Here we are, almost two years into the coronavirus pandemic. We’re all living vastly different lives than we were before while blissfully unaware of the deadly virus looming on the horizon. So much has changed, including the way we drink. While ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails were, in fact, a thing before COVID rocked the world, the pandemic seems to have propelled these popular canned alcoholic drinks into the spotlight. And for a good reason—they’re delicious.
Not only are RTD drinks bursting with flavor, they generally have a higher ABV percentage than your hard seltzer or beer. Take Crystal Ridge Distillery’s new line of vodka soda, for example. Named “The Pack,” this exclusive line of canned liquor drinks is sold in packs of four with flavors including blueberry, raspberry, and orange, which are all formulated to help the distillery’s spirits shine through. This canned soda packs a 9% ABV punch and is made with Crystal Ridge’s premium 63 vodka.
While we may have hard seltzers to thank for pushing ready to drink alcoholic beverages into the spotlight during the pandemic, these canned mixed drinks seem to be surpassing the seltzers—and every other ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage—in popularity. Trend forecaster WGSN released a report this summer indicating that in recent years, there has been steady growth in the category of RTDs, but “the trend for RTD cocktails has accelerated in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with sales growing exponentially, as consumers are unable to visit bars and restaurants.”
What was created as an on-the-go solution has turned these canned drinks into a convenient in-home solution. While many drinkers thus far have been satisfied with hard seltzers or their usual choice of wine or beer, canned cocktails seem to have the potential to appeal to those in the mood for a different kind of refreshment. Canned cocktails like Crystal Ridge Distillery’s vodka sodas contain actual spirits and natural cocktail ingredients, eliminating the need for mixing or clean up afterward.
So, while more people are drinking from home these days (thanks, COVID), it seems they’re still mindful of buying quality spirits that make tasty drinks. Whether you’re feeling blueberry, raspberry, or orange, The Pack might just become your new favorite flavored alcoholic drink in a can.
Stop by Crystal Ridge Distillery and grab a four-pack to go and try it for yourself.
