Ready-to-drink cocktails have one of the healthiest trajectories in the drinks industry. One report by Fact.MR even predicts a global growth in the canned segment from US$2.89bn in 2025 to about US$11.92bn by 2035. Whatever the figure, the projections are now strong enough to entice the industry’s biggest producers and retailers.
Canned cocktails aren’t new – they’re not even recent. Brands such as Gordon’s have been putting their G&Ts in cans for decades, but a post-pandemic surge gave birth to a craft movement which consolidated the category’s credibility. The likes of Whitebox and Moth injected quality and demanded higher price points, which encouraged a premium movement. And now, with sales continuing to rise, some major players have arrived to take advantage. UK supermarket giant Tesco began stocking canned cocktails in 2023 and by late last year it had more than 20 products on shelf.
In a company report, Tesco ready-to-drink buyer Marie Cook said: “Ready-made cocktails to drink at home have really come into their own now and it’s not surprising to see demand grow so much because of the great quality and increased variety available.
“The UK’s ready-made cocktail revamp began during lockdown when some clever businesses formed to seize the opportunity to create premium, bar-quality drinks for shoppers to enjoy in their homes.
“And this sector of the drinks industry has continued to grow from there, especially as a quality cocktail can cost anything up to £15 in a trendy bar.”
According to Tesco’s report, the trend is “mirroring what it is seeing within its luxury prepared meals category with the rising costs of eating or drinking out encouraging shoppers to seek out premium quality food and drink to enjoy at home”.
Retail space
It’s a combination of laziness, convenience and a struggling economy as to why RTDs have suddenly sparked into life. Another of the major UK supermarket chains investing in its cocktail range is Marks & Spencer. In last year’s International Spirits Challenge it earned more than one third of the overall gold medals as well as all three of the category’s trophies. Whether supermarkets are selling third-party brands or developing their own labels, they’re the perfect retail space to shift volume. But on a brand level, some familiar names from adjacent markets are now stepping in.
In spring last year Fever-Tree entered stage left with its Blood Orange Gin Spritz, which it made in collaboration with Australian gin brand Papa Salt – the Margot Robbie one. When a company as successful as Fever-Tree enters a new category it’s because there’s money to be made, and using a celebrity-owned gin only adds to the consumer allure.
Unsurprisingly there are whispers of Fever-Tree’s ambition to launch more canned cocktails in the future and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see other mixer brands follow a similar path. Schweppes, now owned by Coca-Cola, launched its series of cocktails called Schweppes Mix just one month after Fever-Tree entered the frame. Franklin & Sons, part of Global Brands, has five canned cocktails in its range and these mixer brands are perfectly poised to deliver what consumers want. They have the flexibility to work with any spirits brand they want, they have an established route to market in the off-trade and they already have the scale to produce en masse.
