In 2020, it was reported by Statista that we are in the top 10 countries with the most alcohol consumed per capita with 11.15 litres. While the alcohol market suffered throughout the year and into 2021 due to the pandemic, we’ve seen a recovery, specifically from spirits, as they outperformed beer and soft drinks. They managed to climb over 80% of their 2019 values, however, spirits nearly fully recovered.
You have a lot of options when it comes to drinking. The only limit to cocktail making is your creativity, but sometimes you can’t beat the classics as they’re famous for a reason. But what’s the most popular in the country?
Electrix, suppliers of high-quality chemin de câbles, have gathered data on the most popular cocktails by monthly search data. We’ll also examine where the ready-to-drink cocktail industry can capitalise on the gaps in the market.
The most popular cocktails in the country
So, what are the most popular cocktails throughout the country, and what alcohol do they use in them? The data shows that within the top 10, the most used alcohol for their key base ingredient is vodka, with three entries in the form of Moscow Mules, Cosmopolitans, and Bloody Marys. Vodka is incredibly versatile to give cocktails an alcoholic punch without overwhelming the flavour of the mixers and other ingredients, so it makes sense it features prominently in the top 10. This is closely followed by white rum, and the remaining places are shared between whiskey, sangria, Aperol, tequila, and cachaça.
The top three most searched cocktails are Moscow Mule and Piña Colada, taking joint second place with 60,500 monthly data, and Mojitos ranked first with 90,500. From this data, we can see that two of the three have an easy recipe with a compact list of ingredients that are easy to source and are simple to make by pouring and stirring to mix. In fact, only three of the top 10 cocktails require equipment for shaking or blending.
How many of them are available RTD?
Ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails are hugely popular throughout the country, which can be seen in research from Statista. In 2020 more than 1.1 million people drank a pre-mixed alcoholic drink at least once every two or three months.
The top 10 cocktails from our research have pre-mixed RTD beverages available for purchase. The closer you get to the top of the list, the more options from brands to choose from. The most searched cocktail, Mojito, has a seemingly endless selection, with reputable names in the world of alcohol like Bacardi offering cans both on their own and in a multipack.
While some come fully pre-mixed with all ingredients and mixers as part of the beverage in the can, some come partially pre-mixed so you can add the mixer or alcohol of your choice for your perfect cocktail. So if you want a Cosmopolitan with particularly flavoured vodka, you can grab a Funkin Cosmo Mixer and have a cocktail in seconds.
The future of the market
With so many options available in the RTD cocktails market, it would make sense for the progression of the industry to focus more on improved quality.
This is being seen with the noteworthy name brands getting involved in the production and distribution of RTD cocktails, such as Bacardi with their Mojitos in cans. Another brand with a line of pre-mixed beverages is Bombay Sapphire, a UK-founded premium gin, releasing RTD cans of gin and tonic.
Hard seltzers are another kind of RTD cocktails taking the world by storm and creating a niche within the market. Due to the lack of a regulatory board for the sector, there’s the creativity of flavours, and French companies are starting their lines of seltzers, such as Two Palms.
The future of cocktail culture, especially within the RTD cocktails market, is incredibly exciting. A report by InsightAce Analytic estimates the market could be worth $85.5 billion by 2030. As more high-end distilleries and alcohol distributors enter the market, combined with the quality of the products improving, we’re likely to see more hitting the shelves. This could be by reinventing old classics with new flavours, or even combining two of the most popular ones into a brand new creation.
