Cointreau, the orange liqueur that plays a supporting role in the margarita and the cosmo, is aiming to step into the spotlight with its first-ever ready-to-serve (RTS) product.
Offering a blend of citrus, Cointreau and French white wine, The Cointreau Citrus Spritz range (10.5% ABV) launches today with two flavors, Orange & Blood Orange and Lemon & Lime, in 750 mL bottles.
The release fits squarely into low-ABV, spritz and ready-to-drink/serve trends. RTS cocktail sales grew +15% over the last year and +16% off-premise in the last quarter according to NIQ.
“In addition to this, cocktail serves such as the spritz and lower-ABV offerings continue to see strong momentum in the market,” said Nicolas Beckers, president and CEO of Rémy Cointreau Americas.
The ready-to-serve is a first for Rémy Cointreau, which has kept its mostly high-end cognac and whisky brands off bottled cocktail shelves.
Competitors have approached the growing category from various angles. Pernod Ricard recently shook up its distribution partnerships as it plans to triple its ready-to-drink (RTD) footprint in the U.S. over the next three years. Diageo has earned share of the broader RTD segment with its malt extension of Smirnoff, and recently launched the first RTD from Casamigos. Both Diageo and Pernod Ricard continue to leverage their major brands into the segment, meanwhile Sazerac boosted its portfolio with an acquisition.
Beginning this month, Cointreau Citrus Spritz will be available at retail outlets in select U.S. markets, including California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The new line retails for $19.99, and will expand to wider markets in 2026.
Rémy Cointreau’s latest quarterly sales were up 5.7%, the group announced in late August, along with lowered estimates for the net overall impact of tariffs on profits.