Brown-Forman eyes Mexico for RTD growth
El Jimador owner Brown-Forman believes there is a “significant” runway for growth for its “14-million-case RTD business” in Mexico, according to its Americas vice-president.
Mexico is a key market for Jack Daniel’s and Herradura Tequila maker Brown-Forman, which recently highlighted the country’s potential during its Investor Day on 15 October.
The nation is the group’s third-largest market, behind the US and the UK.
Speaking to The Spirits Business, Michael Masick, executive vice-president, Americas, Brown-Forman, describes Mexico as an “extremely important” market for the US firm.
“It is our largest emerging market and a consistent growth driver for the company,” he said. “We have leading brands in the three most important categories in Mexico – Tequila, whiskey, and RTDs (ready-to-drink).”
He noted that the market has grown strongly with Brown-Forman’s organic sales up by 22% in the first quarter (May to July 2025) of its financial year.
Masick continued: “The runway for growth is significant, especially in the RTD category, where our 14-million-case RTD business in Mexico is still only 1% of the beer market.
“At the other end of the spectrum, our premium-plus full-strength portfolio – led by Herradura, El Jimador, Jack Daniel’s, and Woodford Reserve – enables us to capture the consumer that we expect will continue to premiumise over the longer term.”
The company’s El Jimador Tequila-based New Mix was the world’s fifth-biggest-selling RTD brand last year, according to The Brand Champions 2025 report. It sold 10.9m cases in 2024, an increase of 8.4% on the year prior.
It was followed by the company’s Jack Daniel’s RTD range (excluding the malt-based Country Cocktails line), which sold 10.5m cases last year.
The company claims to be the leader in whisky-based RTDs in Mexico with its Jack Daniel’s RTD/RTS portfolio. “It’s two million cases today, growing double digits,” Masick said during the Investor Day.
Masick notes that New Mix in Mexico “continues to lead the category, gaining market share, complemented by our Jack Daniel’s RTD category that leads the premium end of the category”.
During its first quarter, Brown-Forman reported organic sales growth of 36% for New Mix, but its Jack Daniel’s RTD line dipped by 1% as a result of a decline in Canada. Canada’s removal of US-made spirits from retail shelves due to trade tensions between the two nations has hit Brown-Forman particularly hard.
Regarding the group’s American whiskey potential in Mexico, Masick said the category is the “growth driver of the total whisky category, growing 2.5 times faster”. This is led by Jack Daniel’s, which holds an 80% share of the American whiskey market.
“Despite us being 80% of American whiskey, we are only approximately 9% of the standard-plus whiskey category in Mexico,” he highlighted.
He adds that the whiskey RTD offering “complements the core Jack Daniel’s brand by providing an accessible and convenient option”. Masick claims the RTDs are “actively stealing share from the beer category”.
He also calls out the “rapidly growing non-whisky RTD space” as a “sizeable and less tapped opportunity” for Brown-Forman in the US.
The company recently brought two flavours of its canned New Mix to the US: Paloma and Cantarito. Brown-Forman has also launched its malt-based, ‘Tequila-inspired’ canned El Jimador Spiked Bebidas in select US markets.
Masick says the company will “continue to evaluate future opportunities” in the canned cocktail space.
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