These Are the Most Popular Hard Seltzers in Every State Based on Search Interest

Yes, 2019 was the summer of hard seltzer. However, just because you couldn't escape White Claw last year, don't be lulled into thinking its moment has passed. Even before social distancing was the norm, hard seltzer sales were rising, and we hadn't even come to the peak hard seltzer months where many new brands would be on shelves for the first time.

Joybird, a company that sells furniture, attempted to find "the most popular hard seltzer" in every US state by digging through search data from Google. (Sales data would certainly be more accurate. Though, it would probably just say that the US is simply a White Claw nation.) Nonetheless, this is one way of looking at the popularity of brands around the country, and the results are interesting.

Though, it'd be fair to wonder why a furniture company is digging up the data in the first place. "Joybird creates furniture to complement life and give people an environment to entertain and enjoy each other's company," a representative told Thrillist. "This includes staying up to date on the latest in food/beverage trends so hosts can always have a drink that will entice their guests."  

The company broke its findings into a couple of maps. The first looked at the Google search volume over the course of the last 12 months. Of course, White Claw sat at the top of the pile in 35 states. Natural Light Seltzer was the winner in seven, Bud Light Seltzer was king of non-beers in three states, and Truly, the second best-selling hard seltzer brand in 2019, won just one state.

Though, it's worth noting it wasn't just the most-familiar labels popping up. High Noon found its way into a couple of states. You'll also see PRESS, Vista Bay, and Four Loko pop up in one state each.

Next, the company took a smaller sample size to look at the most-searched-for hard seltzers during our thus-far brief stay in an era of social distancing. (The only state omitted was Wyoming. A representative says there wasn't enough data there to declare a winner.)

Still, White Claw reigned supreme. But Corona's new hard seltzer appeared at the top in seven states, which may be attributable to it being new or possibly some mixed search results because of the closeness of the terms Corona and coronavirus. Truly, Four Loko, and High Noon all made appearances here too. 

It's all just about as expected. White Claw is still everywhere and it basically counts as an upset in any state that doesn't have White Claw at the top of their most-search-for hard seltzer.

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