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.
Blake’s Beverage Co. is looking to be a leader in not just hard cider, but all “fruit-forward fourth category innovation,” founder and CEO Andrew Blake told Brewbound.
Ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) remain one of the hottest segments in bev-alc, seemingly avoiding the quick rise and fall of the former new kid in town, hard seltzer (for now). Even the previously formidable flavored malt beverage (FMB) segment is starting to see the impact of consumers moving away to the more premium, typically spirits-based offerings.
New Belgium Brewing is investing $20 million in Bell’s Brewery’s Kalamazoo production facility and Eccentric Cafe taproom, Crain’s Grand Rapids Business reported.
Bev-alc sales declined in the two-week period (L2W) ending September 6, although cider, as well as wine and spirits-based ready-to-drink (RTD) continue to buck the trends, according to analysis of NIQ data from Goldman Sachs Equity Research.
Summer ended with Dogfish Head riding momentum in both canned cocktails and its beer portfolio.
The entrepreneur’s journey is often messy, but in the case of Stursi, publicly sharing the highs and lows may have given its founders an initial sales boost.
The growth of spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) may be slowing. However, the segment’s impact on the beer category is far from abating, according to bev-alc consulting and data firm 3 Tier Beverages.
Spirits-based RTD growth peaked in 2020, with dollar sales growth of more than 150% in NIQ-tracked off-premise channels (total U.S. xAOC plus liquor plus convenience), 3 Tier Beverages consultant Erin McVickers shared in a webinar last week. Growth then progressively slowed, but the segment was still able to more than double dollar sales from 2021 (nearly $1.53 billion) to 2024 (nearly $3.19 billion).
Check out these news items, initially reported in the Brewbound Insider Newsletter between August 27-29.
Korean soju is one of the top selling spirits in the world, but can that popularity transfer to canned cocktails? Several emerging brands are aiming to find out.
Gold Bar Whiskey is entering the ready-to-drink (RTD) sphere, and it’s rolling out with the support of Joe Cool himself: Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana.
Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila has landed additional investment and named a new CEO. The tequila brand’s parent company, Calabasas Beverage Company (CBC), received a strategic investment from the Pérez family, owners of Grupo Solave.
Want to encourage craft beer drinkers to pick up a craft RTD cocktail? Try offering more beer. Now in its third release, Tip Top Proper Cocktails’ Kindred Spirits Series is a first-of-its-kind RTD brand and brewery collaboration that reimagines classic cocktails through the lens of craft beer.
Breakout ready-to-drink (RTD) brand Good Boy Vodka will move its California distribution to California Beverage Solution (CBS) this month, the companies announced today.
“Flavored alcohol” across categories has become a lonely bright spot for the bev-alc industry, which is finding itself particularly pessimistic in 2025, according to the latest monthly report from Bump Williams of Bump Williams Consulting (BWC).
Hard tea continued to fill Boston Beer’s sails in Q2, but it was newbie Sun Cruiser that put in the brunt of the work rather than veteran Twisted Tea, company leadership shared Thursday during a call with investors and analysts.
