4 Cool Trends in Low ABV RTDs | Alcohol Professor

Seeing more RTDs than hard seltzers in drink coolers lately? According to The Spirits Business 2022 RTD Report, “The segment’s value is forecast to increase by an additional US$11.5 billion in the next five years.” That number represents a lot of canned and bottled fizz.

Also on the up, the low- and no-alcohol category, which grew by more than 7% by volume across 10 markets in 2022.

We checked out some popular summer low ABV RTD’s and found 4 trends within the trend:

Water

Beverage producers carved out a new niche of not fizzy waters laced with hip flavors and a splash of booze for a fresh take on canned coolers or the popularity of La Croix, perhaps?

Funny Water

Thirsty? What could be better than a crisp cold can of 3.75% ABV water? Appealingly embellished with fresh flavors like citrus, cucumber mint and blueberry acai and made from cane based alcohol, it may remind you of drinking fruit and herb infused water at the spa, if it was spiked.

Hardly Water

Chicagoan Tonya Romin’s RTD creation journey started one day when her husband asked if she wanted some water. She joked “sure, with a bit of alcohol and fruit in it!” His reply? “Well, that’s hardly water then, isn’t it?” Her line of bubble-free fruit waters fits right in with this growing trend of still, low alcohol “spa” waters for those who prefer flat refreshment.

Mom Water and Dad Water

Similarly, Indiana-based Mom Water goes down pretty darn easy. Naturally, Dad wanted in on the fun and brought some tequila (water) to the ladies vodka (water) sesh. Each is named with a woman’s name—Carol, Nancy, Susan, etc. And Gay Water, a new low ABV canned vodka soda created by marketing guy Spencer Hoddeson, launched in July.

Spritz

You can’t walk onto a patio these days without tripping over a spritz. The genre is ripe for RTD makers, with bubbles built into the formula. Ironically, two of our examples sit higher on the ABV continuum than many low alcohol drinks, but they’re lighter than a glass of wine.

Greenbar Distillery Spritz

This organic sipper from Los Angeles packs 24 botanicals into the hibiscus forward mix–in the tradition of Italian herbal amari and spritz, it’s at once bitter, sweet, spiced and fizzy.

La Lata Vermutijo

This Spanish spritz combines the ultra popular (and organic) vermouth with grapefruit juice and sparkles to create a unique summery sipper with a distinctly Iberian flavor profile. For even more beverage authenticity, try their rebujito (a classic fino sherry and lemon spritz in the Sevillian style).

Something and Nothing

These elegant spritzes clock in at just 4% ABV, and feature grown-up additions like sake and yuzu, French rosé and sauvignon blanc, and use grape juice to lightly sweeten. Interestingly each is an alcoholic twist on their line of sodas.

Wine

While the classic wine spritzer consisters of wine, soda (or sparkling water) and ice, the RTD version of wine spritzers often have other ingredients. They offer lighter refreshment for wine drinkers when it’s just too hot for even chilled rosé and fall into a tradition of sessionable beverages.

Cliche Wine Seltzers

Napa winemakers Joe Wagner and Dave Phinney (of the Prisoner fame) partnered up to create a white wine and soda spritzer with natural fruit flavors perfect for day-drinking. Their take? It’s not just another seltzer, but rather what they call the “anti-seltzer” made with high quality ingredients for a better experience.

Taylor Fladgate Chip Dry and Tonic

If you’ve visited Portugal, you’ve apertivo’d with a goblet of white port and tonic, a delightful dry refresher that shows off the versatility of its simple ingredients. Now you can get it in a can, along with its sister cocktail, the Croft Pink and Tonic made with rosé port for a fruitier taste.

Fruit

Fruit and fizz are always in fashion, and these fancy fruit drinks bring fresh flavors that are easy on the alcohol, despite the fact that some of them come from distilleries and breweries.

Spindrift Spiked

The popular juice and soda sparkling water line has launched a set of 4% ABV coolers to entice pool-goers and bbq attenders to add a little booze to the party. Strawberry lemonade just joined the roster with mango, pineapple, and lime–just be sure to keep ‘em separate from the kid’s juice boxes.

Kove

Craft brewery Kove ferments their fun-flavored, low alcohol beverages from botanically based tisanes infused from organic botanicals and colorfully cans them in San Diego. Their beachy variety pack includes wild ones like a Dragon Fruit Margarita, Beaches and Peaches, and a Desert Rose Paloma.

Tattersall

The Midwest’s Tattersall Distillery is widely known for their vast selection of spirits and liqueurs. They recently pivoted their canned cocktail production to create lower alcohol RTD choices featuring their craft vodka and gin. Exotic fruits like key lime and rosehip pair with lots of bubbles.

4 Cool Trends to Watch in Low ABV RTDs

Water

Mom Water and Dad Water

Spritz

Wine

Fruit