Spiked Seltzer Now Has 25 Percent Less Alcohol And People Are Not Pleased

It's a sad day for Bon & Viv Spiked Seltzer fans. The alcoholic sparkling water brand recently revealed new packaging in an Instagram post announcing that each can now contains zero grams of sugar instead of 5, and 90 calories instead of 140. What the post does not disclose is that the updated recipe cuts back on alcohol content quite a bit — by 25 percent, to be exact. Instead of 6 percent alcohol by volume, Spiked Seltzer now has just 4.5 percent — 0.5 percent less than competitor White Claw, which has just 100 calories.

What Beer You Should Drink According to Your Zodiac Sign

The internet noticed the massive change immediately due to the alcohol percentage's prominent display on the can, and they've broken out torches and pitchforks — metaphorically, of course. It's understood that practically nobody cares about consuming less calories. They just want their alcohol back.

"Only 4.5% ABV? That is embarrassing," @emilyburninlove wrote in the comment section. "This is sooooo disappointing as someone who goes out of her way NOT to buy White Claw or truly or any other brand because of your taste and ABV. Good luck in the future, it was a good run while it lasted."

"Horrible 6% now 4.5% (poop emoji)," @rowdytimmy said.

"I WANT TO SET MYSELF ON FIRE MULTIPLE TIMES," @btomsup said.

"No no no no no no no no no please no no please no," @k_tronl pleaded.

"I just crashed my car I'm so mad," @hdiezzy said.

"This is just really sad. No one wants less calories if it means less alcohol %. Horrible move from my old favorite brand," @juliaamontgomery said.

"The worst thing to happen in 2019," @meggraee said.

Furthermore, some are using the hashtag #boycottspikedseltzers, while others claim the brand has "turned their backs on us."

https://media.giphy.com/media/5UqMHvCznf56KH0F6K/giphy.gif

Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Spiked Seltzer, has responded to the controversy. With that being said, it doesn't look like consumers are getting the boozier recipe back any time soon.

"We love that folks are so passionate about our hard seltzer," Chelsea Phillips, vice president of Beyond Beer Brands at Anheuser-Busch, told Today Meal in an email. "The new recipe is rooted in feedback from consumers who were looking for a 'better for you' beverage with less sugar, while still delivering great taste. We listened, and it's rolling out on shelves now. We believe that the new BON & VIV Spiked Seltzer is even better than it was before. So while we get that change can be tough, we're confident that the new B&V is worth a try."

Perhaps the team will have a change of heart and give the people what they truly want (more alcohol!), but just in case, it might be smart for consumers to stock up on the beloved bubbly before the original recipe goes out of stock for good, just like these nine discontinued snack foods we wish they'd bring back.

This story was originally published on January 8 at 3:32 pm and updated with the response from Beyond Beer Brands.