More spiked sodas hit store shelves

Companies are taking what used to be just plain ole soft drink flavors and adding booze. What products are on the market and in the pipeline? There are a lot of them

When Sarah Sigro picks up adult refreshments for get togethers with friends, she's eager to serve one of the hottest new items on the market:  root beer, beer.

"I like it because it's delicious, like, it is drinking an awesome childhood drink but in an adult way," Sigro said.

Sarah's favorite is "Not Your Father's Root Beer." The makers say it's flying off the shelves.

"We cannot keep up with the demand across the country and consumers are ranging from 21 years old all the way to 80 years old," according to Aaron Sosnoski
with Small Town Brewery.

From their "spiked" root beer, to other companies which make hard soda flavors like: cherry cola, orange,  lemon lime and ginger ale, industry insiders say alcoholic beverages with traditional soft drink flavors will be the trend to watch. 

Brian Sudano with the Beverage Marketing Corporation said, "I think the trend toward spiked sodas it will happen and occur for the next year or two."

The beverage marketing corporation points out there's been a drink evolution when it comes to flavored alcoholic beverages. It started with wine coolers, then flavored vodkas, spiked lemonades and ciders. Now, it's hard soft drinks.
 
Sudano says some brewers are getting creative.

"So they're pushing into this flavor business which was originally the domain of the spirit companies."

And while these drinks appear to be popular with adults, Natasha Thomas with Mothers Against Drunk Driving says parents need to stay on top of new alcoholic beverage trends so they can speak to their teens about it.

"Really talk and engage with teens that these drinks are alcohol regardless of what content they come in and how they're packaged, but it's alcohol and we want them to make the right choices by not consuming it if they are under the age of 21," Thomas said.

The makers of "Not Your Father's Root Beer" says they take underage drinking very seriously.

"We have 21 plus on all our packaging and all our retailers then card, as well as bars," Sudano said.

Sarah introduced her friend Mikey to the root beer-beer and he says although he's not a connoisseur,  he's now a fan.

"As someone who doesn't drink much I loved it," Mikey Zonenashvili said.

Even more spiked soda products will be on the market starting in early 2016.