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By Lauren Sabetta | Managing Editor

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RTD alcohol retains popularity across on-premise

In the age of streaming, where viewers can access some of the best movies around, from blockbusters to award-winning films to the critically acclaimed, sometimes it’s hard to justify the price of going to the theater. 

Yet, where streaming from home is convenient and affordable, there is something to be said about going to the movies. The screen is larger and clearer, and let’s not forget theaters have a bigger speaker system. And then there’s the experience of getting out — being in the presence of other people — where movie watching becomes a collective experience.

Similarly, in the world of beverages, although consumers have an abundance of ready-to-drink (RTD) alcohol options to enjoy in-home, interestingly, the on-premise sector serves as a crucial avenue for consumers seeking to engage with the category.

In a recent CGA Powered by Nielsen IQ report, titled “Who is the American RTD Drinker?,”

Andrew Hummel, CGA client solutions director of Americas, analyzes CGA’s latest research, noting that data from CGA OPUS shows that RTD alcohol is retaining its position as a popular and successful beverage category across the American on-premise.

“Indeed, CGA’s research shows that 17% of American drinkers who visit bars, pubs and restaurants have consumed RTD alcohol in the past three months,” Hummel says. “Seasonal figures collected over the past two years also suggest that RTD consumption is consistent across seasons. 

“Between fall 2021 and the following spring, consumption sat stable at 18% of all on-premise users,” Hummel continues. “The figure experienced a slight drop of two percentage points in the fall of 2022, only to increase to 17% in the spring of the following year.”

(Image courtesy of Monaco Cocktails)

As a significant majority of 75% of all RTD consumers dine out at least once a week, almost half visit on-premise venues with the primary intent of consuming alcohol, Hummel notes. 

“Additionally, 40% of individuals consume RTDs in both food- and drink-led scenarios, while the remaining portion is evenly divided between those who prefer RTDs while dining out or drinking out exclusively,” he says.“Around a quarter enjoy RTDs while watching sports, as a regular everyday beverage, or during after-work drinks.”

Meanwhile, approximately 20% of individuals place a premium on brand recognition, with nearly as many always choosing their favorite brand, according to CGA’s research.

“This consumer preference is reflected in brand loyalty figures, which our research suggests to have remained relatively stable over the past two years,” Hummel explains. “However, our OPUS data also indicates that 18% of consumers are actively seeking out new RTD brands and a smaller segment can be tempted by increasing product visibility on the bar or in fridges, showing that some RTD drinkers are still keen to try new brands.

“When promoting unfamiliar brands, manufacturers and suppliers need to account for the large majority ― a remarkable 56% ― for whom quality is paramount,” he continues. “The range of flavors available come as a relatively close second with 48% of RTD drinkers looking for a variety of expressions, meaning that there are plenty of innovation opportunities for manufacturers within the RTD category.”

Further, Hummel points to the type of alcohol used — malt, sugar or spirit — as approximately one-third of consumers choose RTDs based on the type of base-alcohol used.

“Among white spirits, vodka is by far the most popular (70%) while tequila’s popularity, selected by over half of RTD consumers, aligns with wider consumer trends in the country,” Hummel says. “Rum is a very popular base alcohol, selected by 42% of RTD drinkers while gin is the least appealing white spirit base (30%). Meanwhile, whiskey (43%) is almost twice as desirable as brandies and cognac (23%).” 

As the popularity of RTD alcohol shows no signs of abating, it appears that manufacturers, suppliers and operations have an opportunity to harness the category’s potential across the American on-premise. BI

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Pepsi,

Little Caesars

Pineapple Pair-Up Combo

Tampico Beverages and COOP Beverage Works introduced its TAMPICO Hard Punch Fiesta of Flavor Sweepstakes. The luxurious beach giveaway will grant two winners the grand prize of a trip for two to a tropical destination, the companies say. “We are thrilled by the response to TAMPICO Hard Punch and how much consumers are enjoying the Citrus and Island flavors,” said Mark Kent, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Tampico Beverages, in a statement.

Beginning June 26, the sweepstakes will run to Sept. 29, and individuals can enter to win at tampicohardpunchsweepstakes.com. Once the giveaway is closed, two winners will be selected to enjoy their very own beach getaways, inspired by two newly released TAMPICO Hard Punch flavors: Citrus and Island, it says. The Citrus Grand Prize winner will enjoy a four-night stay at The Savoy Hotel and Beach Club in Miami, Florida, while the Island Grand Prize winner will receive a four-night stay at San Juan Water and Beach Club Hotel in Puerto Rico, it adds. Each prize also includes one travel voucher for two people to their winning getaway location, it notes.

“Our products have always been inspired by tropical flavors and we are excited by the opportunity to send two winners to destinations that feel like paradise.”

Tampico Beverages and COOP Beverage Works introduced its TAMPICO Hard Punch Fiesta of Flavor Sweepstakes. The luxurious beach giveaway will grant two winners the grand prize of a trip for two to a tropical destination, the companies say. “We are thrilled by the response to TAMPICO Hard Punch and how much consumers are enjoying the Citrus and Island flavors,” said Mark Kent, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Tampico Beverages, in a statement. “Our products have always been inspired by tropical flavors and we are excited by the opportunity to send two winners to destinations that feel like paradise.” Beginning June 26, the sweepstakes will run to Sept. 29, and individuals can enter to win at tampicohardpunchsweepstakes.com. Once the giveaway is closed, two winners will be selected to enjoy their very own beach getaways, inspired by two newly released TAMPICO Hard Punch flavors: Citrus and Island, it says. The Citrus Grand Prize winner will enjoy a four-night stay at The Savoy Hotel and Beach Club in Miami, Florida, while the Island Grand Prize winner will receive a four-night stay at San Juan Water and Beach Club Hotel in Puerto Rico, it adds. Each prize also includes one travel voucher for two people to their winning getaway location, it notes.

A tropical excursion

Did You Know ...

More Americans are shopping online for groceries than ever before.

According to a new survey by Coresight Research, six in 10 people reported they shopped online in the past 12 months and 41% of people stated they did “all, or almost all” of their grocery shopping online compared to 28.3% last year.


The survey also found that people prefer to have their online grocery purchases delivered instead of picking them up at a store, and Prime members prefer Walmart over Amazon for grocery purchases, with 60% of Prime shoppers buying groceries from Walmart in the 12 months.

Interestingly, 42% of respondents who shopped for groceries online in the 12 months before the survey also used an online meal kit or recipe-box subscription service, according to Coresight Research. HelloFresh leads the U.S. meal kits market, with 59.3% of meal-kit subscribers reporting that they used HelloFresh in the 12 months prior to the survey, it says.

Highlighting wellness and beauty

Chamberlain Coffee recently partnered with cult-favorite hair care line IGK to launch a limited-edition Matcha Dry Shampoo. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with IGK for this collaboration and stepping into the hair care space for the first time ever,” said Chamberlain Coffee Chief Marketing Officer Liz Ahern, in a statement. “IGK is a powerhouse brand, so to be able to partner with them to bring this product to life inspired by our best-selling Matcha Green Tea powder is really exciting for us. We look forward to sharing it with our fans, as well as theirs, and continuing to give people unique ways to experience Chamberlain Coffee.” Luxury Brand Partners CEO and founder Dan Langer, group president of Prestige Hair, added: “We are excited to announce IGK’s collaboration with Chamberlain Coffee. As long-time fans of Chamberlain’s Matcha Green Tea, we saw this as the perfect way to connect the passionate fans of Chamberlain Coffee with the vibrant IGK community.” The co-branded product will be an iteration of IGK’s popular Direct Flight Multi-Tasking Matcha Dry Shampoo with exclusive packaging, and will be available for purchase at Ulta retail stores, as well as online at Ulta.com, Chamberlaincoffee.com, and Igkhair.com for $32 a bottle through December. The Matcha-infused dry shampoo serves to absorb hair oil, preserve style and add light touchable texture without grit, the companies say.

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