New York (AFP)

As long as we are drunk ... sparkling alcoholic water is all the rage in the United States, where young people have adopted it in the hope that it weighs less on their line than beer or wine.

These soft drinks, most often sold in cans, contain five-degree alcohol, obtained from fermented sugars or malt, and are often flavored, with flavors ranging from cherry to mango.

Their sales have grown nearly 200% this year on US soil compared to 2018, according to the Nielsen Marketing Research Institute. And the trend has crossed the Atlantic with a breakthrough in the UK and Sweden.

"For me, it replaces all other alcoholic drinks in a can," says AFP Hannah Stempler, a 25-year-old New Yorker sipping a white claw, the most fashionable brand.

This summer, his "claw" was everywhere: in parks, on beaches, in parties with friends or in baseball stadiums. The group Mark Anthony Brands who produces it ensures that its sales have jumped 265% since the beginning of the year and that it holds 61% of the market.

In early September, a wave of panic even blew over New York when businesses reported shortages of White Claw, forcing the company to redouble efforts to meet demand.

Truly, one of its competitors, also saw its sales soar by 163% in the second quarter, according to a study by Macquarie.

- Danger for beer? -

Hannah Stempler, who works on television, says she converted to the drink because she is "health conscious".

A can of White Claw contains 100 calories and up to two grams of sugar, compared to an average of 140 calories for one beer and five times as much sugar.

The choice of multiple fragrances also appeals to a "millennial" clientele who grew up with a dozen tastes for the Gatorade (sports drink) and dishes from around the world, "says Sanjiv Gajiwala, vice president of marketing at White. Claw.

But it's an influence on Youtube, Trevor Wallace, who gave the last boost to this drink launched in 2016. In June, the comedian posted a video parodying the drinkers of White Claw who became viral, with 2, 5 million views in two months and many diversions on social networks.

According to analysts, this mode shakes the alcoholic beverage market with declining sales for beer manufacturers.

The latter are however present in this segment, even if their products are not yet able to compete with White Claw or Truly.

- "Drugs" -

If these waters are less caloric, they still remain alcoholic, says Aaron White of the National Institute on Alcoholism, which warns against the risk of dependence.

"Alcohol is a drug" regardless of how to consume it, he told AFP, worrying that the brand Four Loko plans to distribute one of these waters with 14% alcohol.

Other alcoholic beverages have had a similar craze in the past before fading, such as blends of wine and fruit juice from the 80s or Zima, malt-based in the 90s.

But Rob Fink, a 29-year-old New Yorker, believes that alcoholic waters will last alongside beer and wine. "There is room for all these drinks," he says.

The alcoholic beverage industry is worth $ 550 million and could reach $ 2.5 billion by 2020, according to a UBS analyst quoted recently in Business Insider.

The White Claw is only entered in 6% of US households, says Sanjiv Gajiwala rubbing his hands: "We still have a lot of room for improvement".

© 2019 AFP