Beyond Beer

Diageo’s Casamigos, the O.G. celebrity tequila brand co-founded by George Clooney, is entering ready-to-serve cocktails with a new line of pre-mixed margaritas.

As Congress’s November deadline ticks closer for intoxicating hemp beverage makers, states are not waiting to pass their own regulations on if and where THC drinks can be sold.

Molson Coors has struck a deal to acquire spirits-based, ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail pioneer Atomic Brands, whose Monaco Cocktails entered the then-nascent space in 2012. The deal should come as no surprise, as it aligns with Molson Coors’ goals to expand its beyond beer portfolio, part of the Horizon 2030 plan CEO Rahul Goyal outlined earlier this year.

More than two years after Blake’s Hard Cider, Austin Eastciders and Avid Cider Co. merged under the Blake’s Beverage Co. banner, the companies have found a rhythm that helped make Blake’s the “fastest growing” independent cidery in the U.S.

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.

Breakthru Beverage Group, one of the largest beverage distributors in the U.S., is jumping into the intoxicating hemp drink business.

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.

Sixteen leaders from 12 bev-alc brands (and adjacent) were named to Inc.’s 2026 Female Founders 500. Representing craft beer are Holidaily Brewing (Golden, Colorado) founder Karen Hertz, Hot Plate Brewing (Pittsfield, Massachusetts) founder Sarah Real and Talea Beer Co. (Brooklyn, New York) co-founders LeAnn Darland and Tara Hankinson.

Members of the American Cider Association (ACA) elected two new and four returning representatives to the trade group’s board of directors last month.

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.

One consistent trend through the first two months of 2026 has been the strength of ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs).