Brewers are jumping on the latest trend for fitness centric beers by adding electrolytes to their brews for after a workout.
Delaware brewery Mispillion River Brewing has infused its War series, a line of fruity and tart beer, with electrolytes which “reaches a demographic that is very different from the typical craft beer drinker,” brewery president and founder Eric Williams shared with USA Today in a piece published Monday. (RELATED: Virginia Brewery Offers $20K A Year For Gig Hiking And Drinking Beer)
“We are not saying it’s a healthy beer, but we are saying it’s a beer you should drink after you run,” he added.
A growing number of beer makers are taking a cue from sports drinks and are adding electrolytes into their brews.https://t.co/vW1Vgoyqz4
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) March 15, 2021
According to the report:
“Performance” ingredients such as electrolytes, vitamins or antioxidants have become popular but are not found in all the beers targeting “the more health-conscious consumers,” says Dave Williams of Bump Williams Consulting of Shelton, Connecticut, which services the beverage alcohol industry.
However, Ginger Hultin, a nutritionist and owner of Champagne Nutrition, said a beer after a workout might not be the best option for rehydration.
“The most important thing for recovery from an endurance activity is definitely hydration with water (and electrolytes if needed depending on the activity) and food,” Hultin shared. “My advice is to focus on those basic aspects of fueling your sport and to enjoy a beer – regular or ‘performance,’ if you enjoy it.” (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
As the piece noted, the idea of low-calorie and light beers isn’t completely new, as it has been a growing trend since the ’80s. Budweiser’s Michelob Ultra, a lower calorie beer, is currently the No. 2 selling beer in the United States and the fastest growing one over the last year, according to retail sales data from NielsenIQ.
And the growth in sales for hard seltzers over the same time period is another sign of the trend of health conscious options by the beer consumer.