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.
The once-booming flavored malt beverage (FMB) segment is “showing some concerning declarations over recent weeks,” Bump Williams Consulting (BWC) founder Bump Williams noted in a recent report. FMB volume gains dropped by half – from +2.2%, to +1.1% – from the four-week period to the one-week period ending May 18, according to NIQ retail measurement data cited by BWC.
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.
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.
Sazerac and Coca Cola’s bev-alc subsidiary are embarking on a new partnership.
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).
Pernod Ricard is shaking up its distribution partnerships as it plans to triple its ready-to-drink (RTD) footprint in the U.S. over the next three years.
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.
Drnxmyth, a pioneering startup in the ready-to-drink cocktail space, is shutting down. The closure comes after a number of challenges, including struggles to lower margins, a tough pivot from its original e-commerce focus, and difficulties in securing a viable wholesale path.
Hard tea is all the rage right now, but one ready-to-drink (RTD) company has been championing the style since 2013.
“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).
Rémy Cointreau has acquired a minority stake in French non-alc spirits company JNPR, joining other major spirit groups with bids on the growing category.
