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Ten new ready-to-drink brands to try

The ready-to-drink category is surging thanks to consumer demand for convenient formats and low-alcohol serves. We look at some of the most promising innovations from the last 12 months.

Ready-to-drink products
Canned products made with coffee, rum and vodka are among some of the latest RTD launches

The ready-to-drink (RTD) category is poised to be the only beverage alcohol sector to see growth in 2020, with volumes forecast to increase by 43%, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. It was the fastest‐growing alcohol segment in 2019, and is forecast to remain the fastest‐growing sector over the next five years.

Meanwhile, data from Nielsen revealed that the RTD spirits category grew by 142% in 2020 and is predicted to be worth an estimated US$1.2 billion this year.

Over the last 12 months, we’ve seen an influx of new entrants into the category, including East London Liquor Company, Spanish liqueur Licor 43 and Scotch brand Haig Club.

Whisky drinkers can enjoy a bottled Old Fashioned or a Scotch and tonic, while liqueur fans can sample fruit-flavoured offerings from De Kuyper.

Click through the following pages for our roundup of the latest product launches in the ready-to-drink category over the past year. 

ELLC

East London Liquor Co RTD

East London Liquor Company (ELLC) moved into the ready-to-drink category in May 2020 with the launch of four canned products.

The collection comprises: Grapefruit Gin and Tonic (5% ABV); Rum and Ginger (4.6% ABV); Vodka and Rhubarb (4.6% ABV); and a low-alcohol (0.5% ABV) variant of the Grapefruit Gin and Tonic.

The range is described as “bartender-quality cocktails in a can”. Last year also saw ELLC move into the burgeoning hard seltzer category with two new products.

For more information, click here.

Haig Club

Haig-Club-RTD-cans

 

Diageo-owned Haig Club Scotch whisky unveiled its first canned ready-to-drink products in June last year.

The pre-mixed range comes in two flavours: Haig Club Clubman mixed with root ginger ale and lime, and Haig Club Clubman mixed with crafted cola.

David Beckham, Haig Club’s global business partner, said at the time: “We always like to push boundaries and try new things and it is exciting that we are continuing to innovate with Haig Club.”

For more information, click here.

Kahlua Nitro Cold Brew

Coffee liqueur brand Kahlúa sought to meet demand for coffee and spirits-based offerings with its canned Nitro Cold Brew.

The Pernod Ricard-owned brand previously launched a RTD Espresso Martini, said to be the first of its kind.

The brand followed its release with Nitro Cold Brew in July 2020, a canned cocktail made with rum, coffee liqueur and 100% Arabica cold brew coffee, which has been stepped for 18 hours.

It contains 80 calories and, like the Espresso Martini RTD, is designed with a nitro widget that provides foam in under three seconds once opened and poured into a glass.

For more information, click here.

Fizzy Favourites

Dutch drinks firm De Kuyper tapped into the trends for high quality, convenient and low-alcohol serves with its new liqueur-based Fizzy Favourites line.

The range comprises: Fizzy Strawberry, Fizzy Passionfruit and Fizzy Watermelon. The ready-to-drink variants come in a 250ml slimline can with an ABV of 4.5%.

Each expression combines a De Kuyper liqueur with sparkling water and citrus fruit. The range is made with three fruit-flavoured De Kuyper liqueurs: Wild Strawberry, Passionfruit and Watermelon.

For more information, click here.

Courage and Stone

Courage-and-Stone

American actor and talk show host Aisha Tyler revealed her bottled cocktail range Courage and Stone at the start of 2020.

The range debuted with two expressions, Classic Old Fashioned and Classic Manhattan, which are made at Brooklyn-based New York Distilling Company in the US.

The idea to create the brand was born out of Tyler’s personal love of spirits and cocktails, and a lack of premium RTD offerings to satisfy her needs.

For more information, click here.

Ketel One Botanical Spritz

Diageo-owned Ketel One targeted health-conscious consumers with its new canned low-ABV Vodka Spritz range.

The “first of its kind” Botanical range was released in May 2018. Comprising three flavours – Peach & Orange Blossom, Cucumber & Mint, and Grapefruit & Rose – the range is bottled at 30% ABV and contains just 73 calories per serving.

The RTD range comes in the same three flavours, each with an ABV of 3.6%. The product capitalises on the trend for portable formats, with RTD cocktails up 100% since 2019, according to Nielsen figures cited by Ketel One.

For more information, click here.

Cocktail 43 Fresco

Cocktail-43-Fresco

Spanish liqueur brand Licor 43 joined the burgeoning ready-to-drink sector in June last year with two bottled cocktails.

The range of ‘fizzy fusions’ is made by combining Licor 43 Original with real fruit juices. Cocktail 43 Fresco comprises two flavours: lemon and berry.

The expressions have an ABV of 5.6% and were initially launched in the Netherlands, before being gradually rolled out to major retailers.

For more information, click here.

Clean Co

Ready-to-drink products tend to be low in alcohol, however Clean Co has gone further with the release of two 0.5% ABV cans.

Available exclusively from Holland & Barrett, both Clean Gin & Tonic and Clean Rum & Cola contain no added sugar. Clean Gin & Tonic contains 57 calories, while Clean Rum & Cola contains 62 calories.

Low-alcohol producer Clean Co, formerly known as the Clean Liquor Company, was founded by former Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews in November 2019. The firm makes a 1.2% ABV ‘gin’ and ‘rum’, alongside limited edition products.

For more information, click here.

Edinburgh Gin Raspberry Gin Fizz

Edinburgh Gin Raspberry Gin Fizz

Described as “summer in a can”, Edinburgh Gin’s new Raspberry Gin Fizz is made by infusing sparkling white wine with the brand’s raspberry liqueur.

The 6% ABV expression is the latest addition to Edinburgh Gin’s RTD range, which includes a pre-mixed gin and tonic, and Edinburgh Rhubarb and Ginger Gin Liqueur combined with ginger ale.

Neil Boyd, UK managing director of Ian Macleod Distillers, said at the time: “We’ve taken a serve we know our consumers love and given it back to them in a pre-mixed, convenient format, making it the perfect summer cocktail to enjoy at home or while soaking up some sun in the garden.”

For more information, click here.

Pure Scot

The ‘world’s first’ canned Scotch and tonic water was released by blended whisky brand Pure Scot in November 2020.

The Scotch and tonic RTD is described as a “revolutionary pairing” that challenges those who claim there is only one way to drink whisky.

In addition, Pure Scot released Pure Scot Virgin Oak & Smoked Cola, which is made with ‘all-natural’ cola and Pure Scot Virgin Oak, a ‘spicy and complex’ whisky.

For more information, click here.

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