging require close collaboration with the chain: Directly prior to his interview with VinePair, Mossman was going back and forth with Springer about font usage and intellectual property parameters. Cherry Limeade is Ocean Water's nemesis in the Sonic flavor battle, but unlike its competitor, it's actually deserving of its star status. Trew Knowledge. Sonic has decided to capitalize on its fast-food beverage supremacy by hopping on the hard seltzer bandwagon, releasing a lineup of eight flavors. Cookie Policy | Privacy Statement | Terms&Conditions. It did make sense, at first. Sonic Cherry Limeade Seltzer stands out from the crowd, boasting an intense and unmistakable fake cherry flavor. Your email address will not be published. . Were building an enterprise separately, built around Sonic and any additional innovations that well bring on, he says. SONIC is part of the Inspire Brands family. In addition to Oklahoma, SONIC Hard Seltzer is now available in Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri & Texas! COOP Beverage Works is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oklahoma City-based craft brewery COOP Ale Works. Beverage Cans By using this site, you are agreeing to the site's terms of use. This is one of the best, if not the best, of the Sonic Seltzer bunch and definitely beats everything else in the tropical box. The Sonic Hard Seltzer website contributes to America's worsening polarization by exhorting visitors to publicly declare whether they stand with Team Ocean Water or Team Cherry Limeade. We enjoy Mango White Claw, so we enjoy this too. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2011 - 2023 All rights reserved. Whether Sonic hard seltzer can sell well in, say, New England, where the drive-ins brick-and-mortar presence is comparatively sparse, is an open question; Bichsel speculates that the going would get tougher for the licensed FMB further afield of its true-blue footprint. Follow @birdstorc and @goldenwitchfire on Twitter and Instagram for daily updates!Feb.. Maybe Sonic had this demographic in mind when they formulated the Lemonade flavor, because we don't know who else this could possibly be for. SONIC Hard Seltzer will move into six new markets: Texas Kansas, Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Arizona. The first you know about. Some states clearly have a greater appetite for the restaurant than others,. Beginning its 27th year, the Conference has produced over 780 Academic All-America selections and claimed national championship team titles in 20 of its 23 sponsored sports. Tags: Sour fake orange dominates this seltzer, with pineapple playing a supporting role. All your favorite SONIC flavors are now available as hard seltzer! With its monochromatic flavor profile and lack of complexity, there is no incentive for palates looking for an exciting adventure. FA Cup prize money has become a trending topic after the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham, West Ham and Grimsby took part in the 5th Find out how much tickets are for Post Malones just-announced UK tour in May 2023. Given that, you might assume that COOP is using the Sonic name as a foot in the door to expand its owned-and-operated beers and hard seltzers with new wholesale and retail partners. They generously sent us a couple of cases so we could test out all the flavors and share our results with you. Nov. 3, 2021, 09:55 AM. You need relationships with chain retailers, strong distribution, and licensed brands that the American drinking public would actually reach for instead of owned-and-operated brewery brands. The R&D process at COOP would eventually coalesce as Will & Wiley, a hard seltzer line named for actor Will Rogers and boundary-pushing pilot Wiley Post, two native Oklahomans. It would definitely be worth picking up as a standalone six-pack if you had the opportunity. Required fields are marked *. I did drink them all because I refuse to waste alcohol (unless its Whiteclaw surge I just couldnt finish them) but I will not buy again unless its the only thing available. Sonic has taken a bold leap into the melon-flavored hard seltzer market, offering a refreshing take on the genre. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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