Topo Chico Hard Seltzer continues to fly off the shelves despite other brands warning of slow sales in the sector.

Inspired by the popular 125-year-old Topo Chico Mineral Water, which has a huge following particularly in the southwest, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer burst out of the gates when it launched in March in 16 markets. 

And it’s continued to fly off the shelves in key markets, winning a 2 share of the segment for the year and setting the stage for its national launch in January.

In Texas, where it jumped to a 20 share its first week, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer – which Molson Coors produces, distributes and markets as part of a brand authorisation agreement with The Coca-Cola Company – has maintained momentum, earning a 9 share year-to-date through the week ending Dec. 5, according to IRI multi-outlet and convenience store data. 

It’s been buoyed by strong name recognition and a loyal fan base of Topo Chico Mineral Water.

“In Texas, the mineral water is a huge cult favorite. Once consumers started hearing about Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, the excitement started building,” says Jill Newman, brand director for specialty and imports at Andrews Distributing in Fort Worth. 

“We had retailers who put up multiple displays on the floor, multiple pallets in one individual account. 

“And in a lot of instances, we actually had to limit our order quantities during the summer in order to supply all of our accounts with enough inventory.

“It’s definitely helped us take over more than 50% of the seltzer share in Dallas-Fort Worth area,” she says.

Texas is Topo Chico Hard Seltzer’s greatest success story, but it’s far from the only one.

In Colorado, it’s won a 5.6 share of hard seltzer. In Oklahoma, a 4.4. share. In hyper-competitive Chicago, it’s tallied a 3.6 share. And nationally, it holds a 2 share despite being available in less than a third of the country.

Based on its early results, Molson Coors thinks it can be a top-three hard seltzer. Not only that, but consumers keep coming back for more, says Alan Bremerkamp, Molson Coors’ director of marketing for hard seltzers.

“Topo Chico Hard Seltzer has the strongest repeat rate of any hard seltzer in the last two years,” he says. “That to me screams people not only love us, they love the liquid and are coming back time and time again for it.”

“Seeing the success of this brand from the launch has been nothing short of amazing. I’ve been in the beer business about 20 years now, and this is the best brand launch that I’ve ever seen,” says Josh Davis, on-premise chain sales manager for Molson Coors Beverage Company. “It’s continued to just drive momentum and really grow.”

With the national launch imminent, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer has kept busy. It’s planning a margarita flavour variety pack in 2022, as well as a Canadian launch next summer.