The Saturation of skinny canned vodka drinks
The market is absolutely flooded, every shelf, every cooler, every liquor store. It’s all the same: another hard seltzer, another “light and refreshing” vodka juice in a skinny can. Seriously, what’s the deal with that? I walk into a liquor store and feel like I’m seeing double. Every brand looks the same, tastes the same, and pitches the same tired marketing.
The reason? A total lack of creativity and innovation. Companies are terrified to step outside the box. The only “differences” they brag about are things like added electrolytes or fewer carbs. Get out of here with that BS, nobody cares about electrolytes when they’re trying to get drunk. Unless it’s a game-changer, people just care about two things: taste and drinkability. Can it go down smoothly, and can I drink a few without stumbling into a bush? (I’m a frat guy. I know the market.)
The problem goes deeper, though, the beer industry set the tone. Budweiser, Miller, Coors, those giants have dominated for decades and still do. It’s basically impossible for a new beer brand to break through unless they already have major recognition, like Friday Beers did. So what happens? Everyone sees what “works” and copies it, hoping to carve out a sliver of success. That strategy might fly in other industries, but not here. You can’t just replicate and expect to stand out in a sea of seltzers. You’ve got to create something no one’s ever seen before.
And don’t even get me started on the Surfside-type brands. Their big innovation? “No carbonation.” Wow so it’s still a basic vodka drink, just one that doesn’t make you burp. How revolutionary (sarcasm). The tea-based drinks are no better, they all taste identical and leave you with the kind of hangover that makes you question every life decision.
The bottom line is this: the canned cocktail market is stuck. It’s repetitive, predictable, and straight-up boring. But I truly believe that one day a brand will come along with a product so unique, so refreshing, that it’ll knock all these wannabe White Claw clones off the shelf for good (forshawdoing??). Until then, Budweiser and the rest will keep ruling the beer world, and the rest of us will keep waiting for something actually worth drinking.
