‘Congrats to White Claw for inventing expensive LaCroix:’ Alcohol-free version of the brand’s ‘hard’ seltzer costs $22 for 12 cans – MORE than the boozy version

The alcohol-free White Claw has hit shelves, prompting social media users to wonder: ‘Who actually said, “This tastes so good, I wish it was alcohol-free.”

The best-selling “hard” seltzer has become a $3.2 billion rival to beer, thanks to the ADDING of alcohol to regular selzter water.

Sales have fallen as Generation Z opts for non-alcoholic drinks such as Le Croix, the market leader in soft seltzers. This led to the 0% version of White Claw, which hit stores like Kroger on January 1.

X and TikTok users are confused about the need for the product, as White Claw’s selling point is that it contains alcohol and there are already booze-free alternatives.

They are also surprised about the costs. The standard price for White Claw 0% is $21.99 for a 12-pack – $2 more than the regular alcoholic version. It also amounts to three times as much as LaCroix.

One message read: “Congratulations to @WhiteClaw for inventing LaCroix!”

Next to a photo of a 0% White Claws booth, one shopper tweeted, “We’ve come full circle.” The post was flooded with funny comments, including one who said: ‘Who actually said, ‘This tastes so good, I wish it was alcohol-free.’

Cleo Night joked: ‘oh… what if we used it as a mixer… I bet it would go well with vodka…’

Others questioned the price – and how it appears LaCroix is ​​at a much higher price point.

Tony Jose Matos tweeted: “It literally has seltzer water behind it, for probably half the price.”

With a photo of the best-selling soft seltzer, Richy Chu posted, “Isn’t that just like LaCroix?”

Heather Chapman wrote, “Didn’t White Claw start with people mixing the vodka with the LaCroix and an executive saying, Hey, wait a minute? The cycle is complete.’

DailyMail.com looked at Kroger’s prices. A 12-pack of White Claw 0% costs $21.99, while eight cans of LaCroix cost $4.99. Both are 12 fl oz – meaning the White Claw at $1.83 per can is significantly more than double the price of the LaCroix at 62c per can.

The regular hard selzter White Claw also cost $19.99 for 12 cans.

“It doesn’t really make sense,” says Andrea Smith from New York. “How can it cost more for the non-alcoholic version?”

White Claw goes where the money is. According to IWSR, sales of non-alcoholic and low-alcohol beverages in ten countries, including the US, were worth $11 billion by 2022, up from $8 billion in 2018.

The launch coincides with Dry January, when drinkers take a break from alcohol.

Some teetotalers tweeted support for the new drink.

Michael Antelo posted: “I actually like this,” Michael Antelo posted on X. “As someone who can’t drink alcohol, now I have a new drink to try?”

Announcing the new drinks, White Claw boasted, “White Claw has found a unique way to create drinks that have all the flavor and complexity you expect from an alcoholic beverage.”

Phil Rosse, president of Mark Anthony Brands Inc – owner of White Claw, said: “The industry is ripe for disruption as demand for tasty, non-alcoholic drinks increases.

“But today’s options like overly sweet mocktails, mild waters and almost-beers are disconnected from what today’s adult drinkers want. White Claw 0% Alcohol paves the way for a completely new adult beverage.

“Our latest breakthrough completely redefines the idea of ​​drinking by offering the first-ever elevated non-alcoholic choice with the complex taste and feel of a real drink that only White Claw can deliver.”