The RTD Revolution Is Accelerating—and Consumers Are Changing the Rules

The numbers coming out of 2025 tell a remarkable story about the American alcohol market. At a time when consumers are drinking less often and becoming more selective about what they buy, ready-to-drink cocktails continue to stand out. Premixed cocktails, including spirits RTDs, reached 85.6 million 9-liter cases in 2025, up 17.1% by volume, overtaking vodka to become the largest U.S. spirits category by volume. Spirits-based RTDs have grown from 23.5 million cases in 2020 to 85.6 million in 2025—nearly four times the volume in five years.

Consumers Aren't Abandoning RTDs. They're Becoming More Selective.

The bigger story isn't simply that canned cocktails are growing—it's what consumers are choosing inside the category. Malt-based RTDs still represent the majority of the market, but their dominance has been declining. In 2021, malt represented roughly 91% of RTD volume versus about 8% for spirits-based products. By 2025, malt had fallen to roughly 77%, while spirits-based RTDs had climbed to approximately 19%. More recent IWSR data reinforces that shift: in 2025, malt-based RTD volume declined 5%, while spirits-based RTDs grew 14%.

That's significant because it suggests the RTD consumer is evolving. Convenience may have brought people into the category, but convenience alone may no longer be enough. NIQ reported at mid-2025 that the broader RTD and ready-to-serve category had reached $13.9 billion and 12.5% of total beverage-alcohol dollar sales. At the same time, hard seltzers were down 7.4%, while spirits-based RTDs were up 20% in its measured period. NIQ's conclusion is especially relevant for emerging brands: differentiation, taste and trust increasingly matter in a crowded category.

Drink Less Often. Expect More When You Do.

There's another trend occurring at exactly the same time: moderation. IWSR found that total U.S. beverage-alcohol volume declined 5% in 2025. Importantly, its research suggests the number of people drinking isn't necessarily collapsing; instead, people are drinking less frequently and consuming fewer drinks when they do.

That creates an interesting new consumer equation:

Fewer drinking occasions + more choices = every drink has to earn its place.

Consumers can still care about price, but that doesn't mean they've stopped expecting quality. NIQ describes today's market as increasingly driven by quality, flexibility, trusted brands and clearly defined drinking occasions. RTDs now have to deliver more than portability. Flavor needs to be memorable. The format needs to fit the occasion. And the overall experience has to justify choosing that particular can from an increasingly crowded refrigerator.

That's Exactly Where Biza Fits

Biza was created around the idea that convenience shouldn't require sacrificing the drinking experience. Instead of approaching the category as another hard seltzer, Biza starts with real corn vodka and builds a lightly sparkling island cocktail around it. Fruit-forward complementary flavor combinations, lower carbonation and a clean finish are designed to create a more complete cocktail experience—while retaining everything consumers love about the convenience of a can.

And versatility matters more as drinking occasions evolve. Enjoy Biza ice cold directly from the can. Pour it over ice. Dress it up with fruit. Or use it as the base for a simple cocktail with Aperol, a cordial or liqueur. The can provides the convenience; the consumer decides the experience.

That distinction could become increasingly important as RTDs mature. The category isn't a novelty anymore. NIQ calls RTD/RTS a “Fourth Category” alongside beer, wine and spirits, and reports that more than 70% of RTDs are consumed the same day they're purchased. This has become a real drinking occasion, not simply an experiment consumers pick up once.

The Next RTD Battle Won't Be About Who Can Put a Cocktail in a Can

Everybody can do that now.

The next battle will be about what happens after the consumer opens it.

Does it taste like what the package promised? Is there enough flavor? Is the carbonation right? Does it finish clean? Would you order another one? And perhaps most importantly in a market where people are drinking less frequently: was that drinking occasion worth it?

The extraordinary growth of spirits-based RTDs suggests consumers are increasingly interested in another answer to the canned-alcohol question. DISCUS says spirits RTDs were the standout growth area of the spirits industry in 2025, with premixed cocktail revenue reaching $3.8 billion, up 16.4%, even as overall U.S. spirits supplier revenue declined 2.2%.

For Biza, that's encouraging—but it's also a challenge. A growing category attracts more brands, more flavors and more competition for the same shelf.

So simply being a spirits-based RTD won't be enough.

The first RTD revolution was about convenience. The next one will be about experience.

And that's exactly where things get interesting.

The RTD Revolution Is Accelerating—and Consumers Are Changing the Rules

The numbers coming out of 2025 tell a remarkable story about the American alcohol market. At a time when consumers are drinking less often and becoming more selective about what they buy, ready-to-drink cocktails continue to stand out. Premixed cocktails, including spirits RTDs, reached 85.6 million 9-liter cases in 2025, up 17.1% by volume, overtaking vodka to become the largest U.S. spirits category by volume. Spirits-based RTDs have grown from 23.5 million cases in 2020 to 85.6 million in 2025—nearly four times the volume in five years.

Consumers Aren't Abandoning RTDs. They're Becoming More Selective.

The bigger story isn't simply that canned cocktails are growing—it's what consumers are choosing inside the category. Malt-based RTDs still represent the majority of the market, but their dominance has been declining. In 2021, malt represented roughly 91% of RTD volume versus about 8% for spirits-based products. By 2025, malt had fallen to roughly 77%, while spirits-based RTDs had climbed to approximately 19%. More recent IWSR data reinforces that shift: in 2025, malt-based RTD volume declined 5%, while spirits-based RTDs grew 14%.

That's significant because it suggests the RTD consumer is evolving. Convenience may have brought people into the category, but convenience alone may no longer be enough. NIQ reported at mid-2025 that the broader RTD and ready-to-serve category had reached $13.9 billion and 12.5% of total beverage-alcohol dollar sales. At the same time, hard seltzers were down 7.4%, while spirits-based RTDs were up 20% in its measured period. NIQ's conclusion is especially relevant for emerging brands: differentiation, taste and trust increasingly matter in a crowded category.

Drink Less Often. Expect More When You Do.

There's another trend occurring at exactly the same time: moderation. IWSR found that total U.S. beverage-alcohol volume declined 5% in 2025. Importantly, its research suggests the number of people drinking isn't necessarily collapsing; instead, people are drinking less frequently and consuming fewer drinks when they do.

That creates an interesting new consumer equation:

Fewer drinking occasions + more choices = every drink has to earn its place.

Consumers can still care about price, but that doesn't mean they've stopped expecting quality. NIQ describes today's market as increasingly driven by quality, flexibility, trusted brands and clearly defined drinking occasions. RTDs now have to deliver more than portability. Flavor needs to be memorable. The format needs to fit the occasion. And the overall experience has to justify choosing that particular can from an increasingly crowded refrigerator.

That's Exactly Where Biza Fits

Biza was created around the idea that convenience shouldn't require sacrificing the drinking experience. Instead of approaching the category as another hard seltzer, Biza starts with real corn vodka and builds a lightly sparkling island cocktail around it. Fruit-forward complementary flavor combinations, lower carbonation and a clean finish are designed to create a more complete cocktail experience—while retaining everything consumers love about the convenience of a can.

And versatility matters more as drinking occasions evolve. Enjoy Biza ice cold directly from the can. Pour it over ice. Dress it up with fruit. Or use it as the base for a simple cocktail with Aperol, a cordial or liqueur. The can provides the convenience; the consumer decides the experience.

That distinction could become increasingly important as RTDs mature. The category isn't a novelty anymore. NIQ calls RTD/RTS a “Fourth Category” alongside beer, wine and spirits, and reports that more than 70% of RTDs are consumed the same day they're purchased. This has become a real drinking occasion, not simply an experiment consumers pick up once.

The Next RTD Battle Won't Be About Who Can Put a Cocktail in a Can

Everybody can do that now.

The next battle will be about what happens after the consumer opens it.

Does it taste like what the package promised? Is there enough flavor? Is the carbonation right? Does it finish clean? Would you order another one? And perhaps most importantly in a market where people are drinking less frequently: was that drinking occasion worth it?

The extraordinary growth of spirits-based RTDs suggests consumers are increasingly interested in another answer to the canned-alcohol question. DISCUS says spirits RTDs were the standout growth area of the spirits industry in 2025, with premixed cocktail revenue reaching $3.8 billion, up 16.4%, even as overall U.S. spirits supplier revenue declined 2.2%.

For Biza, that's encouraging—but it's also a challenge. A growing category attracts more brands, more flavors and more competition for the same shelf.

So simply being a spirits-based RTD won't be enough.

The first RTD revolution was about convenience. The next one will be about experience.

And that's exactly where things get interesting.