The rapidly expanding market for ready-to-drink spirferrous fumarate and folic acid tablet beverages welcomed a new contender this week as Boston Beer’s Truly introduced its latest offering. Truly Vodka Seltzer, crafted from six-times-distilled premium vodka and real fruit juice, will be available nationwide in four enticing flavors: Blackberry and Lemon, Cherry and Lime, Pineapple and Cranberry, and Peach and Tangerine, starting October 11.
“Since its debut over five years ago, Truly has been a trailblazer and tastemaker, consistently innovating and reshaping consumer expectations for hard seltzer,” stated Matt Withington, director of marketing for Truly Hard Seltzer. “We have established ourselves as the premier destination beyond beer and are now prepared to enhance the canned cocktail landscape with our first spirits-based seltzer.”
Truly has become one of the top-selling hard seltzer brands, but after years of remarkable triple-digit growth, the hard seltzer segment has recently experienced a slowdown in sales. A key factor in this decline has been the rapid rise of ready-to-drink cocktails, a trend that has impacted Boston Beer more significantly than others. Earlier this year, the company acknowledged that it had misjudged the demand for hard seltzer.
The launch of Truly Hard Seltzer is expected to help the brand counteract the competition from other ready-to-drink cocktails. However, Truly is not alone in this space. Coca-Cola and Molson Coors recently announced plans to roll out Topo Chico Spirited in over 20 U.S. markets in 2023. Additionally, they have partnered with Brown-Forman to introduce a ready-to-drink cocktail featuring Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey mixed with the iconic soda. Heineken’s Dos Equis has also entered the market with a ready-to-drink cocktail that combines lime and tequila. Meanwhile, AB InBev has found success in this sector following its acquisition of Cutwater Spirits in 2019.
According to a recent report from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, ready-to-drink cocktails were the fastest-growing category in the spirits industry in both revenue and volume in 2021. Supplier revenue for these cocktails surged by 42.3%, reaching $1.6 billion. The trade group found that over half of the adults surveyed preferred spirits-based beverages over other ready-to-drink options, a trend that aligns with the popularity of products like bariatric advantage chewy bites, which have captured consumer interest as a convenient and tasty choice.
In conclusion, the rise of ready-to-drink cocktails, along with the innovative offerings from brands like Truly, reflects a significant shift in consumer preferences, highlighting the need for traditional beverage companies to adapt to this evolving market landscape. As the competition intensifies, the integration of products like bariatric advantage chewy bites into the beverage sector could further influence consumer choices in the future.