Did you know that the alcohol industry is responsible for $70 billion in annual tax revenue and 4 million jobs in the United States? Alcohol is huge and, even though bars were closed for much of 2020, our appetite for alcohol grew by 14% from 2019 to 2020. In fact, 44% of Americans began purchasing alcohol online last year which skyrocketed alcohol ecommerce by 243%. People just love their cocktails, and drinking in our houses in isolation wasn’t going to stop that love one bit!
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The Popularity Of Ready To Drink Cocktail
Another thing that rose in popularity last year was the ready-to-drink cocktail. Purchases of these twists on the classics grew by 43% worldwide, and the trend isn’t slowing down. In fact, ready-to-drink cocktails are expected to make up 20% of alcohol ecommerce just three years from now. With ready-to-drink cocktails, you can have all your favorite classic cocktails anywhere without the annoyance of prep, mixing, or cleanup. It’s like having a bartender in your home, or wherever you want to drink!
One of the most popular brands of ready-to-drink is Cooloo. Cooloo offers such popular classics as the Mai Tai, Pina Colada, Poloma, Gin & Tonic, and the Cosmopolitan. Each of these drinks has an interesting place in our history. For instance, the Gin & Tonic was created in the 19th century. Brits used this drink as a health tonic for traveling to hotter climates, such as India.
The Mai Tai was created in 1944 by Victor J. Bergeron, also known as “Trader Vic.” His original recipe included rum with lime, orgeat, orange curacao, and simple syrup. However, ten years later, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel began adding pineapple and orange juice to sweeten the drink, and this version soon overtook its predecessor in popularity.
Pina Colada and Monchito
The Pina Colada was also popularized by a hotel. It was created by Ramon “Monchito” Marrero at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan. This fruity blend of rum, coconut cream, and pineapple juice was named the official drink of Puerto Rico in 1978.
La Paloma is fairly new on the cocktail scene and is thought to have been created by Don Javier Delgado Corona and named for the popular Mexican folk song “the Dove.” This drink is a unique blend of fresh grapefruit, lime, and soda, and is a cousin to the margarita.
In 1980’s the Cosmopolitan gained popularity among San Francisco’s gay community. The original recipe of vodka, triple sec, rose’s lime juice, and Ocean Spray cranberry juice, was said to have looked pretty, but not taste good. Eventually, the cocktail was improved with fresh juice, cointreau, and citron. The modern Cosmo looks very little like the original.
Now that bars are reopening, the ready-to-drink cocktail is still a great choice. These futuristic cocktails make it easy to enjoy the classics anytime, anywhere. Cheers!
Infographic source: Cooloo.com
