StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/707334
StateWays | www.stateways.com | July/August 2016 26 T he Ready-to-Drink (RTD) product segment has seen signifi cant growth each year with new entrants and innovation, due greatly to a new wave of consumers seeking convenient alternatives to fi t their active lifestyles. As a result, the quality of RTD products is increasing and more com- panies, including small-batch distilleries, are creating premium, natural products and moving away from the overly sweet offerings of the past. Kevin Mehra, president and co-founder of Latitude Beverage Company, explains that sangria has seen double-digit growth in recent years, with the top four brands growing 43 percent between 2010 and 2013. Mija Sangria, in particular, has seen triple digit hypergrowth in the past year. "Our fi rst and only RTD innovation is Mija Sangria, a premium bottled craft sangria made with domestic dry red wine and 100% real, unfi ltered fruit juice," Mehra says. "Utilizing new and innovative fl ip top re-sealable packaging, Mija was created to provide consumers with immediate and convenient access to sangria that has the same quality, aroma and fl avor typically found in homemade sangria." Latitude Beverage Company has just released a new canned wine brand called Lila Wines. It's the fi rst-ever Provence Rosé, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Italian Pinot Grigio available in cans, which are designed with bright, pop art-inspired labels. "The brand makes premium wine more accessible to consumers, where a typical glass bottle would not be convenient," Mehra says. According to John Eason, co-founder of Luchador Margarita Mix & Luchador Ready to Drink Margarita, while the category shows some growth, the margarita business within it is strong. "The margarita is still king of the cocktail and tequila is more popular than ever," Eason says. "Other major spirit brands are also entering the category as a means to create line extensions and keep visibility and trial on their brands. There are also new entries in packaging, such as bag-in-the-box and cans. With the resurgence of the cock- tail culture, it's also interesting to see how many craft cocktails there are in RTD form now." Eason and his team launched the Luchador Margarita Mix roughly nine months ago through a strategic partnership with Prairie Creek Beverages, led by industry veteran Mike Howard. "It's been very successful despite having to change distributors mid-stream," Eason says. "We will bring the Luchador RTD Margarita to the market in July. The iconic packaging was developed by the same design team responsible for Deep Eddy Vodka." Southwest Wines has produced Soleil Mimosa Classic (formerly branded St. Clair Mimosa), a pre-mixed Mimosa, for over 25 READY & WAITING by MAURA KELLER Sangria