The ready-to-drink (RTD) category has been growing in popularity over the past few years, perhaps best embodied by the explosion of hard seltzers in the market. The convenience factor is key: These are drinks you don’t have to mix yourself, and they’re portable, which makes for easy sipping when you’re not drinking at home or inside a bar.
One of the newest products to hit shelves is the Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola RTD, which is exactly what it sounds like: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Coca-Cola. It’s inspired by one of the most popular bar “calls” in the world.
The 355 mL (12-ounce) cans are 7% alcohol by volume, which is fairly standard among RTDs, as most range between 5-10%. A version featuring Coca-Cola Zero-Sugar will also be available beginning in May. Both carry a suggested retail price of $12.99 per 4-pack.
With hundreds of RTDs on the market, it’s a crowded category. But Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola are two of the most recognizable brands in the world, so that will give this drink some serious cache among fans. The soda-shaped cans feature the classic black and white colors of Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, plus the iconic red “Coca-Cola” script.
Jack Daniel’s RTD brand director Dallas Cheatham notes that the Jack & Coke is a cocktail that consumers have known and enjoyed across the world, with origins dating back more than a century. This is the first time they’ve been paired together in one package in the U.S.
The launch of this new RTD is part of a larger trend in the alcohol industry, as more and more brands—including legacy brands like Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, and Grey Goose—are entering the RTD market. According to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, the RTD market is outperforming the wider alcoholic beverage market and is growing at a higher rate than spirits, wine, and beer.
