Welcome back to the BevNET spirits newsletter. This week we caught up with a few pioneering ready-to-drink (RTD) soju brands about how they’re appealing to younger drinking-age consumers – and other important audiences.

What insiders are reading: A tectonic shift in the distribution landscape occurred last week as Southern Glazer’s made big moves in NY, meanwhile another celeb is aiming to score a touchdown in RTDs.

Thanks for reading.

-BevNET spirits editor, Ferron Salniker

If you’re at all clued into pop-culture or good food, you’ll know that Korean media, music and cuisine are red hot right now – so much so that the trend is named the Korean Wave. 

While the kids watch KPop Demon Hunters, adults now have a new crop of Korean soju canned cocktails to enjoy. 

RTD beverages featuring the Korean spirit number in the few in the U.S., but they are resonating with some important audiences. Just last month, BevNET Cocktail Showdown winner Yoju closed a $1.4 million raise led by Top Shelf Ventures and No Sleep Beverage, whose portfolio includes Juliet Wine and Madre Mezcal. In April, California-based Hello Soju raised $6.8 million for its relaunch. 

This emerging crop of soju RTDs range from yogurt-spiked takes on traditional Korean drinking rituals to flavored sparkling seltzers, coming from both first-time entrepreneurs and even K-pop media executives. 

There are several other factors in favor of these brands, including Gen Z’s thirst for full-flavor RTDs and the ability to reach a wide age range and different ethnic demographics. Bringing in Asian-Americans has been a win for Los Angeles-based Yoju at retailers – and Hispanic drinkers aren’t afraid of yogurt drinks either. Hummy, a sparkling soju seltzer with flavors in Asian Pear and Honey Melon has gained accolades for standing out in a sea of tequila and vodka seltzers. 

But Yoju now faces the dilemma of how to lean into its traditional roots and unique aspects, while positioning it for wider mass appeal.

Hummy also faces the question at retailers of placement in the RTD section, where it has a small slot to operate against leading brands, or in an international section (“all the way in the back where the bathrooms are,” said one founder). 

Meanwhile, global media companies are getting in on soju seltzers, possibly signaling more investment in the segment. 

Put on some k-pop and read more on the site. 

Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila has had a busy August. 

• The tequila brand’s parent company, Calabasas Beverage Company, received a strategic investment from the Pérez family, owners of Grupo Solave, the company in Jalisco, Mexico that produces 818 Tequila. 
• The investment coincides with a new CEO and a lineup of mini bottles fitting squarely into the fashion trend taking Gen Z’s purses by storm. 

Read more.

A favorite poolside duo just got a convenient upgrade.

• Pernod Ricard is continuing its strategy of pairing up its brands with names well known on the other side of the fridge – next is a Malibu and Dole RTD cocktail line coming early 2026. 
• The collaboration was inspired by the top way consumers enjoy Malibu, according to children of the 90s and drinks research firm IWSR.

Check it out. 

Bev-alc volumes continued to slump in the two-week period ending August 9, but cider and spirits RTDs are soaking up a summertime boost. 

• RTDs beverages are driving growth for spirits, with sales picking up – although the category leader, High Noon, is down in sales.

The man behind Bai is back in the beverage game with Crooked Tea, a 4% ABV, zero-sugar iced tea. 

• If that sounds familiar, you’re right: Ben Weiss, who sold antioxidant tea brand Bai to Dr. Pepper Snapple for $1.7 billion in November 2016, has played in the hard tea space before. 
• It may be better timing for a hard tea venture: Crooked Tea is entering the market amidst a surge in demand for hard teas. 

Read the full story.

Brandon Hanson, the co-founder of a well-known West Coast distillery, is venturing into the “wild west” of THC-infused beverages. 

• The co-founder of Hanson of Sonoma is among the first spirit makers to jump into THC-infused beverages with Goodmellow, a functional RTD infused with hemp-derived THC that launched this summer. 
• By keeping THC doses low in its first RTD lineup, Hanson sees potential for Goodmellow to become a sessionable replacement to alcohol, particularly on-premise. That’s also where he sees the most opportunity for trial – especially with a 750 mL bottle coming soon. 

Get a full picture of the playbook. 

With trendy adult non-alc (ANA) drinks now on shelf at Target, it’s safe to say the retail landscape around the category is changing in big ways. Against that backdrop, California ANA bottle shop The New Bar is realigning its strategy and consolidating its retail footprint in California. We talked to its founder and CEO about what’s next, where the hurdles are for ANA, and how ANA brands can take cues from their full-proof counterparts. 

Read the interview.

The ANA category is on its way to hitting $1 billion, but what trends are emerging and what pressures are mounting?

• Of the nearly $1 billion pie, NA beer still makes up the largest slice of dollar share followed by NA wine and NA spirits, with spirits seeing the largest growth. 
• There are 203 new ANA UPCs since last year with NA beer and NA spirits driving those numbers, which means competition to get on the shelf is heating up.
• We’re also beginning to see an attempt to create some volume in ANA and less expensive products driving prices down. 

Get more of the data.

Dave Infante continues to crack me up, this time with a story about the return of Svedka’s weirdly curvaceous robot. The banished bot was previously reprimanded for violating the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States' ad restrictions, but now she’s back to facilitate “real connections” at the bar, according to the return announcement. Because apparently we are in the part of the future when we’re calling in a vodka robot to facilitate human connection? Read the column on Fingers.