2026-08-25
U.S. sales of prepared cocktails declined in the four weeks ended Aug. 15 as continued weakness in flavored malt beverages and hard seltzers outweighed growth in spirits- and wine-based ready-to-drink products, according to a new NielsenIQ market report.
NIQ said dollar sales for the prepared cocktails category fell 0.9% from a year earlier in the latest four-week period, while case volume dropped 5.2%. On a weekly basis, the category generated $305.8 million in dollar sales, down 2.2% from the previous week.
The report shows a category that is moving in two directions at once. Consumers are still buying more spirits-based and wine-based ready-to-drink cocktails, but that growth was not enough to offset larger declines in malt-based products and seltzers, which remain a large part of the prepared cocktails business in the United States.
Prepared cocktails in the NIQ report include spirits-based ready-to-drink and ready-to-serve products, wine-based cocktails, flavored malt beverages and seltzers. The data comes from NielsenIQ Retail Measurement for the four weeks ending Aug. 15.
Spirits-based ready-to-drink products posted the strongest gains among the main alcohol bases. NIQ said dollar sales in that segment rose 14.9%, while volume increased 16.0%. Wine-based cocktails also expanded, with dollar sales up 7.1% and volume up 2.4%.
The largest drag on the category came from flavored malt beverages and seltzers. In that segment, dollar sales fell 8.8% and volume declined 10.9%. Those declines were steep enough to pull the broader prepared cocktails market into negative territory even as other parts of the business continued to grow.
The numbers point to a clear shift in what shoppers are buying. Growth remains concentrated in products tied more closely to spirits and wine, while malt-based offerings continue to lose ground. That split has become increasingly important for manufacturers and retailers because the prepared cocktails aisle has been one of the most competitive areas in beverage alcohol, with companies pushing convenience, portability and flavor variety to attract consumers.
Among manufacturers, Mark Anthony Brands remained the largest player by dollar sales, though its sales slipped 2.8% and case volume fell by 357,700 cases in the period. Boston Beer ranked second, with dollar sales down 7.1% and case volume off by 582,500 cases. Anheuser-Busch Inc. was third and one of the few major suppliers to post growth, with dollar sales up 9.5% and case volume increasing by 64,600 cases.
Gallo ranked fourth among manufacturers by dollar sales, with revenue down 10.7% and case volume lower by 173,300 cases. Diageo held the fifth spot, with dollar sales down 0.7% and case volume down by 56,600 cases.
The fastest dollar growth among manufacturers came from Stateside Brands, which posted a 62.2% increase in dollar sales and added 367,400 cases. Anheuser-Busch followed with 9.5% growth, and Sazerac was close behind at 9.2%, adding 40,500 cases. Moet Hennessy USA also appeared among the top five dollar growth companies, along with Suntory Global Spirits, which recorded a 7.8% sales increase and a 27,200-case gain.
At the brand level, White Claw remained the largest name in prepared cocktails by dollar sales, though its revenue fell 1.7% and case volume declined by 160,800 cases. Twisted Tea ranked second, with dollar sales down 11.5% and volume lower by 413,900 cases. High Noon Cocktail held the third position, but NIQ reported a 14.4% drop in dollar sales and a decline of 191,100 cases.
BuzzBallz ranked fourth by dollar sales and was one of the top brands still growing, with revenue up 14.0% and case volume up by 60,300 cases. Smirnoff rounded out the top five, with dollar sales increasing 1.2% even as case volume slipped by 3,500 cases.
The strongest dollar growth among brands came from Surfside Cocktail, which rose 41.3% and added 239,800 cases. Cutwater Cocktail followed with 25.9% growth and a gain of 152,200 cases. Sun Cruiser Cocktail increased 54.4% and added 194,500 cases. BuzzBallz also ranked among the top growth brands, and Super Lyte Cocktail joined the list with a case gain of 128,100.
The report suggests that scale alone did not guarantee growth in the latest period. Several of the biggest brands and manufacturers posted declines, while a number of smaller or faster-rising brands gained market share. That pattern often reflects a market in transition, with established hard seltzer and malt-based labels facing pressure as consumers try products that lean more heavily into spirits positioning or cocktail-style branding.
Volume trends were weaker than dollar sales across much of the category, another sign that pricing and mix are helping cushion the market even as unit movement slows. The overall category’s 5.2% drop in case volume was much steeper than the 0.9% decline in dollar sales, and that gap appeared in several segments and brands. For suppliers, that means revenue has held up better than physical sales, but it also shows that fewer cases are moving through retail channels.
Retailers watching the category are likely to focus on where growth is still concentrated. Spirits-based ready-to-drink products delivered the strongest gains in both value and volume, while wine-based cocktails stayed positive. The pressure remained centered in flavored malt beverages and seltzers, where declines continued to deepen in the latest four-week period.
NIQ’s latest reading comes at a time when ready-to-drink alcohol remains an important part of the U.S. beverage market, but the composition of that market is changing. The newest data indicates that consumers are not walking away from prepared cocktails as a whole at the same rate across all segments. Instead, the downturn is being driven mainly by the malt-based side of the business, while spirits- and wine-based offerings continue to attract demand.