T he ready-to-drink (RTD) category has fully embraced the
craft trend in recent years. Producers are now able to create
high-quality, portable products thanks to improvements in
packaging technology. These modern brands also make great
use of social media and trend recognition.
No longer is RTD synonymous for "cheap and sugary." Craft
has given the category a makeover. The question is: have con-
sumers caught up? Or does the stigma still linger that RTDs are
not premium products?
Permanently moving beyond that
reputation is not an easy task. The open-
minded attitude of Millennials has helped, as
has the broader movements of craft and em-
phasis on health. Altogether the RTD category is poised to
cash in on its premiumization.
OVERCOMING THE STIGMA
When did consumers begin to think of RTDs as containing
high-quality ingredients? Bradd Levitan, CEO of the premade
sangria Beso Del Sol, believes the tide started to turn for the
better with the launch in 2009 of Skinny Girl cocktails.
"There you had the craft aspect and all-natural ingredients,
and now everyone is using better ingredients for better products
because of the consumer demand," Levitan says. Which fi ts into
the overall trend towards healthier nutrition. "People today are
PREMIUMIZATION IS PROPELLING
READY-TO-DRINK BEVERAGES.
R
TD
S
R
I
D
E
TH
E
CRAF T WAVE
Producers are now able
to create high-quality,
portable products thanks
to improvements in
packaging technology.
by KYLE SWARTZ
StateWays | www.stateways.com | July/August 2017
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