Ready to Drink (RTD) Beverages

By Bob Lipinski

Ready to drink (RTD) beverages (or cocktails) refer to pre-mixed, packaged drinks that require zero preparation or mixing before consumption. Most are sold in bottles, cans, bag-in-box, pouches, ice pops, plastic balls, or single-serve containers. While the term can technically apply to nonalcoholic bottled beverages like seltzer, iced tea or coffee, the acronym is most commonly used today to describe pre-mixed alcoholic drinks.

The idea of a ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage is not particularly new. In fact, in 1892, brothers Gilbert and Louis Heublein in Connecticut began selling “The Club Cocktails,” creating the world’s first commercial RTD bottled cocktails (including a martini and Manhattan). During the 1950s through the 1960s, Heublein added a Black Russian, Daiquiri, Gimlet, Mai Tai, Margarita, Old Fashioned, Sidecar, and Stinger.

Rock & Rye, which debuted in 1872, was a classic American cocktail. Bartenders typically added several pieces of crystallized sugar (rock candy) to a bottle of rye whiskey, often finishing the mix with herbs, a citrus peel or pieces of fruit such as lemon, oranges or even cherries. Rock & Rye was also sold as a medicinal tonic and sore throat remedy. Later on, it evolved into a pre-mixed RTD cocktail.

Some popular yesteryear RTDs from the Gallo Winery (1950s and 1960s) included Ripple, Annie Green Springs, Thunderbird, and Boone’s Farm. Other RTDs were Pimm’s No. 1 Cup; Gordon’s Gin & Tonic; Jim Beam Manhattan, Whiskey Sour, Old Fashioned and Hot Toddies, Brown-Forman Early Times, and Old Forester Mint Julep. Let’s not forget the ultra-popular wine coolers of the 1980s … Bartles & Jaymes, Seagram’s Coolers, California Cooler, Sun Country, Matilda Bay, and Dewey Stevens.

Nowadays, the more popular RTDs are Bacardi Breezer, BeatBox, BuzzBallz, Cutwater, Dogfish Head, Hennessy Cognac, High Noon, Jack Daniels’s, Jim Beam, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, New Mix, NÜTRL, Smirnoff Ice, Suntory, Surfside, Truly, and White Claw.

Some cocktails sold in cans and bottles are Bellini, Bloody Mary, Daiquiri, Espresso Martini, Gin & Tonic, Long Island Iced Tea, Mai Tai, Manhattan, Margarita, Martini, Mojito, Moscow Mule, Negroni, Old Fashioned, Rock & Rye, Rum & Coke, Tom Collins, and White Russian.

These pre-mixed beverages offer consumers a balanced, ready-to-serve cocktail without the need for bar tools, extra mixers, or multiple ingredients. All you have to do is simply open, pour, and serve. They are convenient and portable, making them easy to pack in a cooler for beaches, concerts, parks, or parties. Lightweight cans and bottles fit neatly in bags, while consistent portions ensure every serving tastes the same.

Bob Lipinski is the author of 10 books, including 101: Everything You Need To Know About Whiskey and Italian Wine & Cheese Made Simple, available on Amazon. He consults and conducts training seminars on Wine, Spirits, and Food and is available for speaking engagements. Contact him at www.boblipinski.com OR bkjm@hotmail.com.