Diageo’s new CEO Dave Lewis is reframing ready-to-drink offerings as an opportunity for the spirits giant, but after years of focus on the top end of the shelf, the group has ground to make up.

Spirits giants Pernod Ricard and Brown-Forman have reportedly held talks about a possible merger, according to a report from Bloomberg News.

Sazerac has acquired Dirty Shirley, the ready-to-drink (RTD) vodka-spiked take on the classic Shirley Temple, the company announced Thursday.

Carbliss, the ready-to-drink (RTD) vodka-based cocktail that has become one of the breakout independents in its category, is rolling out a malt-based tallboy across seven Midwestern states.

The legal battle over Uncle Nearest has taken another dramatic turn: Founder Fawn Weaver’s attempt to use bankruptcy court to wrest control of the bourbon brand from a court-appointed receiver lasted less than 48 hours before a judge threw the petition out.

The founders of Mission Craft Cocktails, the Southern California brand built on bar-strength bottled cocktails made with premium ingredients, see their company as a David in a segment of Goliaths. In their sling: a bet on economies of scale, format innovation and a purpose-driven brand.

The founder of Uncle Nearest has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after the troubled bourbon company defaulted on more than $100 million in loans and went into receivership.

The ready-to-drink (RTD) margarita is outpacing some of the industry’s hottest new RTD segments, with high ABV and spirit-based versions picking up steam, according to a new report from Bump Williams.

Non-alcoholic (NA) wine, beer and spirits still account for less than 1% of total alcohol category sales – leaving a runway for brands that innovate with popular functional ingredients, according to a new report from market research firm NIQ.

A federal grand jury has indicted five former senior executives at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits (SGWS) – the largest alcohol distributor in the U.S. – along with a salesman from a major Napa Valley wine company, on charges stemming from an alleged bribery scheme that prosecutors say ran for nearly a decade and earned favors from California’s largest grocery retail chains.

Uncle Nearest founders Fawn and Keith Weaver have made their final courtroom arguments to take back ownership of the troubled bourbon company after it defaulted on more than $100 million in loans and went into receivership.

Spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) posted another blowout two-week period, up more than 30% in dollar sales, as brands such as Cutwater and Sun Cruiser continued to pull consumers away from former leaders, according to an analysis of NIQ data from Goldman Sachs Equity Research.

After a judge placed Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey under receivership for defaulting on nearly $108 million in loans, founder Fawn Weaver continues her courtroom fight to take back the troubled bourbon company.

Private label products saw a banner year in 2025, with spirits ranking as one of the top growing categories. As some distillers aim to take advantage of the opportunity, will brands feel the squeeze?