The alcoholic beverages market is changing and new participants are joining a consumption trend that bets on canned cocktails with premium liquors, ready to drink (RTD) , in which breweries such as Heineken and Molson Coors are seeing an opportunity to expand.
The numbers don’t lie, canned alcoholic beverages are in fashion and now represent the he liquor market category with the highest growth and a value of $1,600 million dollars in revenue.
The data is not minor and to put it in perspective, represents a 42% increase in in relation to the figure of 2021, according to information from the Distilled Beverage Council of the United States.
But what are the breweries doing in a market that, apparently, they do not know. The answer is that they are exploring a sector that was unknown, but which is effervescent and eager for new options.
And in the midst of this scenario , the bets of some brands for mineral water are changing course, after they fell 5.5% in 2021, according to data from NielsenQ, according to a CNBC report.
Brewers enter the RTD market
The new expansion opportunities that brewers find in the RTD sector include canned mixes of margaritas, piña coladas and daiquiris.
In this new incursion, the presence of traditional breweries such as Heineken stands out, which launched this summer a margarita cocktail made with white tequila and lemon juice, in association with Dos Equis.
“Bringing a great brand into a fast-growing category where not all brands are immediately recognizable is a a great opportunity,” said Jonnie Cahill, Heineken’s marketing director.
According to Cahill, its launch was so successful that its sales rate was almost double that of what the brewer expected, so the company is already planning product expansion in the United States.
For its part, the company Molson Coors, owner of the Coors Light, Miller Lite and Blue Moon brands, announced just this week the launch, together with Coca Cola, of its Topo Chico line Spirited, a line of canned cocktails that, for now, is known to be made with tequila and vodka.
Another brand moving in the same direction is Anheuser- Busch Inbev, owner of Budweiser, Stella Artois and Michelob Ultra, which announced the acquisition of Cutwater Spirits, with which it will manufacture three new canned cocktails from ranch water
, mojitos and vodka.
Why breweries bet on the RTDs
A DISCUS report showed that 94% of consumers are opting for RTDs, as they offer flavors that they prefer, while 92% said they are easy to buy and consume drinks.
“U.S. consumers are increasingly prioritizing convenience, taste, variety, and quality in their beverage choices,” said Robert Blizzard, a partner at research firm Public Opinion Strategies, which collaborated with DISCUS on the report, according to a report by CNBC.
Meanwhile, canned cocktails with premium liquors are gaining ground in the alcoholic beverages market, with a of 41.3%, to the detriment of beer and wine.
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