Achieving hard seltzer formulations with great taste, mouthfeel and the ideal alcohol content entails a number of complex production challenges for manufacturers to navigate. For instance, the right fermentation and yeast conditions need to be present to meet these requirements, but this can be difficult with sugar-based fermentation. 

Theo Wijsman, product application expert beverage at DSM Food Specialties, shares his insights with FoodIngredientsFirst about the company’s portfolio of solutions addressing these hurdles.

“Sucrose – the sugar commonly used in the production of hard seltzers – is not directly fermentable, so there are no fermentable sugars at the beginning of the process,” he remarks. “This can lead to a fermentation lag, which places extra stress on the yeast.”

Optimizing production capacity and yield, while also staying profitable and efficient, can also be challenging. 

“Hard seltzer production is often an energy-intensive process, so manufacturers looking to improve the sustainability credentials of their hard seltzer products are increasingly seeking solutions to help lower energy requirements and boost production outputs,” Wijsman notes.

DSM offers invertase enzymes, which can significantly reduce the fermentation time for sucrose-based hard seltzers.DSM solutions for hard seltzer formulations
DSM offers invertase enzymes, which can significantly reduce the fermentation time for sucrose-based hard seltzers.

“DSM Maxinvert and Amigase Mega help to remove the standard two-day wait to access fermentable sugars, so there is no need for manufacturers to carry out further significant process changes – only a fast pre-treatment before fermentation,” explains Wijsman.

Reducing the fermentation time in production also has wider benefits. “As well as helping to overcome common formulation challenges, DSM’s Maxinvert and Amigase Mega enzymes have been shown to increase capacity and yield,” says Wijsman.

With lower energy requirements, driven by increased yield, hard seltzer manufacturers can also benefit from a more sustainable and economically efficient production process, with a lower carbon footprint.

“In addition, these enzymes can be a useful tool in achieving high attenuation levels and maximizing alcohol yield at the end of the hard seltzer fermentation process,” Wijsman comments. 

“Since this step increases dilution, manufacturers can benefit from a higher volume of output. Greater alcohol levels can also improve flavor in the end product, with fewer off-notes.”

Filling in for ingredient shortfalls
DSM also provides nutrient-rich yeast extracts, which can fill any ingredient shortfalls in fermentation while also bolstering a product’s nutritional profile. “Successful fermentation usually requires sugar, amino acids, vitamins and minerals,” Wijsman stresses.

“However, when these ingredients fall short – for example, sucrose does not contain yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN), which is crucial for effective fermentation – enriched yeast extracts can be added,” he continues.

“Acting as a yeast ‘insurance,’ yeast extracts enable manufacturers to achieve consistent fermentation, while helping to plug the nutrient gap.”

DSM also provides nutrient-rich yeast extracts, which can fill any ingredients shortfalls in fermentation while also bolstering a product’s nutritional profile.Similar to enzymes, enriched yeast extracts can also maximize fermentation yield, by significantly reducing process time and increasing alcohol content, for higher volumes of the final product. 

“As the nutrients are label-friendly, they are also suitable for creating organic products, to add extra consumer appeal,” says Wijsman. “Plus, yeast extracts offer another platform to improve the flavor of hard seltzers while preventing undesirable off-notes.”

Health perceptions drive demand
As more consumers explore the concept of “mindful drinking,” hard seltzers are seen as a viable beverage option, especially when taking into consideration the higher calorie count of beer.

“With growing numbers of consumers making more health-driven purchasing choices, the hard seltzer category is expected to continue its upward trajectory in the coming years,” says Wijsman.

“With a relatively low calorie count (usually between 80 and 100 calories per 354 ml serving), they offer additional appeal to today’s health-conscious consumers,” he continues.

“Research shows that 65 percent of global consumers are worried about the impact beer consumption has on their waistline, with individuals in Spain (72 percent), Germany (67 percent), the UK (61 percent), France (59 percent) and the US (48 percent) reporting concerns.”

Still fizzing with potential
Despite growing speculation over the last few months that the hard seltzer craze may have peaked, the market is still fizzing with the arrival of new product launches, including PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew-branded alcoholic beverage.

Hard seltzers have also begun to expand into various types of alcohol bases, including beer and tequila. And in the US, cannabis-infused seltzers have emerged as one of the latest trends in this category

In March, an analysis by Rabobank highlighted that the hard seltzer category is still in its early days in Europe and Asia Pacific, with “great potential for growth.”

During the period of October 2020 to March 2021, Asia accounted for the largest share of flavored alcoholic beverages and hard seltzers NPD as a percentage of the alcoholic beverages category, according to Innova Market Insights data.