Beer is out. Boozy seltzers and probiotic drinks — aka hard kombucha — are here to stay. But there’s a whole other Yeti cooler’s worth of adult beverages just starting to take off: uncarbonated canned cocktails.
The ready-to-drink (RTD) category is a fast-growing segment in the alcohol industry.
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While RTDs used to be favored by spring breakers — think malt beverages like Mike’s Hard Lemonade — in recent years, the new category of beverages has gotten a little more sophisticated and now appeals to consumers who are looking for higher-quality spirits.
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The global RTD market was estimated to be around $3.2 billion in 2024, and it’s expected to experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 15% from 2025 to 2030, according to market-research company Grandview Research. The company’s 2024 “Ready-to-Drink Cocktails Market Size Share & Trends Analysis” offered an in-depth look at the category.
Ready-to-drink cocktails with premium alcohol are increasingly popular.
Coca-Cola betting on name recognition
Consumers no longer want mass-produced beverages and are increasingly willing to pay for premium, high-quality ingredients and unique flavor combinations, according to the Grandview report.
Gen-Z and Millennial consumers also like the portability and ease of RTDs. And some RTDs are lower in calories and sugar than other canned adult beverages.
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That may be one reason The Coca-Cola Company (KO) — the largest beverage company in the world — is capitalizing on its Minute-Maid brand to make a play in this sector. In 2023, The Coca-Cola Company formed a new division, Red Tree Beverages, a federally permitted and firewalled subsidiary that develops and sells alcoholic beverages.
Red Tree Beverages has introduced a handful of adults-only beverages in the last two years.
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Coca-Cola betting on name-brand recognition
The latest entry to the category means you can now get your Minute-Maid Lemonade or Minute-Maid Pink Lemonade infused with vodka; these drinks are not a fit for the neighborhood lemonade stand.
The Coca-Cola Company/Red Tree Beverage’s new line of vodka-infused Minute Maid drinks capitalizes on the brand’s wide selection of juices (100 varieties and counting).
In addition to the lemonades, the brand is also launching “Minute Made Spiked Vodka Punch” in several flavors, including berry, citrus, tropical, and classic punch flavors.
The uncarbonated beverages come in 12-ounce cans and contain 5% alcohol by volume.
This is not Coca-Cola’s first foray into the “ready-to-drink” adult beverage category: It has had a successful collaboration with Jack Daniel’s since 2022 when it launched a canned “Jack and Coke.” The only surprise is that this particular collab took so long.
The company also partnered with Constellation Brands to launch Fresca Mixed, a vodka-infused version of the popular low-calorie, no-sugar-added beverage. Less on brand but definitely capitalizing on the seltzer trend, The Coca-Cola Company partnered with Molson Coors to create Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, which also launched in 2022.
The Coca-Cola Company had revenues of more than $47 billion in 2024, $2 billion more than in 2023. The company does not disclose how much of those sales are from alcoholic beverages.
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