Keeping a sharp eye on consumer trends and maintaining a confident approach to marketing have resulted in nothing but blue skies for High Noon.

The four-year-old hard seltzer brand from E&J Gallo is leading the charge of beverage brands converging on ready-to-drink opportunities. High Noon grew out of the seltzer craze, but with a twist: Gallo researchers discovered many seltzer drinkers assumed it was vodka, and not malt or sugar, that gave beer-based seltzers their buzzy kick. But giving them what they wanted—real vodka and real juice—allowed High Noon to position itself as a seltzer upgrade rather than just an alternative. A media partnership with Barstool Sports helped cultivate an army of “Nooner” enthusiasts, and the brand added a tequila seltzer line this year.

High Noon has taken lessons from the beer industry, particularly in how successful brands go to market. Its ads, created with the agency Preacher, often show consumers who are fit (taking a page from Michelob Ultra's commercials) and who enjoy “day-drinking” (Corona deploys a similar strategy). A wise narrator provides perspective—and just a touch of weirdness. 

High Noon dollar sales grew by 70% to $23.8 million in the two weeks around Memorial Day, jumping ahead of all spirit brands except Tito’s Vodka, according to Circana multi-outlet and convenience figures cited by Beer Marketer’s Insights. That was enough to make High Noon the 14th largest seller among all beer, wine and spirits brands for the period.