Spirits To Eke Out Another Gain As RTDs Propel The Category

The spirits industry is projected to register growth of less than 1% this year, according to the 2025 edition of The U.S. Spirits Market: Shanken’s Impact Databank Review & Forecast, marking the 30th consecutive annual gain for the category—and propelling its volume to surpass that of wine for the first time in over 45 years. Tequila remains resilient, and dealcoholized spirits continue to make a splash—albeit from a small base―but pre-mixed cocktails remain the primary growth driver for the industry.

In fact, if not for the ready-to-drink and ready-to-serve sectors, 2025 would have been the fourth consecutive year of volume declines for the U.S. spirits market, according to the 282-page Impact Databank report. While the industry has declined slightly in control states through September, total spirits volume in NielsenIQ channels rose 2.9% for the year-to-date period ending October 11—excluding pre-mixed cocktails, the industry would have fallen 2.8% at retail.

While U.S. spirits volume leader Sazerac has always had a presence in the RTD/RTS category, it more than tripled its volume within pre-mixed spirit cocktails with last year’s acquisition of the Buzzballz line. Spirit of Gallo, marketer of top-selling spirits brand by volume High Noon, further expanded its presence in the RTD sector with the national launch of VMC last year, as well as the 2025 debut of Lucky One Lemonade.

“On the RTD side, VMC is doing great, and the launch of Lucky One Lemonade has been incredible,” Gallo chief commercial officer Britt West recently told SND. “That’s tapping into the premiumization of lemonade, but also the no- and low-carbonation space. On the West Coast, from a small base the Salt Point RTD that we acquired last year is seeing nice momentum.”

Suntory Global Spirits has complemented its On the Rocks ready-to-serve line with the fast-rising -196 vodka soda brand, while Pernod Ricard’s Absolut extended both its RTD and RTS offerings earlier this year. Diageo has also registered growth with its Cocktail Collection group of ready-to-serve drinks, most recently adding a new Bulleit Whiskey Sour.

But the biggest volume-gainer in the RTD space remains Stateside Brands’ Surfside line of non-carbonated iced teas and lemonades. Surfside is projected to approach 12 million cases in the U.S. this year, making it the third-largest spirit in volume terms, behind only High Noon seltzer and Tito’s vodka―according to Impact Databank.

For more information regarding The U.S. Spirits Market, Impact Databank Review & Forecast, 2025 Edition and other exclusive Shanken publications, click here.–Juan Banaag

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