A Year of Innovation in RTD, Wine and Spirits 2026
Premium quality and flavour innovation take centre stage, while brands balance ABV levels to align with the moderation trend.
Trusted by leading global brands
Collapse All
-
- What we have seen
- Our pick of the most innovative launches in this review
- Other innovative launches
- Other flavour innovations
- Global Spotlight: spirits and RTDs
- Graph 1: spirts and RTD launches, by share of top five sub-categories, 2025
- Global Spotlight: wines and fortified wines
- Graph 2: wine and fortified wine launches, by share of top three claim categories, 2025
- The Future of Wine & Spirits: 2026
-
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA (EMEA)
- Europe: premium RTDs make a comeback
- The at-home drinking trend continues
- Premium claims bounce back in RTD launches
- Brands highlight quality cues in RTDs
- Europe: flavoured spirits and liqueurs are on the rise
- Flavour can open the door for new spirit drinkers
- Fruit-flavoured launches look beyond citrus and berry
- Graph 3: % of flavoured spirits launches with select flavour subgroups, 2021-25
- Heritage icons experiment with flavours
- Europe: private-label wines gain share in launch activity
- Price-savvy drinkers put value first
- Private-label wines are gaining share
- Graph 4: wine and fortified wine launches, by share of private label, 2021-25
- Private-label wines boost appeal beyond price
- The Middle East & Africa (MEA)
- Premium claims take the lead in the category
-
ASIA PACIFIC (APAC)
- Asia: brands infuse excitement with cobranded offerings
- Younger drinkers crave novelty in alcoholic drinks
- Co-branding claims bounce back with fresh partnerships
- Graph 5: % of spirits and RTD launches with cobranded claims, 2021-25
- Cross-category partnerships in RTDs
- Japan leads in cobranded spirits and RTDs
- Brand renovation/innovation: South Korea's makgeolli reimagined with whiskey
- Asia: floral notes add a wellness-focused halo to RTD launches
- Floral flavours are gaining traction
- RTD launches with floral flavours are on the rise
- Graph 6: % of RTD launches with floral flavour component, 2021-25
- Floral-flavoured RTDs are infused with botanicals and herbs
- Brand renovation/innovation: Jia Yi Wine targets female drinkers with herb-infused, low-ABV cocktails
- Australia & New Zealand
- Better-for-you RTDs focus on sugar reduction
- Australia & New Zealand: wine brands celebrate local roots
- Local wines hold strong appeal
- Wine brands are strengthening their local ties
- Graph 7: % of wine and fortified wine launches with regional descriptors*, 2021-25
- Wine brands highlight local heritage
-
the americas
- North America: spirits and RTD brands ride the sober-curious wave
- Health concerns drive alcohol moderation
- Alcohol-free claims are making inroads
- Graph 8: % of spirits and RTD launches with select alcohol-related claims, 2021-25
- Adaptogens are emerging in alcohol-free RTDs
- North America: premium spirits and RTDs cater to the less-but-better drinking trend
- Consumers are trading up for quality
- Premium offerings capture growing launch share
- Graph 9: % of spirits and RTD launches with premium claims, 2021-25
- Spirits and RTD brands put premium quality in the spotlight
- North America: moderation trend fuels interest in low- and no-alcohol wines
- Taste is a key driver of alcohol alternatives choices
- North America sees a rebound in wines with ABV below standard levels
- Graph 10: % of wine launches with ABV below 10%, 2021-25
- Flavour profiles at the forefront to provide taste reassurance
- Better-for-you attributes are niche but emerging
- Latin America: consumers seek more-natural RTD options
- RTD launches surge, while natural claims lag behind
- Graph 11: % of RTD launches with select natural claims, 2021-25
- Natural attributes can resonate with health-conscious consumers
Explore the latest innovations in RTD, wine and spirits with Mintel’s global innovation report. The report identifies the major launch activities, pivotal consumer attitudes and most important product developments over the past 12 months.
Key innovation trends in the global RTD, wine and spirits markets are analysed and succinctly presented alongside Mintel’s consumer data and insights. So you can understand changing consumer demands and identify future growth opportunities.
£ 2,195 excl. Tax
Secure direct checkout
Instant PDF download
Portal access included
Need help deciding?
Get in touch
Trusted by global industry leaders
There is no question that Mintel is the go-to resource for the best quality market research, but I did not think it was an affordable option for Abacus Marketing to consider. As a small marketing agency, we only work with a few new clients each year.
However, we have a very high-end consultative approach to our work, so we really do need a partner like Mintel to provide the big agency experience we are always aiming to deliver. Our clients come from an incredibly diverse range of industry sectors, so we obviously need access to market research reports from a very wide spectrum of marketplaces – and that is precisely what we got.
Stephen Taylor-Brown, Managing Director, Abacus
Working in a customer-obsessed organization means that data and insights have to be at our fingertips. Mintel’s reports help us support anecdotes with real quantifiable insights. The summary sections (which I really like) helps save time by giving a birds eye view of the content before spending time combing through the pages.
Our business review discussions are strengthened by the relevancy of the reports to help us better understand our customers. In addition, the customer service received from the team (especially in crunch periods) makes the process of understanding customer behavior even better.
Ngozi Ngonadi-Nkwoji, Senior Marketing Manager, Amazon
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
We utilize Mintel Reports, Trends and Comperemedia to mine for insights across the numerous business verticals that Epsilon serves, such as CPG, automotive, telecom, healthcare/pharma, retail and financial services.
By integrating Mintel insight into new business opportunities, we have been able to gain the competitive edge necessary to advance partnerships with global brands and key business players.
For our organization, it’s about depth and breadth. Having one without the other doesn’t enable success in our business.
Virginia Harvey, Secondary Research Manager, Epsilon
We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.
They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.
Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
