THE

FUTUREOF

RTDsThe

Now,

Next

and

Future

of

DrinkingMINDFUL

DRINKING

+35%MIXOLOGY

+60%NATURAL

FLAVOR

+5%The

RTDspacehasexplodedBack

in

2017,our

AI-powered

data

predictedtheemergenceof

Hard

Seltzers.8yearsand

billionsof

dollars

in

sales

later,

a

wildarrayof

ready-to-drink

productsare

now

available.Butasthespacegets

more

and

more

crowded–

brandsarefinding

it

hardertodifferentiate

and

remain

relevanttoconsumers.Inthis

reportwewillexplore

how

can

brands

can

innovate

inthisspace–

now,

nextand

in

thefuture.KEY:__________________●

SPIRITS

&

LIQUEURS●

BEER

&

CIDER●

WINE

&

BUBBLESAperolSpritzWineCoolerFroséSweetHardTeaFlavored

MaltBeveragesHardCoconutWaterBeer

ShandyRanchWaterHardKombuchaSpiritMixersHardTeaHardCoffeeCheladaSangriaHard

PunchMicheladaBeertails/BeerCocktailsWineSpritzerOrganicHardSeltzerCold

BrewHardCoffeeHardSeltzerVodka

RTDHard

SodaAlcopopCanned/RTD

CocktailsSparklingHardTeaPre-Mixed

DrinksWhisky

RTDRum

RTDRTD’sBLACKSWAN

DATATHE

FU

TURE

O

F

R

T

DSTequila

RTDGin

RTDWe

areBlackSwan

DataThe

insights

insidethis

reportdo

notcomefrom

surveys,

panelsorfocusgroups.Thereare

noquestionsasked.

Norany

prompted

responses.OurtechnologyappliesAIand

predictiveanalytics

to

millionsofsocialand

online

data

pointstounderstand

behavioraltrends.It

identifies,connectsand

predictsemerging

trendsandfutureconsumer

needswith89%accuracy.Weoffersolutionsthat

leveragethis

dataandenable

brandsto

makefaster,confident,evidence-drivendecisionsalongthe

innovation

process.It'sinnovationdownto

a

science.BLACKSWAN

DATATHE

FU

TURE

O

F

R

T

DSHowdoes

itwork?Our

platform

retrieves

allthe

relevant

consumerconversations

ina

category;inthisexample,8+

million

USA,

Spirits

&

Liqueursconversations.We

useAIanddata

science

to

isolate

allthe

individualtrendingtopicsandunderstand

howthey

ladder-up

intomacrocategorygrowth

drivers.Thisdynamicsegmentationframework

is

refreshed

monthlyandevolves

asconsumersandthecategory

evolves.Game-changingcapabilitiesInsightand

Innovationteams

love

usingthis

dataas

it

helpsthemmake

betterdecisionsalong

the

NPD

processwhenevidenceis

lackingandthe

path

is

unclear.Fromactivatingdemand

spaces

tooptimizingon-packclaims–

oursolutionsgiveyouanswers

at

a

fractionofthetime

and

cost

of

traditional

research

methods.13Trend

Clusters5,825TrendsUSA,Spirits&

Liqueurs(Feb

2022–

Feb

2024)Our

dataanalyzesthe

category

by

howconsumers

activelytalk

about

it

online.Adifferent

approachThis

reportwascreated

using

ourconsumerintelligence

platform8,722,489OnlineandSocial

Data

Points5Growth

DriversBLACKSWAN

DATATHE

FU

TURE

O

F

R

T

DSMaturityDetermineWHENto

actAssociationsWHYare

theygrowing?ConversationVolume+

Conversation

Growth+FutureForecastOurdata

sciencemetricsexplainedKnowWHATtrendsto

prioritize.WHYtheyshould

be

activated.

AndWHENtoact

on

them.0%

meansthesetrends

are

nottalkedabouttogether;there’sno

association100%

meansthey

alwaysappeartogether;there’s

a

highassociationTrend

PredictionValue(TPV)

WHICH

trends

toaction?BLACKSWAN

DATANEXTNOWTHE

FU

TURE

O

F

R

T

DSMaturityCurve100%0%These

needs

areatdifferentstages

of

maturity,

rangingfrom

moreestablished,

mature

needs

suchas

ReducedCalorie

or

Low

Sugar.Growing

needs

like

Premiumand

Mixology.And

emergent,

more

niche

needssuchas

MindfulDrinkingand

Functional

Beverages.Consumers

areexpecting

RTDsto

deliveron

awidevarietyof

needswhileoffering

something

differentandexperimental.For

brands,there

remainsampleopportunitytoinnovatewithinthissub-category.choosing

RTDs?We

havesurfacedallthe

consumer

needstalkedabout

inthe

context

of

RTDs.Whyare

consumers#66AwardWinning

#77NoAddedSugar#117Simple

Ingredients#139Caffeine-Free#209Refreshing#223Natural

Flavour#274Garnished#334Convenience#8Natural

Ingredients#23Digestion#49Fruity#211LowSugar#229Labelling#340Infused#348Mindful

Drinking#422Nitro-Infused#560EMERGINGPre-Mixed

#27Onthe

Go#67Day

DrinkingMixology#1Gluten-Free#4Natural#314GROWINGAlternative#60Quality

IngredientsEasyTo

Drink

#14SoberCurious

#24Innovative#612-5ABV

#64Functional

Beverage#254HealthConscious#184ReducedCalorie#137BLACKSWAN

DATAAdaptogenic#301THE

FU

TURE

O

F

R

T

DSPremium#241Prebiotic#1980-2ABV#237DORMANTAroma#99MATURECraft#240#134Now,

nextand

future

needsWe'veclusteredthe

individualconsumer

needs

into

larger,thematic

need-spaces–fromConvenienceto

New

Experiences.They

representthe

key

needsfor

RTDconsumers

inthe

USA.Basedonthegrowthandvolume

of

each

space,

wecan

mapthemonto

a

maturity

curve.This

helps

us

establishwhichshould

beacted

on

now,

nextor

inthe

future.Convenience#3Better

ForYouPremium&High

Quality#5RefreshmentLowAlcohol

Alternatives#6NaturalIngredients#7MindfulDrinkingFUTURENewExperiences

NOW

NEXT

#2#4#1#8BLACKSWAN

DATATHE

FU

TURE

O

F

R

T

DSEMERGINGGROWINGMATURETHENOWConvenience#1LowAlcohol

Alternatives#2GROWINGEMERGINGMATUREExperiencesNaturalIngredients#5RefreshmentWe’regoingtofocus

on

themature,

Better

ForYou

need-

spaceandconsumers'

evolving

demands

relatedto

health.Theyareseeking

RTDsthatfitwithin

their

weight-

lossandwellness

goals.NoAddedSugar,

Digestive

HealthandGluten-

Freeareamong

severaltrends

gainingmomentum

right

now.TrendGluten-FreeDigestive

HealthNoAddedSugarReducedCalorieCaffeine-FreeLow

SugarNutritional

LabellingVolume6,1642,3285471,1471,31084624,104Better

ForYou#3TPV449125133209219344Better

ForYouBLACKSWAN

DATATHE

N

OWOurdatatells

usthatconsumers

turn

toHardSeltzersfortheir

healthcredentials–

buttwo

unmet

needsareemerging

related

toflavorand

specific

dietaryrequirements.Dietary

requirements:Consumerschooseto

drink

HardSeltzersandsimilar

products

because

theyare

LowSugar

and

Low

Carb.Theyare

perfectfordrinkerswho

are

CalorieCounting.Butconsumersare

nowsearching

for

options

that

fit

inwith

morespecific

diets,suchas

Keto-Based

andGluten-Free.Elevated

flavors:Consumers

are

looking

forhealthier

RTDswithauthentic,

bolderflavorcombinations.Intheiropinion,

HardSeltzerstaste

artificial

and

lackflavorful

punch.They'reseeking

beverageswhichare

made

of

(and

tasteof)

Natural

Ingredients

including

realfruits.Gluten

FreeTPV#4Vol:

6,172Growth:+X%Low

CarbTPV#204Vol:

1,065Growth:+2%CalorieCountingTPV#296Vol:

295Growth:+1%Trendsassociatedwith

Better

ForYouArtificial

FlavoringTPV#265Vol:

812Growth:-4%Natural

FlavorTPV#275Vol:

1,005Growth:+5%Natural

IngredientsTPV#23Vol:

2,106Growth:+19%BLACKSWAN

DATAInside

Better

ForYouTHE

N

OWVol:6,382Growth:+2%BoldVol:

1,267Growth:+9%InnovationspringboardUsingour

platform,we've

surfaced

trendsthatcan

helpsolve

the

flavor

problemfor

HardSeltzers.Consumerswant

brandsto

move

beyond

basic

fruitflavors.Flavors

inspired

bycocktails

anddesserts,such

asPinaColadaand

Dreamsiclearean

exciting,

emerging

area.A

dessert-inspired

hardseltzer,

infusedwith

pureestoaddtexturewillallowconsumersto

indulge–

without

theexcesssugars

and

calories.Gluten-FreeTPV#4Vol:6,164Growth:+22%InnovativeTPV#61Vol:

16,038Growth:+18%TrendsassociatedwithHardSeltzersPinaColadaTPV#64Vol:

7,694Growth:+5%INGREDIENTSEffervescentVol:775Growth:+3%THEMESPassion

FruitTPV#455Vol:9,328Growth:+13%WatermelonTPV#547Vol:

17,357Growth:+14%Bold

FlavourTPV#79Vol:

1,228Growth:+21%DreamsicleTPV#144Vol:

225Growth:+1%UniqueTPV#251Vol:49,535Growth:+20%CitrusTPV#540Vol:24,031Growth:+19%Fruit

PuréeTPV#196Vol:379Growth:+10%MargaritaTPV#262Vol:

69,751Growth:+26%DaiquiriTPV#57Vol:

11,108Growth:+16%BLACKSWAN

DATATASTING

NOTESCrisp

FizzyCOCKTAILSVol:3,072Growth:-5%THE

N

OWSmooj

isa

Michigan-basedsmoothie

brand

thatoffers

hardseltzersmoothies

in

a

RTD

format.Theirslogan?The

"seltzer

is

boringandwe

are

not".Their

products

deliver

bold,

naturalflavorcombinations,

includingStrawberryandBananaanda

Pina

Colada

(with

realfruit).These

hardsmoothiesare

low

incalories,carbs

andsugar.Aswell

as

beinggluten

and

dairy-free.Smooj

iswinning

inthe

"I'm

healthyand

I'm

tasty"arena.BrandspotlightGluten-FreeTPV

#4Vol:6,164Growth:+22%PinaColadaTPV

#64Vol:7,694Growth:+5%Natural

IngredientsTPV#23Vol:

2,106Growth:+19%SimpleIngredientsTPV

#237Vol:

456Growth:+13%Natural

FlavorTPV

#275Vol:1,005Growth:+5%TrendsassociatedwithSmoojBLACKSWAN

DATATHE

N

OWTHENEXTswnEMERGING

GROWING

MATURE#7MindfulDrinking#2#8NewExperiencesLowAlcohol

Alternatives#4Premium&High

Quality#6NaturalIngredients#3What's

nextfor

RTDs?We’ve

identifiedagrowing

need-spacewithinourSpirits&Liqueursdatasetthat

relatesto

Premium

&

HighQuality

options.Consumersaredemanding

productsthatoffer

heightenedsensoryexperiences,superiortaste

and

unique

ingredients.Theyare

beingdrawnto

RTDsthatconvey

exclusivity–a

meansofelevatingsocial

occasions

andexpressing

personaltastes.TrendInnovativeQuality

IngredientsAward

WinningCraftPremiumHighQualityPremium&Volume16,03898412,50642,44631,213TPV616774239243BLACKSWAN

DATATHE

NEXTTrendsassociated

withPremium&

High

QualityWorthSpendingMore

ForTPV#159Vol:

6,452Growth:+11%ExcitingTPV#54Vol:

14,699Growth:+16%Inside

Premium

&

HighQualityConsumersaredemanding

premium

RTDs

that

mimictheexperienceof

bar-qualitydrinks.Demand

isgrowingforcraftedalcoholic

beverages

made

of

high-quality

ingredientsthat

provide

portabilityanddiverseflavors.But

beyondtasteandconvenience,they'researching

for

productsthat

hintatCraftmanshipand

are

WorthSpending

More

For.Ourdatasuggestsconsumersview

Canned

Cocktails

as

a

premiumoption.But

italso

reveals

an

unmet

needandgap

inthe

market

for

RTDsthatalignwiththe

bar-qualityexperience.Drinksthatelevatespecial

(and

unspecial)occasions.AuthenticTasteTPV#180Vol:

248Growth:+39%ExperientialTPV#126Vol:

583Growth:+16%CannedCocktailsTPV#318Vol:

3,967Growth:-29%BLACKSWAN

DATATHE

NEXTOur

datasuggeststhe

roadto

premiumizationfor

RTDs

is

viathediversificationofspirits

inthe

alcohol

base.Consumerswant

PremiumandCraftWhisky,Gin

andVodka,

as

well

as

their

flavoredvariations

ina

RTDformat.It's

adeparturefromexisting

RTDs–which

mostly

use

neutral

spirits.Thedemandfor

premiumspiritsand

liqueurs

reflects

a

shifttoward

more

discerningconsumption

habits.Consumersare

prioritizing

indulgenceandsophisticationwithinthe

RTD

space.PremiumGinTPV#148Vol:408Growth:+28%Productsassociatedwith

Premium&

HighQualityThe

riseofpremium

spirits46%

Cra

f

tVodka36%

R

a

s

p

b

e

r

r

y

G

i

n

L

i

q

u

e

u

r24%

Raspbe

r

ry

Gin23%

Horchata

Liqueur22%Aus

tralian

Whisky

22%

So

tol

Re

posado20%World

Gin18%

Prem

i

u

m

AgedRum49%

Premi

u

m

G

i

n39%

Prem

i

u

mLiqueur37%

Prem

i

u

m

AgedRum

33%

Premi

u

m

Ca

c

h

a

?a29%

Du

tchVodka25%

Dis

tilled

Gin24%

Rum

Ready

ToDrinkPremium

RumTPV#247Vol:484Growth:+4%CraftVodkaTPV#202Vol:423Growth:+9%PremiumWhiskyTPV#61Vol:

1,729Growth:+13%Craft

GinTPV#90Vol:

750Growth:+19%PremiumVodkaTPV#39Vol:

1,817Growth:+13%Craft+15%NetGrowthPremium+11%NetGrowth60%

Premium

W

h

isky58%

Premium

Vodka50%

Prem

i

u

m

R

u

m51%

Craf

tWhisky49%

Craf

t

Gin21BLACKSWAN

DATAGrowingMaturityGrowingMaturity31,213Volume42,446VolumeTHE

NEXTPr

o

d

uc

t

sPr

o

d

uc

t

sWe'vespotlighted

NinkasiBrewing,a

brand

alreadyactivating

inthe

premium

RTDspace.Theyoffer

portable,

high-endcannedcocktails–created

bythe

renowned

mixologist,Jeffrey

Morgenthaler.Accordingto

Food&Wine

Magazine,

he'sone

oftheTop

10

most

influential

bartenders

ofthe

pastdecade.Their

Bourbon

Renewal

blendsa

premiumwhisky

basewith

natural

ingredients

likezesty

lemonandsweet

blackcurrant.It's

acarefullycurated,

bar-likecocktail

in

a

can

thatdeliversa

high-endexperience

on

the

go.BrandspotlightNaturalIngredientsTPV

#23Vol:2,106Growth:+19%Trendsassociated

withNinkasi

BrewingCraftmanshipTPV

#2Vol:2,811Growth:+59%ExclusiveTPV

#108Vol:20,515Growth:+16%AwardWinningTPV

#74Vol:12,506Growth:+12%PremiumWhiskyTPV

#61Vol:1,729Growth:+13%MixologyTPV#1Vol:

13,571Growth:+60%BLACKSWAN

DATATHE

NEXTTHEFUTUREswn#7Mindful

DrinkingGROWINGEMERGINGMATURENewExperiences#6NaturalIngredients#8#4PremiumHigh

QualityConvenience●RefreshmentMindful

Drinking

isanemergingneed-space

inthe

RTDsub-category.Thistrend

reflectsa

broadercultural

shifttowards

moreconsciousand

intentionaldrinking

habits.Consumersseektoenjoythe

pleasures

ofdrinkingalcohol,whilealso

prioritizingtheir

physicaland

mentalwellbeing.Mindfuldrinkers

are

moderatingtheir

intake,

not

abstaining.Andseeking

RTDsthatserve

relaxedand

upbeat

occasions,

but

ina

balancedand

healthyway.TrendModerationHealthConsciousPrebioticFunctional

BeverageMindful

DrinkingVolume5,21136911683TPV44181196254BLACKSWAN

DATATH

E

F

U

TU

R

EClean

DrinkingTPV#124Vol:

295Growth:+29%The

Mindful

Drinkingtrendcan

be

brokendown

into

four,overlappingconsumer

needs–cleandrinking,wellness,

reducedconsumptionandcalming.Cleandrinking

relatestothedemandfor

simpler,

more

natural

recipes.

For

RTDsthatauthenticallytaste

liketheir

ingredients.Wellness

isconnectedto

holistic

health–specifically

relaxation,

digestive

healthand

hydration.Reducedconsumption

is

notobsessive

restrictionorabstention.LowABVoptionsallowconsumersto

indulge

and

enjoy

drinkingwhileavoidingtheside-effects

of

excess.Consumers

arealsosearchingfor

RTDsthat

helpthem

relax

and

unwindafterworkand

beforesleep.They

associate

adaptogens,

herbsand

botanicalswithcalming

properties.Inside

Mindful

DrinkingReducingConsumptionTPV#502Vol:

21Growth:+91%LowABVTPV#64Vol:4711Growth:+13%Simple

IngredientsTPV#237Vol:456Growth:+13%AuthenticTasteTPV#180Vol:

248Growth:+39%WellnessTPV#39Vol:

1078Growth:+16%CalmsTPV#107Vol:

3413Growth:+3%Trendsassociated

withMindful

DrinkingBLACKSWAN

DATATH

E

F

U

TU

R

EInnovationspringboardHowto

innovate

inthe

Mindful

Drinkingspace:Ourdata

revealsthata

need-space

isemerging

relatedto

balancedwellnessandconsciousconsumption.We've

puttogetheraspringboard

oftrends

associatedwiththese

key

needsto

ideatea

new,

ultra-relevant

RTDconcept..BLACKSWAN

DATATrendsassociatedwithMindfulDrinkingFrench

LavenderTPV#973Vol:33Growth:+21%BotanicalSpiritTPV#185Vol:257Growth:+34Manuka

HoneyTPV#441Vol:

186Growth:+27%RelievesStressTPV#267Vol:466Growth:+11%Herbal

BittersTPV

#170Vol:200Growth:+54%SourCherryTPV#115Vol:

1,287Growth:+8%MagnesiumTPV#258Vol:562Growth:+7%ChamomileTPV#58Vol:

1,993Growth:+9%AperitifTPV#321Vol:

11,480Growth:+19%BotanicalTPV#93Vol:

10,518Growth:+11%NopalTPV#669Vol:63Growth:+16%RooibosTPV#281Vol:402Growth:+18%ElectrolyteTPV#66Vol:

1,703Growth:+27%PatxaranTPV#659Vol:

81Growth:+10%HydrationTPV#48Vol:4,033Growth:+3%ALCOHOLTYPE0-2ABVTPV#136

Vol:563INGREDIENTSFLAVOURSTH

E

F

U

TU

R

ETHEMETH

E

F

U

TU

R

ENew

productcon