Ferron Salniker is the Spirits Editor, guiding our coverage of the spirits and RTD cocktail space. She reports for BevNET.com and Brewbound.com on everything from new subcategories in established liquor types to the growth of the craft spirits business.
The founder of Uncle Nearest has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after the troubled bourbon company defaulted on more than $100 million in loans and went into receivership.
Mission Craft Cocktails, the Southern California brand built on bar-strength ready-to-serve and drink (RTS/RTD) cocktails made with premium ingredients, went from selling roughly 2,000 cases in 2024 to over 81,000 in 2025. But that growth was only achieved by a high tolerance for risk, said the founders.
From Gallo’s spiked lemonade getting a sweet tea makeover to Surfside taking on the spiked sports drink, this month’s ready-to-drink (RTD) releases lean hard into better-for-you credentials, nostalgia, and a whole lot of iced tea.
As new styles of spiked ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages continue to carve out a share of the spirits market, there’s one that has maintained its staying power: the margarita.
Non-alcoholic (NA) wine, beer and spirits still account for less than 1% of total alcohol category sales – leaving a runway for brands that innovate with popular functional ingredients, according to a new report from market research firm NIQ.
A federal grand jury has indicted five former senior executives at Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits (SGWS) – the largest alcohol distributor in the U.S. – along with a salesman from a major Napa Valley wine company, on charges stemming from an alleged bribery scheme that prosecutors say ran for nearly a decade and earned favors from California’s largest grocery retail chains.
Uncle Nearest founders Fawn and Keith Weaver have made their final courtroom arguments to take back ownership of the troubled bourbon company after it defaulted on more than $100 million in loans and went into receivership.
Spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) posted another blowout two-week period, up more than 30% in dollar sales, as brands such as Cutwater and Sun Cruiser continued to pull consumers away from former leaders, according to an analysis of NIQ data from Goldman Sachs Equity Research.
This month’s distribution moves see gin-based ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail The Original Southside grab permanent shelf space at Whole Foods, a sake spritz making a multi-channel push, and a Mid-Atlantic tequila soda lock in a major partner.
After a judge placed Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey under receivership for defaulting on nearly $108 million in loans, founder Fawn Weaver continues her courtroom fight to take back the troubled bourbon company.
Private label products saw a banner year in 2025, with spirits ranking as one of the top growing categories. As some distillers aim to take advantage of the opportunity, will brands feel the squeeze?
Younger Americans aren't just drinking less – they're funneling their social spending into fitness rather than alcohol, according to a new report from the Bank of America Institute.
From yoga studios to luxury fashion houses to corporate campuses, a diverse ecosystem of alternative channels has quietly emerged as a small but meaningful growth opportunity for adult non-alcoholic (ANA) drinks – and mostly through organic discovery.
As functional drink brands look for a foothold in the booming alcohol alternatives space, one kava company is trying something new.
