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Summer is ‘star season’ for RTDs
Canned cocktail brand Moth witnessed a 46% uptick in sales during the warmer months of 2024, with music festivals a key driver for the UK’s ready-to-drink (RTD) category.
In the Moth: Insights 2025 report, the British brand revealed it sold close to five million canned cocktails in 2024, while the value of single cans sold across the whole RTD cocktail category in the UK reached £51 million (US$63.65m) for the year, surging in both value (6.6%) and volume (4.9%).
Furthermore, it said that premium offerings lead that charge, with unit growth soaring by 84% year-on-year, now claiming 4% unit share of the RTD category.
Moth has attributed the growth of the premium RTD category to the trend of consumers ‘drinking less but drinking better’, with 90% of those surveyed saying they now moderate their alcohol intake by opting for fewer, higher-quality drinks.
The report found that two-thirds of UK consumers are choosing high-quality drinks over cheaper ones, and more than half of those surveyed (55%) said they are willing to pay extra for better-quality drinks.
With the 2025 alcohol duty increases across beer, wine and spirits on the horizon, RTDs allow consumers to trade up economically, the report said. “We expect premium options to crescendo into 2025 and beyond”.
The report also revealed that the convenient format of RTDs was especially embraced at outdoor events in 2024. In fact, 6.2m units were sold at Glastonbury Festival last summer, generating £14m (US$17.5m) in value to the segment.
According to the ‘How to maximise growth in the UK’s festivals goldmine’ report by CGA cited by Moth, nearly 23% of festival attendees said they would be open to trying cocktails if they were more portable and convenient.
“Pre-mixed ready-to-drink options present windows of opportunity, with almost one-fifth of attendees respectively naming them as desirable categories not yet fully explored.
“It’s an open invitation for brands and suppliers to address these gaps with innovative, high-quality products,” CGA’s report said.
The brand also noted the RTD format benefits from its cost efficiency, with single ready-to-go cans easier and cheaper than purchasing multiple spirits.
Taste tops the list
Aside from the RTD’s convenient format, the report notes that the most important factor for shoppers when choosing which RTD cocktails to buy is taste, with fruitier, tropical flavours leading the way.
The Passionfruit Martini was found to perform the best in both the on- and off-trade, followed by the Piña Colada, which has held steady in second place for two years.
Meanwhile, cocktails with berry, citrus, savoury or spicy flavours were found to be gaining traction, with cocktails utilising fat-washing – the infusion of spirits with savoury flavours and the creation of thicker textures – also growing in popularity.
When it comes to base spirits, vodka was a firm fan favourite, accounting for 30.7% of all canned RTD sales, a 12.7 point increase from two years ago.
However, Tequila has quickly gained share value, with the Margarita the fifth top-performing cocktail, and the Paloma clocking in at number 10.
Moth continues to be the UK’s best-selling canned Margarita.
Max Davies-Gilbert, co-founder of Tequila Enemigo, Moth’s spirit partner, said: “Today’s drinkers are more discerning, searching for high-quality options – like Enemigo – that present a delicate balance of bright agave notes, subtle sweetness, no additives and a smooth, layered finish. When showcased in exceptional, premium cocktails like those from Moth, Enemigo naturally elevates the serve, highlighting its depth, sophistication and unique character with every sip.”
On-trade headway
Moth’s report also revealed that RTDs are making ‘serious headway’ in the UK on-trade, with premium offerings perfectly positioned to capitalise on consumers’ growing thirst for quality.
Ali Mather, on-trade manager for Moth, explained: “Many operators are looking to improve their drink offerings to benefit from the ongoing premiumisation trend. However, they are faced with precarious staffing levels and rising costs.
“Premium canned cocktails present a perfect solution – they’re convenient, economical, consistent and nearly always faster to serve. In fact, you can serve four Moth Espresso Martinis in the same time it takes to make one from scratch.”
Furthermore, the category has benefitted from rising consumer concern for sustainability.
In a survey conducted by Moth, 15% of respondents said they are already factoring sustainability into their RTD purchases. Nearly 50% of UK consumers said they are more concerned about sustainability than they were two years ago.
As such, the report notes that RTDs such as Moth are leading the charge as sustainable choices, on account of aluminium packaging’s infinite recyclability and ability to produce fewer CO2 emissions than glass bottles. Moth’s Margarita generated fewer greenhouse gases compared with cocktails made from scratch, according to the brand.
Moth co-founder Rob Wallis said: “While alcohol currently ranks low on consumers’ sustainability priorities – at just 4% compared with 42% for fruit and veg – as we move into 2025, the RTD category has a unique opportunity: to lead the the charge for progress and become a driving force for industry sustainability.”
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