Flavor, Format, and Flex: The Real Drivers Behind RTD’s Rocket Growth

They’re sweet. They’re sessionable. And they’re stealing shelf space by the cooler-load.

The latest July 4 Circana scans show a shake-up in the spirits and RTD ranks, and it’s not just the usual suspects holding their ground.

Three breakout brands are putting up massive, verified growth numbers: BuzzBallz, Sun Cruiser, and Surfside.

• BuzzBallz: +69.5% in dollar sales, +81.1% in volume

• Sun Cruiser: +670.6% in dollar sales, +707.8% in volume

• Surfside: +596.5% in dollar sales, +628.3% in volume

Let’s be clear: those triple-digit surges are real, but they’re off a small base. What’s more important is why these brands are exploding, and what it tells us about where the RTD market is headed.

Here’s What’s Actually Happening

The RTD category is splintering, and fast. What used to be a conversation about convenience and flavor is now a race for cultural relevance.

These brands don’t just sell drinks. They sell a vibe. And that’s what today’s consumer is actually buying:

• BuzzBallz wins on bold visuals and an unapologetically kitschy identity that punches through the clutter.

• Sun Cruiser taps coastal nostalgia with vibrant branding that screams “playlist energy.”

• Surfside feels like a lifestyle drop disguised as a canned cocktail: smart collabs, savvy design, and sessionable simplicity.

The reality is: RTDs aren’t just about what’s inside the can anymore. They’re about what the can says about you.

What do these brands have in common? They’re built for social, not just for sipping.

The Implication: Relevance Beats Legacy

Legacy brands still playing by traditional category rules—ABV claims, ingredient stories, classic cues—are missing the cultural pivot. These three brands didn’t win on distribution muscle. They won on velocity and vibes.

• Volume growth outpaced dollar sales across the board, suggesting strategic promo activity, expanded formats, and early-stage land grabs.

• Their growth didn’t come at the expense of big spirits, which remain relatively stable and often benefit from RTD extensions. Instead, these brands likely peeled off share from beer and wine - segments that continued their year-over-year decline, even during the category’s most important holiday window.

This is a consumer-led reshaping of the RTD space. Distributors and retailers are reacting to pull, not push. And that’s a power shift.

What to Watch: The Rise of Micro-Genres and Occasion-First Thinking

The RTD category is no longer a monolith. It’s a constellation of micro-genres, each tied to a specific use case or emotional moment:

• Beach day coolers

• Festival tailgates

• Bring something fun” party asks

• Post-pickleball wind-downs

The playbook? Don’t chase category. Chase occasion. The brands winning now are the ones embedding themselves in moments, and doing it faster than the big guys can spin up an innovation pipeline.

Execution Lessons for Brands & Builders

• Design for discovery: If your can doesn’t spark a share, it won’t spark a sale.

• Own an occasion: Products that solve specific drinking moments will always outcompete generic “summer” SKUs.

• Lead with emotion, not just function: The next RTD wave is a mood, not a message.

Let’s play this out:

If this is the new RTD template, snackable, social, and story-rich, what happens to the brands still selling “convenience” as a feature, not a feeling?

What’s your take? Are we underestimating the emotional side of the RTD surge, or is this just another boom before the shakeout?