Shaking up cocktails: The RTD innovations bringing excitement and experiences to the category

Cocktails are booming. Part of this is down to the elegance of the category: with the creative colors and sophistication served wowing consumers in bars and restaurants. There’s also the sheer variety on offer: starting with the eternal classics that everyone knows and loves – think mojitos and margaritas and cosmopolitans and Manhattans.

The pandemic drove the cocktail craze into the home – and it’s stayed there. At-home bartenders relish the chance to get creative and concoct new cocktails at home: customizing and personalizing them in every way possible.

But the category is wide open for innovation and exploration when it comes to flavors, serves, base spirits and pretty much everything else: think spicy cocktails, tequila twists and even alcohol-free versions.

Ready-to-drink and ready-to-serve cocktails are now available in retail for those who want to the cocktail experience at home, but don’t necessarily want to put the same time and effort into creations as the more dedicated amateur bartenders.

But the category can evolve much further. RTD cocktails might have once been about convenience: but they're now also about experience:  entrepreneurs are thinking outside the box when it comes to offering something new and exciting...

Edible jelly cocktails

Hailing from Barcelona is Las Jellys: a start-up that’s created the first jelly cocktail. The brand’s entrepreneurs were inspired by classic cocktails, mixed with the Mexican culture of multicolored gelatin desserts.

Not so much ready-to-drink as ready-to-eat, the disc-like shapes have a gelatin exterior with the alcoholic liquid inside (the best comparison, in terms of shape and size and eating experience, is that it’s ‘like an oyster’ explains co-founder and CEO Dani Roig).

That opens up a palate of potential with ‘an explosive mix of textures, nuances and flavors’.

The jelly cocktails come in popular flavors such as mojito, pina colada, margarita, Moscow mule, Manhattan, tequila sunrise, caipirinha and Pisco Sour, with an 19% ABV.

“We are shaking up the cocktail industry with our unique in the world cocktail,” explained Roig as the brand exhibited at SIAL 2024 in Paris this week.

“We have invented a new formula, surrounded by gelatin, that can replicate the same experience as a cocktail.

“We are transforming the experience of having a cocktail. Why? Because market trends show significant change since the pandemic, where people prefer experiences versus material goods, and there is a translation of that into gastronomy.”

The brand’s novelty will be part of what helps it shine: Roig envisions that one opportunity for the innovation is to liven up corporate events or personal celebrations with an unexpected touch.

The nature of the brand means it’s extremely customizable – customers can chose the flavors and colors that fit an event, and arrange them as they see fit (say, in the shape of a corporate logo or even to spell out the names of the happy couple at a wedding).

Las Jellys has a dedicated store in Barcelona, and also ships across Spain.​ And, based on the brand’s experience so far, it’s confident the concept can resonate further abroad. That's thanks to the booming RTD cocktail market, which is growing fast around the globe, says Roig.

“RTD cocktails are the fastest growing sector in beverage, internationally, and our product really fits in with those trends.

“We have validated the market, the Spanish market, with our NPD, but we aim to grow at scale.”

Lick responsibly

Dutch company 24 ICE sells its frozen cocktails across 23 countries, including the UK, Europe and Australia.

The 5% ABV frozen cocktail tubes​ come in popular fruity flavors such as Strawberry Daiquiri Ice, Watermelon Mojito Ice, Passionfruit Martini, Margarita Ice and Mojito Ice.

The frozen cocktails also come in an alcohol-free version.

Alcohol-filled boba

BoozyBalls - created by two students at the University of Surrey in the UK - rides the wave of the boba tea craze. 

The boba balls (best known for their role in bubble tea) are filled with alcohol for a 'boozyball buzz': taking the texture and drinking experience of boba to the next level with alcohol-filled balls that can be used in cocktails, boba tea or outside beverages as a garnish on desserts - or even simply on their own.

And what's more, the alcohol-filled boba are created from food waste.

Creating the froth and foam of classic cocktails

Quite literally shaking up cocktails is The Stillery’s innovation. The Amsterdam craft distillery has created its ‘Cocktails in a Jar’ series.

While essentially a RTD cocktail with all the benefits of convenience (all the cocktail ingredients are contained in the cube), the jar format offers a creative and functional point of difference. It stands out on shelf with an unusual format; but also offers the edge of a freshly shaken and poured cocktail that is often missing with RTDs.

“We provide a convenient and experiential solution to enjoy a bar quality cocktail at home,” explained Karl Kouki, Innovation Manager at The Stillery, at SIAL.

“What you do is put one ice cube in the jar, you close the jar again, you shake it for 10 seconds, 20 seconds, you get a nice foam layer, you pour it out in the glass, and you have a perfect cocktail.”

While the cocktails can provide an easy mid-week drinking experience at home, the key opportunity is, as with Las Jellys – the chance to create a ‘wow factor’ experience at parties. ​

The cocktail range has expanded from its initial Espresso Martini in a Jar to add in Pornstar Martini and Basil Smash (a gin sour with the addition of hand-picked basil leaves and made with The Stillery’s Most Floral Gin).

Revelers can pick their own flavor then enjoy the experience of shaking and pouring their own cocktail with a flourish.