Drinkers are looking for more adventure and escapism in their cocktails, and brands in the alcohol category are crafting new products to convey that feeling — even drawing ingredients from outside Earth.
Ready-to-drink canned cocktails, the fastest-growing segment of the spirits category, saw 26.8% growth in 2023, worth $2.8 billion in sales, according to data from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
Here are three brands seeking to bring something new to the mixed drinks category this summer.
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Pegasus Distillerie crash lands in the U.S. with meteorite-infused vodka
A French brand aims to bring the cosmos into a shotglass with its latest launch.
Pegasus Distillerie, a premium craft alcohol maker from the French countryside, made its U.S. debut this summer with several small batch spirits infused with botanicals.
Notably, its Shooting Star Vodka is enriched with an ingredient that is literally from outside this planet: a meteorite. The brand said the beverage undergoes “several rounds of slow reflux distillation.” It is then reduced for over a month with water from an underground well and aged for at least a year in an amphora containing a metorite in order to extract minerals, the company said.
Pegasus also sells Orion Gin, containing aromas of citrus and flowers from the Swiss Alps, and Eau d’Or Liqueur, which is made with citrus, cane sugar and orange blossoms.
“At Pegasus Distillerie, we draw inspiration from the starry sky and are guided by an unwavering commitment to quality. Harnessing the purest natural elements, we craft simple yet innovative and refined spirits that evoke a sense of wonder and contribute to creating long-lasting shared memories,” founder Maxime Girardin said in a statement.
Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, was named as a global brand ambassador for the spirits maker last month. In a statement, the actress said Pegasus represents “French luxury at its finest.” It joins Renais gin, co-owned by Harry Potter’s Emma Watson which launched in the U.S. last month, as another French spirits maker with a famous face behind the brand.
Pegasus Distillerie’s spirits are currently available in select locations in New York, California and Florida, as well as the brand’s website.
Surfside takes hard tea and lemonade to the beach
Hard tea and lemonade brand Surfside is hoping to fill up coolers this summer as it works to grow a national presence.
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The brand launched five new flavors ahead of the vacation months: Raspberry Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, Black Cherry Lemonade, Raspberry Tea and Green Tea. They join Surfside’s original lineup: Iced Tea, Peach Iced Tea, Half & Half and Lemonade. The drinks contain 100 calories and 2 grams of sugar per can.
Based in Philadelphia, the brand is available direct-to-consumer in its home state of Pennsylvania, and launched in stores nationwide in April. It sold 1.3 million cases of its tea in 2024, according to the brand, while only available in seven states.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for us as our mission from day one has been to build Surfside into a true national brand,” the hard tea maker’s CEO Clement Pappas said in a statement. “The addition of the three new lemonade flavors, two new iced teas and the Lemonade Variety 8-pack were highly requested by our fans and is our way of showing love and appreciation for those who have helped us get here.”
The growth of hard tea comes as canned cocktails that do not contain soda take precedent. While Boston Beer has had major success in the category with Twisted Tea for decades, other entrants in the space have entered with their own canned hard tea products in the past year. This includes Coca-Cola and Molson Coors with Peace Tea, Monster Energy with Nasty Beast and Diageo with Smirnoff tea.
Joshing Cocktails aims to capture magic in RTD cocktail space
Another new entrant in the alcohol category is turning to themes of outer space for its latest launch, a line of “celestial” ready-to-drink cocktails.
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Joshing Cocktails is set to launch its first line of canned cocktails, made with vodka, lime and cane sugar. Cosmic Tale contains ginger beer along with natural blueberry and basil. Unicorn Tale contains soda water as well as natural lychee flavor.
In a statement to Food Dive, the brand’s founder Josh Fruecht said it aims to offer a fun and high quality offering, and a commitment to sustainability, in order to differentiate itself. Joshing Cocktails is a member of 1% for the Planet, meaning it will donated 1% of its annual sales to environmental causes, and partnered with Eden Reforestation Projects to plant a tree for each order placed.
“By focusing on these elements, we believe Joshing Cocktails offers a unique and compelling value proposition in the RTD canned cocktail space,” Fruecht said.
The offerings will be available direct-to-consumer on its website this summer, and is seeking relationships with retailers and bars to further its distribution, the company said.
