Wine and Mixed Drinks

Once limited to on-premise experiences or special occasions, cocktails and their non-alcoholic counterparts have found new life in convenient, ready-to-drink formats—perfectly suited for modern lifestyles and portable packaging.

Blonde woman holding can with lake and hills in background

Wine

While still a burgeoning category, wine in cans is becoming more commonplace – and accepted. A recent report by Grand View Research valued the global canned wines market size at $211.4 million in 2020 and anticipated growth at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.2% from 2021 to 2028 to reach $571.8 million.¹

Consumer preference for convenient, portable, durable and single-serve options is helping drive interest in the beverage can in this market, as is increased spending by millennials. In addition, the unique sizes and custom printing options offered by beverage cans add to the premium appearance of brands and enhances overall product appeal. Finally, with light and oxygen being among the fiercest enemies of wine, the natural barrier properties of metal ensure the product will remain fresh and taste as intended.

Cocktails and Mocktails

The portability and durability characteristics that make cylindrical beverage cans so appealing in the craft beer category also apply to the cocktails segment. Consumers appreciate the convenience of a pre-mixed drink in a lightweight format that retains freshness and regulates temperature. Canned cocktails eliminate prep time and the burden of carrying multiple ingredients and tools. Ready-to-drink spirits represented $741 million in U.S. retail-store sales in 2021 through Dec. 25, more than double the sales over the same period a year earlier.² A NielsenIQ Global Snapshot report shows the rise of pre-mixed cocktails has global appeal, with Europe showing an 11.7% increase in sales for pre-mixed beverages from 2020 to 2021.³

Consumption of mocktails, which provide a liquor-free alternative to popular libations like the gin and tonic or Moscow mule, is also on the rise. As reported by NielsenIQ, sales of non-alcoholic beverages rose 33.2% in the last year, with $331 million in total sales. Non-alcoholic beer and cider sales grew by 31.7%, but more notably sales of non-alcoholic spirits grew 113.4% during the same period.⁴

¹^{https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2021/12/low-alcohol-canned-wine-rtds-set-to-boom-in-2022/}
²^{https://www.wsj.com/articles/fresca-with-liquor-to-join-crowd-of-canned-cocktails-11641477316}
³^{https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/analysis/2022/pre-mixed-alcoholic-beverages-outpace-beer-and-wine-in-global-markets/}
⁴^{https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/09/more-are-drinking-alcohol-free-cocktails-beer-and-wine-heres-why.html}