CHICAGO – More Americans are showing a preference for the sweeter tastes of hard cider and soda, MSN.com reports. “I think next year will be the year of the hard sodas and sweeter flavors, like hard root beers,” said beer sommelier Marc Stroobandt late last year.

Already, his prediction is coming true. Hard root beer is coming on strong as the forerunner of a sweet alcoholic drink craze that reaches back to craft beer and malt liquor industries for inspiration. For example, Not Your Father’s Root Beer by Small Town Brewery launched in 2012. Last year, a distribution agreement with Pabst pushed the beverage across the country and into the top 10 craft beer brands in the United States.

The beer industry has taken notice. A few months ago, Anheuser-Busch InBev debuted its alcoholic Best Damn Root Beer, which boasted real vanilla beans; while earlier this year, MillerCoors launched Henry’s Hard Soda, an alcoholic beverage with selections like Hard Ginger Ale and Hard Orange. Anheuser-Busch also is dabbling in “near beer” through its Bud Light MixxTail and Lime-a-Rita Splash.

“The hard soda trend continues to demonstrate the evolving taste preferences of consumers nationwide,” said Mallika Monteiro, director of Lime-A-Rita. “We have seen growth in the sweet segment, with consumers calling for more flavored alcohol beverages.”

The growth of sweet alcoholic beverages has skyrocketed. During the past year, fruit beers jumped 63% in volume and a whopping 82% in revenue. Hard cider sales bumped up 75.4% from November 2013 to 2014.

It’s true that sweet alternatives to beer, such as Smirnoff Ice and Mike’s Hard Lemonade, have been available for years, but this new batch of hard soft drinks are especially targeting craft beer drinkers. While sweet near-bear drinks are labeled—and marketed—to women, hard soda has its eye on cultivating male and female drinkers.