The whisk(e)y-based RTD paradox
The global ready-to-drink (RTD) category has been one of the most dynamic in alcoholic drinks, offering growth at a time when beer, wine, and spirits face headwinds. From canned cocktails to hard seltzers and teas, RTDs have captured consumers’ attention with convenience, portability, and choice. Yet one spirit has struggled to get traction… whisky.
New players like High Noon, Cutwater Spirits, White Claw and Surfside are thriving, but the meagre whisky-based offerings such as Jack Daniel’s & Coke, or Crown Royal & Cola have lagged. The reasons lie in perception, consumer expectations, market realities, and strategic barriers.
The broader RTD context
Spirit-based RTDs now account for two-thirds of launches, and global consumption expanded in 16 of the top 20 markets in 2024. Higher-strength offerings above 5% ABV are rising, while flavour innovation, though slowing from the frenzy of 2021, remains central.
RTDs offer light, approachable refreshment with a twist. They allow consumers to enjoy favourite spirits in classic or experimental serves. Against this backdrop, whisky-based RTDs face a mismatch, rooted in how whisky is perceived and traditionally consumed.
Brand image and perception
Whisky is steeped in heritage, craftsmanship and place. Whether a 12-year single malt or a Kentucky bourbon with a storied mash bill, it is positioned as a luxury, to savour slowly, not as a convenience drink. Its rituals and imagery, fireside pours, contemplative sips, don’t naturally fit BBQs, festivals, sporting events or casual picnics.
So when whisky appears in a can, it risks brand dilution. To loyal drinkers, Jack & Coke can feel like a downgrade, stripping away ritual. To younger RTD drinkers, whisky’s heritage can feel staid compared to the playful, flavour-driven energy of the category. Whisky RTDs end up in a no-man’s land: too lowbrow for connoisseurs, too orthodox for casual RTD buyers.
Market and consumer dynamics
RTD consumers value difference, convenience, and flavours they can’t replicate at home. A tequila-based High Noon or a craft Negroni in a can feels special. By contrast, whisky-and-cola or whisky-and-ginger are everyday serves consumers already mix themselves. Why buy a can when the bottle and mixer are close at hand?
Bars face the same challenge. Premixed Jameson, ginger & lime adds little value when the separate ingredients are easy to pour. Many consumers also resist the idea of whisky diluted into a low-ABV, sweetened format.
Strategic and regulatory barriers
Whisky’s complexity is difficult to translate into a shelf-stable RTD. Too much character overwhelms, too little feels inauthentic. Regulations further limit flexibility… in some markets, lowering ABV or adding flavours means a product can’t legally be called whisky. That rigidity contrasts with vodka or tequila, which adapt more easily.
Meanwhile, the RTD market has matured. Consumers are becoming more selective, sticking with winners rather than chasing every novelty. For whisky RTDs, the window to claim space is narrower than it was in the category’s boom phase.
Oversupply temptations
There is an attractive logic for whisky producers to turn to RTDs. Scotch and bourbon warehouses are brimming, while global demand softens. Canned formats could absorb bulk whisky, offering new routes to market.
But flooding shelves with lower-value RTDs risks cheapening whisky’s image. The market relies on prestige and pricing power, and overextension could erode both.
Why other spirits work better
Vodka and tequila succeed in RTDs because they’re versatile bases, easily paired with fruity or sparkling flavours. Rum fits naturally into tropical cocktails. Consumers can’t easily recreate a tequila Paloma or a vodka soda with real fruit essence at home, so premade versions feel special.
Whisky, by contrast, brings bold, often polarising flavours… smoke, oak, spice are harder to align with the ‘light and refreshing’ positioning dominating RTDs. And whisky and cola, its most familiar mix, is anything but novel.
The path forward
For whisky RTDs to succeed, they must rethink the offer. Rather than leaning on predictable serves, innovation should highlight whisky’s complexity in approachable ways. Options include:
Fruit highballs or tonics – with a natural wellness twist
Spritzes - sessionable, lighter serves with citrus, berry, or botanicals at their heart
Cocktail classics - Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, Mint Juleps, Lynchburg Lemonades, or whisky cold brews. Cutwater and Tip Top show the format can work, major whisky brands could add authenticity and scale
Unexpected flavours - pineapple, yuzu, or blood orange paired with lighter whisky could attract adventurous RTD drinkers. Inspiration could come from Japan’s mizuwari, a still-water whisky highball.
Positioning should emphasise craftsmanship and occasion. Premium packaging in eco bottles or elegant pouches, plus higher ABVs, or seasonal editions can bridge whisky’s heritage with the convenience of RTDs. Storytelling around terroir, barrel character, or distillery heritage could make the liquid itself part of the experience.
The long and the short
To win in RTDs whisky must deliver a new experience… one that celebrates authenticity and prestige while embracing the casual, flavour-forward energy of the category. Success will come from innovation, premium cues, and formats that feel fresh, not compromised.
Ultimately though, whisky may never dominate RTDs. Its value lies in being savoured, not scaled. The very qualities that make whisky special… patience, status, individuality, also make it a difficult fit for a category built on speed, lightness and ubiquity.
That paradox is less a failure, than a reflection of what whisky is and what it is not.