Ready for takeoff
Print24 August 2026
Ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages and hard seltzers continue to attract consumers looking for refreshing, convenient alternatives with lower sugar and calorie content. Premium spirits-based RTDs are also expanding the category, appealing to shoppers seeking quality and flavour.
The Irish RTD category is showing strong momentum, with sales worth almost €120 million and growth of 28% year on year, according to Jameson. This reflects the growing appeal of convenient serves that combine familiar flavours with portability, making RTDs increasingly relevant across both on-trade and off-trade occasions.
Innovation remains central to the category, with brands exploring new flavour combinations, formats and alcohol bases to attract a broader range of consumers. Lower-calorie and no-added-sugar propositions are also gaining attention as consumers become more conscious of what they are drinking, while premiumisation is encouraging shoppers to trade up to higher-quality products.
Hard seltzers, cocktails, long drinks and spirit-based serves are helping to broaden the category beyond traditional RTD formats, while established brands are using strong visual identities and limited-edition launches to drive interest. For retailers, the expanding range offers opportunities to appeal to consumers seeking convenience without compromising on taste, quality or the social experience associated with drinking.
Keep summer 2026 going with High Noon
High Noon Vodka Soda
After one of the best Irish summers in recent memory, it’s not quite ready to let it go.
That’s why High Noon is launching its Keep Summer Going campaign this August with long-time ambassadors The 2 Johnnies, giving Irish consumers the chance to win their own personal home sauna setup.
The temperatures may drop, but for one lucky winner, the summer vibes will be staying firmly in the back garden.
Follow High Noon on Instagram for your chance to enter the Keep Summer Going campaign this August.
High Noon Peach
RRP: €3.50 330ml 4.5% ABV
Peach is one of the fastest-growing flavour trends across the global drinks category, bringing juicy, fruit-forward refreshment to one of the world’s most exciting RTD brands.
Made with premium vodka, real fruit juice and soda water, High Noon Peach delivers a crisp, refreshing serve that’s made for sunny afternoons, festivals and making the most of summer.
High Noon Raspberry
RRP: €3.50 330ml 4.5% ABV
Bright, vibrant and refreshingly crisp, Raspberry is the latest addition to the High Noon range.
Blending premium vodka, real fruit juice and soda water, it’s a refreshing flavour that’s perfect for everything from garden get-togethers to festival weekends.
High Noon Pineapple
RRP: €3.50 330ml 4.5% ABV
A firm High Noon favourite, Pineapple combines premium vodka, real fruit juice and soda water with bright tropical flavour for a crisp, refreshing serve.
Summer exclusives
Featuring a selection of fan-favourite flavours, it’s the perfect way for shoppers to discover the range or stock up for festivals, weekends away and late summer get-togethers.
High Noon four-pack at SuperValu and Centra
Summer essentials
Promotional Price: €9.50 4 x 330ML
High Noon favourites Pineapple & Black Cherry four-packs are now available exclusively at SuperValu and Centra, giving shoppers even more reason to pick up High Noon throughout the summer.
Tesco festival pack
Promotional Price: €14.95 | 6 x 330ML
Limited Edition, while stocks last
Just in time for Ireland’s festival season, High Noon has launched a Tesco-exclusive Festival Pack.
Q&A with Philip Lynch, country manager, E & J Gallo Winery
Philip Lynch, country manager, E & J Gallo Winery
Q. The ready-to-drink category has become one of the fastest-growing segments in alcohol. What consumer trends do you believe are driving that growth, and how is High Noon responding to evolving shopper preferences?
A. Consumers today are looking for quality, convenience, and great taste. They want drinks that fit naturally into social occasions without compromising on what goes into them. That’s one of the reasons we’ve seen such strong momentum behind premium spirit-based RTDs globally.
High Noon has always been built around that idea. Made with real vodka, real fruit juice, and soda water, it delivers a refreshing drink with just 95 calories….As consumers become more discerning, they’re placing greater value on quality, and that’s exactly where High Noon has found its place.
Q. High Noon has built a strong reputation in a competitive RTD market. What do you believe makes the brand stand out from its competitors, and why do consumers continue to choose High Noon?
A. It starts with a great product, but brands aren’t built on product alone.
Before High Noon arrived in Ireland, our long-time ambassadors, The 2 Johnnies, had already discovered it in the US and were openly calling for it to launch here. You can’t manufacture that kind of endorsement.
What’s been particularly exciting since launch is seeing consumers make High Noon part of how they socialise. Whether it’s wearing the merchandise or choosing to be seen with the can, when consumers start accessorising with your brand, you know you’re building something much bigger than a product.
For many Irish consumers, High Noon also brings back memories of J1 summers in America, where they first discovered the brand.
Q. Innovation plays an important role in keeping the category fresh. Can we expect to see any new flavours or product innovations from High Noon hitting the market soon?
A. Innovation is important, but we’re very deliberate about it. For us, ensuring we have the right pack types is equally as important as our flavour offering.
This summer we’ve introduced Peach and Raspberry to the range, alongside a Tesco-exclusive festival mixed flavour multipack. Every addition to the range has to give consumers a genuine reason to come back or be something they have been asking us for.
Q. As more brands enter the RTD category, what opportunities do you see for continued growth?
A. More brands entering the category is a positive sign. It reflects changing consumer behaviour and introduces more people to premium spirit-based RTDs.
The opportunity now is continuing to premiumise the category while building brands that become part of people’s lifestyles, not just another product on the shelf.
Q. Looking ahead, what are your priorities for High Noon?
A. Our focus is simple: continue building High Noon brand awareness & trial by investing in the brand, supporting our retail partners, and growing distribution.
The most exciting part is that momentum is increasingly organic. You can spend millions telling people you’re a great brand. It’s far more powerful when consumers tell each other. That’s exactly how we want High Noon to continue growing.
-196 named top performing ARTD at Beyond the Pale 2026
Suntory -196 Lemon Vodka, Soda & Shochu
Suntory -196 Grapefruit Vodka, Soda & Shochu
Suntory -196 Peach Vodka, Soda & Shochu
Launched in Ireland less than two years ago, -196 has quickly established itself as one of the standout success stories within the Alcoholic Ready-to-Drink (ARTD) category, becoming the top-performing ARTD brand at Beyond the Pale 2026. As the festival’s official vodka-based ARTD partner, Beyond the Pale marked -196’s first-ever festival activation in Ireland since launch, providing a major platform for the brand to connect with consumers.
Through a high-energy presence and immersive brand experience, -196 resonated strongly with adult festival-goers, placing the brand at the heart of one of Ireland’s most exciting cultural events of the summer.
The strong performance at Beyond the Pale marks another significant milestone in -196’s growth journey in Ireland. Building on this momentum, the brand continues to accelerate through a fully integrated nationwide marketing campaign spanning social media, influencer partnerships, digital advertising and impactful in-store activation designed to drive both awareness and shopper conversion.
The campaign celebrates -196’s authentic Japanese heritage while bringing the brand to life in a modern, energetic and culturally relevant way for Irish consumers. Through bold creative and vibrant, taste-led messaging, -196 continues to showcase the unique innovation and craftsmanship behind the liquid, helping drive trial and engagement across the market.
Steeped in Japanese heritage, -196 first launched in Japan in 2005 and has since grown to become one of the leading brands within the ARTD category in its home market. Central to its success is its proprietary Freeze Crush Infusion Technology, a pioneering process, developed in Japan, that sets the brand apart from competitors. Whole fruit is flash-frozen using liquid nitrogen at -196°C, helping retain flavour characteristics at peak quality. The frozen zest, pulp and juice are then crushed into a fine powder and infused with vodka, shochu (a Japanese distilled spirit) and soda.
The result is an ARTD with a crisp, intensely refreshing taste that delivers bold and authentic fruit flavour, while balancing vibrant citrus notes for a refreshing drink. This commitment to using whole fruit and advanced technology underpins the brand’s “Whole Fruit. More Flavour.” proposition, providing a strong point of difference in a rapidly expanding and increasingly competitive category.
Available nationwide, -196 currently offers Lemon and Grapefruit, with the recent launch of Peach further expanding the range and giving consumers even more opportunities to experience the brand’s distinctive whole-fruit flavour credentials.
Visit: www.suntory.com
Whole Fruit. More Flavour.
WKD builds on 30 Years of RTD success
WKD Original Blue Vodka
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, WKD continues to make its mark as one of Ireland’s leading Ready-To-Drink (RTD) brands. With strong brand recognition, distinctive flavours and sustained marketing investment, WKD maintains broad consumer appeal and offers a compelling proposition for retailers across the off-trade.
At the heart of the range is WKD Blue. Renowned for its signature flavour, vibrant blue liquid and instantly recognisable branding, it remains a firm favourite with consumers, delivering strong rates of sale and repeat purchase for retailers.
WKD’s diverse portfolio caters to a range of consumer occasions, with WKD X offering a bold alternative within the range. Combining the great taste associated with WKD with caffeine, taurine and guarana, WKD X comes in a 440ml can at 7% ABV and is designed for consumers seeking a more intense RTD experience. Available in Blue Raspberry, Mango Passion and the new Pink Pineapple, WKD X helps broaden the brand’s appeal and attract new shoppers to the category.
Supporting the portfolio is WKD’s reimagined ‘Got A WKD Side?’ campaign, bringing the brand’s playful personality to a new generation of young adult consumers. The campaign is being activated across major multiples, cash and carry depots and convenience stores, with high-impact displays and point-of-sale materials maximising visibility and conversion at key seasonal trading moments.
With the enduring appeal of WKD Blue, the bold proposition of WKD X and sustained investment in shopper marketing, WKD gives retailers a strong RTD offering with standout on-shelf presence, driving consumer demand, incremental sales opportunities and category growth.
For sales enquiries, please contact SHS Sales & Marketing at +353 (1) 401 6200 or info@shs-sales.ie.
West Coast Cooler continues to drive RTD growth in Ireland
West Coast Cooler range
As consumer preferences evolve towards lighter, more intentional drinking occasions, West Coast Cooler is reaffirming its position as Ireland’s number one RTD brand, delivering strong growth through flavour innovation, choice and relevance.
The brand has enjoyed another exceptional year, growing sales value by over 63% MAT (Nielsen Total Scantrack), further strengthening its position as the leading ready-to-drink brand in Ireland. This momentum reflects the brand’s ability to stay closely aligned with changing consumer trends, particularly amongst Gen Z adults who are increasingly seeking moderation without sacrificing flavour or enjoyment.
At the heart of West Coast Cooler’s success is a portfolio that combines refreshing taste with lighter credentials. The range now comprises four distinctive flavoured wine coolers: Original Tropical Flavour, Rosé Red Berry, Sunburst Peach & Mango, and the recently launched Apple Drop, a crisp blend of apple, lime, elderflower and matcha tea flavours.
With an ABV of 4% across the range and calorie counts of just 93 calories for Original and 88 calories for Rosé, Sunburst and Apple Drop, West Coast Cooler offers consumers a lighter choice that fits seamlessly into today’s more mindful drinking occasions.
Flavour and innovation continue to be key drivers of growth within the RTD category, and West Coast Cooler’s broad portfolio provides retailers and publicans with a range of options designed to appeal to a wide variety of tastes and occasions.
RTD brands driving category excitement
Four Loko
Tropical Four Loko
Big flavour. Bold personality. Four Loko continues to drive excitement in the RTD category with its distinctive range and standout shelf presence. Designed for consumers looking for something different, Four Loko delivers a unique drinking experience that keeps shoppers coming back for more. Stock the brand that’s bringing energy and disruption to the category.
AU Vodka
AU Vodka Juicy Peach
One of the most recognisable names in premium spirits, AU Vodka combines award-winning liquid with iconic gold branding. With strong consumer awareness and demand across multiple flavour variants, AU continues to attract shoppers seeking premium quality and trend-led innovation. Make the most of a brand that delivers impact both on and off the shelf.
BeatBox
BeatBox range
BeatBox brings bold flavours, vibrant packaging and a fresh approach to the RTD category. Designed for social occasions and discovery, the brand stands out with its unique format and eye-catching shelf appeal. As consumer demand for convenient and flavour-led drinks continues to grow, BeatBox offers retailers an exciting way to drive engagement and category growth.
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