The RTD, Pre-Mixed & Hard Seltzer Masters 2026 winners
While the spirits industry as a whole has been experiencing turbulence in recent years, ready-to-drink expressions are a bright spot.
What goes up must come down, or so the saying goes. While much of the spirits industry is on the latter part of this trajectory, one category appears to be solidly bucking the trend: RTDs. Take the US. In 2025, total spirits sales by volume fell by 4%, but spirits-based ready-to-drink (RTD) products grew by 14%, IWSR data confirms.
In the US, total beverage alcohol volumes fell by 5% in 2025. RTDs were also down by 1%, IWSR notes, but this was largely due to a 5% drop in malt-based expressions. Across 22 markets, RTDs were the only major alcohol segment in growth, up by 2% in volume.
The data says it all – it’s a great time to be an RTD. When it comes to brands, though, which ones are worth seeking out? The Pre-Mixed, RTD & Hard Seltzer Masters looked to celebrate those products most deserving of engagement.
Two panels of judges gathered at The Singer Tavern in London to taste this year’s entrants. Sitting on the first panel were Matt Chambers and Karen Taylor, co-founders of Whisky For Everyone. Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business, and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions, led the group.
The second team was chaired by David T Smith, spirits writer, consultant and co-founder of the Craft Distilling Expo. He was joined by Sarah Miller, founder of the Gin A Ding Ding blog, Sara Jane Eichler, founder of Negroni Club UK, and Ruchira Neotia, drinks consultant and founder of Ruchira’s Table.
Extremely excited
The tasting began with a flight of Vodka-Based serves, two of which left the judges extremely excited for what was to come. Securing the top Master medal were Asahi Zeitaku Shibori with a Squeeze of Peach, and Asahi Zeitaku Shibori with a Squeeze of Lemon. The judges loved the peach flavour for its authentic flavours: “Juicy ripe peach aroma, natural, smells delicious. The palate is very peachy, not too sweet, with a nice level of carbonation.”
Authenticity of flavour was also what propelled the lemon variant to Master status. The judges described the winning product as “zesty, slightly sour, pithy, and like a tart, natural lemonade”.
A pair of Gold medals also shone in the opening flight: MG Spirit Blueberry for its “good level of fizz, pleasant sourness and notes of blueberry, raspberry and cranberry too”, and Iceland Vodka Mix (Pilih Rasa), which had “a bright citrus aroma and flat cola notes on the palate”. Four Silver medals finished the flight. “It’s clear that fresh, realistic flavours win,” said Chambers.
In the Gin-Based heat, another Master medal was added to the ranks – Harahorn Gin & Tonic. Smith said this had “loads of juniper and pine on the nose – you know it’s gin – succulent, refreshing and moreish”.
Seven Gold medals were also enjoyed in the gin flight, including No.3 Gin Vesper Martini. “It’s hard to pull off a freshly made Martini; this delivers. I’d keep this stored in the freezer and it’s ready to pour and go,” said Miller. Edinburgh Gin & Tonic also won a Gold medal for its “good balance of sweetness, bitterness, and light floral notes”.
More greatness appeared in the Tequila/Mezcal/Agave Spirit-Based flight. The first of two Master medals was awarded to Sierra Lime Margarita, which delivered “salty lime and zestiness” on the nose, which led to “a bright and refreshing palate that sings with agave”. Also taking home a Master medal was Lagerita, which had “notes of hops and honey” on the nose, and “lots of honey and citrus, with good length and complexity” when sipped.
An equal number of Gold and Silver medals, five of each, were also awarded in this flight. Gold winners included Tequila Cazadores Canned Margarita, with “light notes of agave, sour citrus and a balanced finish”.
In the Whisky-Based heat Black Jack took home a Gold medal. The judges said this delivered the expected profile of a solid whisky-and-cola serve: “Easy-drinking, not overly sweet and well-balanced.”
Two medals were awarded in the following Cognac/Brandy-Based flight, a Gold for “elegant” FreshKiss Saveurs d’Été, and a Master for its stablemade FreshKiss Bouquet Fruité. The Master winner was described as “bright, superb; Cognac comes through, as does the tartness of the raspberry – so good”.
Five Gold medals and one Silver were awarded in the Rum-Based round. MG Destilerías collected two of the Gold awards for MG Spirit Strawberry Mojito and MG Spirit Mojito.
The strawberry-flavoured expression was liked by the judges for being “bright, fresh and minty” with a “sweet strawberry and rummy character”.
Up next came a flight of Liqueur/Speciality Spirit-Based pre-mixed beverages. Two Gold medals were presented to Tatratea, one for the producer’s Original Mixed with Cola, and the second for Outlaw Mixed with Tonic. “The aroma is light, leading to herbal liqueur notes and bitterness from the tonic water – an interesting alternative to a G&T,” the judges noted. A trio of Silvers rounded off the flight, including an award for Cointreau Citrus Spritz – Grapefruit & Tangerine.
A flight of Spirit Blend-Based entries resulted in a pair of Gold medals for Cabaré Ice – Limão and Cabaré Ice – Tangerina. The Tangerina flavour was “bright, fruity, jammy with floral notes – easy to drink”, the experts enthused. Three additional Golds also went to Ruslan Lemon Ice Tea, Ruslan Peach Ice Tea, and Passion Cooler Cola.
A round of Wine-Based Cocktails also impressed the panel, with a Silver medal for Libertine Blends’ Peach Bellini, and a Gold medal for Orang Tua’s Amer Sangria Fizz. “Attractive red-orange colour, sweet citrus and jammy strawberry, and an enjoyable, long finish,” the judges said.
With two flights to go, Hard Seltzers came to the fore. Two Gold medals and one Silver were celebrated, with a Gold award given to Baie Piña Colada, said to have “loads of coconut and a hint of pineapple – like a boozy sparkling coconut water”. Gold-winning Baie Pamplemousse also delighted the judges with its “decent carbonation and zesty, citrussy” profile. A Silver medal completed the flight.
In the final flight of the tasting – Low & No – the last Master medal of the day was discovered: Libertine Blends Fizzy Pear & Cardamom 0%. “Magnificent cardamom-led nose, with pear coming in, along with a little waft of rose,” commented Neotia. “Refreshing and incredibly well-balanced. Absolutely delicious.”
A Gold for “sweet, almost creamy” Poshe Drinks, and a Silver for Libertine Blends Hibiscus Spritz 0% finished the initial tasting.
The Master medallists were repoured for the judges, who were tasked with voting for the overall favourite pre-mixed product of the day. The Fizzy Pear & Cardamom 0% serve from Libertine Blends was strongly celebrated by the judges, who noted its unique flavour combination and well-executed finish. However, it was Cognac-based FreshKiss Bouquet Fruité that took home the coveted Taste Master 2026 title. Miller noted once again the product’s “lovely rich, fruity and beautifully fragrant nose, and absolutely delicious flavour with Cognac running through to the finish”.
Reflecting on the day’s tasting, Chambers said: “I remember when we first started judging RTDs, and some were dreadful. The quality is definitely improving. There were a lot of Gold and Master medals. This says a lot about how much the category is improving. It’s exciting to see.”
| Vodka-Based | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Asahi Group | Asahi Zeitaku Shibori with a Squeeze of Peach | Master |
| Asahi Group | Asahi Zeitaku Shibori with a Squeeze of Lemon | Master |
| MG Destilerías | MG Spirit Blueberry | Gold |
| Orang Tua | Iceland Vodka Mix (Pilih Rasa) | Gold |
| Diageo | Smirnoff Ice | Silver |
| Libertine Blends | Cucumber Mule | Silver |
| MG Destilerías | MG Spirit Passion Fruit | Silver |
| Nirvana | Nirvana | Silver |
| Gin-Based | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Det Norske Brenneri | Harahorn Gin & Tonic | Master |
| Edinburgh Gin | Edinburgh Gin & Tonic | Gold |
| Edinburgh Gin | Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb & Ginger with Ginger Ale | Gold |
| Muckle Brig | Lind & Lime Gin | Gold |
| Liviko | Crafter’s Gin & Tonic | Gold |
| Det Norske Brenneri | Harahorn Pink Collins | Gold |
| Det Norske Brenneri | Harahorn Tropic Thunder | Gold |
| Berry Bros & Rudd | No.3 Gin Vesper Martini | Gold |
| Libertine Blends | Gin Citrus Smash | Silver |
| Tequila/Mezcal/Agave Spirit-Based | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Stock Spirits Group | Sierra Lime Margarita | Master |
| The Drinks Bureau | Lagerita | Master |
| Proximo Distillers Indiana | 1800 The Ultimate Margarita Peach | Gold |
| Proximo Distillers Indiana | 1800 The Ultimate Margarita Pineapple | Gold |
| Proximo Distillers Indiana | Jose Cuervo Sparkling Paloma | Gold |
| Bacardi USA | Tequila Cazadores Canned Margarita | Gold |
| Bacardi USA | Tequila Cazadores Canned Paloma | Gold |
| House of Tequila | Altos Margarita Ready-to-Serve Classic Lime | Silver |
| Proximo Distillers Indiana | 1800 The Ultimate Margarita Original | Silver |
| Stock Spirits Group | Sierra Strawberry Margarita | Silver |
| Stock Spirits Group | Sierra Mango Margarita | Silver |
| Stock Spirits Group | Sierra Grapefruit Paloma | Silver |
| Whisky-Based | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Orang Tua | Black Jack | Gold |
| Cognac/Brandy-Based | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Jules Gautret | FreshKiss Bouquet Fruité Master & Taste | Master |
| Jules Gautret | FreshKiss Saveurs d’Été | Gold |
| Rum-Based | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Libertine Blends | Skinny Colada | Gold |
| MG Destilerías | MG Spirit Strawberry Mojito | Gold |
| MG Destilerías | MG Spirit Mojito | Gold |
| Mull It Over | Rizzl | Gold |
| Mull It Over | Beno | Gold |
| Mull It Over | Rappl | Silver |
| Liqueur/Speciality-Based | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Tatratea | Tatratea Original Mixed With Cola | Gold |
| Tatratea | Tatratea Outlaw Mixed With Tonic | Gold |
| Cointreau | Cointreau Citrus Spritz – Grapefruit & Tangerine | Silver |
| Cointreau | Cointreau Cocktail Twists – Original Margarita | Silver |
| Cointreau | Cointreau Cocktail Twists – Passionfruit Margarita | Silver |
| Spirit Blend-Based | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Dom Tápparo/Grupo Petrópolis | Cabaré Ice Limão | Gold |
| Dom Tápparo/Grupo Petrópolis | Cabaré Ice Tangerina | Gold |
| Jawalakhel Distillery | Ruslan Lemon Ice Tea | Gold |
| Jawalakhel Distillery | Ruslan Peach Ice Tea | Gold |
| Himalayan Distillery | Passion Cooler Cola | Gold |
| Wine-Based Cocktail | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Orang Tua | Amer Sangria Fizz | Gold |
| Libertine Blends | Peach Bellini | Silver |
| Hard Seltzer | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Grand Baie Drinks Co | Baie Piña Colada | Gold |
| Grand Baie Drinks Co | Baie Pamplemousse | Gold |
| Crazy Carabao Brewing Co | Crazy Carabao – Piña Colada | Silver |
| Low & No | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Libertine Blends | Fizzy Pear & Cardamom 0% | Master |
| Event-Bar | Poshe Drinks | Gold |
| Libertine Blends | Hibiscus Spritz 0% | Silver |
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