How are RTDs reshaping seasonality in the US?

As the only beverage alcohol category in the US expected to grow in the coming years, RTDs have moved beyond their pandemic-era boom, becoming more mature and driving shifts in seasonal consumption trends.

RTD volumes in the US grew by +1% in 2024, according to IWSR data, and are expected to maintain this momentum in the years ahead, with a forecast CAGR of +1% between 2024 and 2029. Meanwhile, RTDs’ share of TBA (total beverage alcohol) servings[1] grew from 4% in 2019 to 8% in 2024 – and is expected to reach 9% by 2029.

“Recruitment of new RTD consumers has slowed as the category matures, but consumption frequency is increasing, especially among Gen Zs and Millennials, who value perceived health benefits, functional attributes and variety,” says Marten Lodewijks, President, IWSR US. “As RTD habits establish themselves in casual and social drinking moments and the beer category erodes, frequency continues to increase.”

In 2025, according to the IWSR RTD Strategic Study 2025, 55% of US RTD drinkers described themselves as ‘frequent’ consumers – defined as drinking RTDs once a week or more – up from 44% in 2023. RTDs enjoy broad appeal with both genders, skewing to younger demographics, with 57% of RTD consumers in the US either Millennials or Gen Zs.

As RTDs continue to expand, their growth is mainly coming at the expense of beer, with some share also being pulled from wine. Asked in 2025 what they would have chosen before they started drinking RTDs, 40% of Gen Z consumers said beer, as did 39% of Millennials and 44% of Gen Xs.

Seasonal focus

An analysis of data using IWSR’s US Navigator tool, which offers granular, state-by-state detail on consumption trends, shows that this switch from beer to RTDs has a notable seasonal focus, with RTDs making strong gains in the spring and early summer, while beer comes to the fore later in the year.