White Claw: the alcoholic sparkling water craze taking over the US

From Pimm’s to Aperol Spritz, summer has some pretty solid alcoholic drink options under its belt.

Enter White Claw.

The alcoholic sparking water’s sales are up 320% since last year, according to Nielsen, and it’s selling out in bars and supermarkets.

The drink, which comes with the tagline “made pure” lends itself to memes, tattoos and viral videos.

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There are thousands of social media posts circulating online, adding fuel to the White Claw craze.

A study published by BMC Health last year found that nearly 30% of young people (18-24) are shunning alcohol altogether.

This low-alcohol, health conscious drink fits into the younger generation’s lifestyle, perhaps explaining its jump in popularity.

READ MORE: The unexpected health benefits of prosecco

A 340ml can of White Claw contains 100 calories and 2g of carbs. By way of comparison, one Heineken has 142 calories and 11g of carbs.

It also contains only 5% alcohol, which is lower than the average of 12% for wine.

Smirnoff and Corona have both launched versions of the drink, but White Claw is still the most popular.

A number of studies suggest that people who fit into the generation Y and generation Z categories are more likely to support companies who endorse the same environmental and political causes as they do.

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Even with the craze going strong, some people are miffed by its rise in popularity. 13 Reasons Why actress, Alisha Boe, tweeted: “What the hell is a White Claw?”

The tweet received thousands of shares, with To All The Boy’s I’ve Loved Before’s Ross Butler replying: “Oh, Alisha...”

Many fans shared her confusion though. One said: “Thank god. I thought I was the only one.”

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