Small But Mighty: Meet 8 Craft Distilleries Who Have Jumped on the Ready-to-Drink Cocktail Trend

This article is a part of Canned Cocktail Week, a week of content celebrating ready to drink (RTD) cocktails, from seltzers to premium ready-to-serve cocktails and beyond. Click here to check out the rest of our Canned Cocktail Week content.

Ready-to-drink cocktails have exploded in popularity, offering convenience and variety to consumers. Now, RTD cocktails aren’t just a big-brand play anymore. Across the country, small craft distilleries are canning (and bottling) bar-quality recipes built on their own spirits, leaning into familiar classics, regional flavors and real juice. This is a look at notable craft movers, what they’re making and why the category makes so much sense for distilleries expanding beyond spirits.

The Rise of Ready-to-Drink

The RTD market has seen exponential growth in recent years, driven by consumer demand for convenient, high-quality beverage options. These pre-mixed cocktails offer a portable and effortless way to enjoy a crafted drink without the need for multiple ingredients or bartending skills. This trend has been particularly strong among younger demographics and those seeking alternatives to beer and wine.

Ready‑to‑drink cocktails are no passing fad. The International Wine & Spirits Record forecasts a 400% sales surge in pre‑mixed cocktails in North America between 2019 and 2029, with a global RTD market poised to hit $140 billion by decade’s end.

What does that mean for craft distillers? It signals a golden opportunity: premium‑leaning consumers are increasingly trading up. Spirits‑based RTDs, once niche, are now leaping ahead of malt‑based hard seltzers in both creativity and market share and local RTDs feel more personal, more intentional, and more connected to both the place and the people behind every can or bottle.

Finding Your Local Flavor

There’s something about a locally made RTD that sets it apart from the big-name brands lining the grocery store aisle.

It starts with the ingredients. Many craft distilleries build their cocktails around what’s grown or produced nearby, whether that’s Hawaiian heirloom sugarcane pressed fresh for Kō Hana’s rum, juicy Florida citrus brightening Manifest’s vodka spritz, or tart huckleberries giving Dry Fly’s lemonade its signature kick. Because these producers work close to home, their supply chains are short so their ingredients stay fresher and they pour money back into the community. There’s also a sense of place in every pour; these drinks carry the flavor and spirit of their hometown, whether that’s a bustling East Coast port city, a laid-back island, or a small Midwestern town.

These are some notable brands tapping into the RTD space and making waves.

1. Maggie’s Farm Rum – Pittsburgh, PA

(Photo: Maggie’s Farm)

Now scaled up with a dedicated RTD production facility, the Pittsburgh-based Maggie’s Farm offers Rum & Ginger cans, bottled Rum Old Fashioneds, mules and vodka seltzers made from fresh, in-house ingredients.

Dry Fly Distilling – Spokane, WA

(Photo: Dry Fly Distilling)

Dry Fly, founded by prominent winemaker Charlie Wagner, utilizes a farm-to-bottle (or cans, in this case) approach for its products, with grain sourced from local family farms located within 30 miles of the distillery. The distillery offers Seasonal Huckleberry Lemonades, Vodka Mules and Whiskey Smashes — all curated to reflect the flavors of the Pacific North West in cans. The brand makes both spirits- and wine-based canned cocktails, the latter crafted with Bonanza Wine.

Manifest Distilling – Jacksonville, FL

(Photo: Manifest Distilling)

Manifest launched its line of RTDs back in 2022 to provide high quality, minimal effort cocktails to Florida. Citrus‑bright offerings like Vodka Spritz, Vodka Mule and a Classic Daiquiri are crafted with cane sugar and are under 200 calories.

Kōloa Rum – Kauaʻi, HI

(Photo: Kōloa Rum Company)

Kōloa Rum Company was the first licensed distillery on Kauaʻi to support the island’s local agricultural industry. The distillery uses local ingredients, including pure cane sugar and rainwater from Mount Wai‘ale‘ale, for its twice-distilled rum. Beach-ready RTD bottles like Mai Tai, Rum Punch, Pineapple Passion and Sweet Tea Rum Cocktail, evoke island vibes with every sip.

Tenth Ward Distilling Company – Frederick, MD

(Photo: Tenth Ward Distilling Company)

Tenth Ward is known for its unconventional spirits and commitment to using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Its canned cocktail lineup includes creative spins like Watermelon Hibiscus Limeade, Peach-Clementine Lemonade Iced Tea and a Bee’s Knees made with Genever. The cocktails showcase the distillery’s signature bold flavors in an easy to drink format.

Hudson Valley Distillers – Clermont, NY

(Photo: Hudson Valley Distillers)

Located in the heart of New York’s apple country, Hudson Valley Distillers crafts its spirits and cocktails with a strong focus on local agriculture. Its canned cocktail offerings include a Cider Smash, Bourbon Sidecar and an Old Fashioned. Each of the RTDs are built on its house-distilled spirits and blended with natural flavors.

Dogfish Head Distilling Co. – Milton, DE

(Photo: Dogfish Head Distilling Co.)

Best known for its innovative craft beers, Dogfish Head also distills a range of award-winning spirits and uses them for its equally inventive RTDs. Its lineup features culinary-inspired cocktails like a Rum Mai Tai, Blood Orange Mango Vodka Soda and a Strawberry Honeyberry Lemonade crafted with real fruit and house-made spirits. True to the Dogfish Head ethos, these cans deliver bold, off-center flavors in a ready-to-sip format.

Greenbar Distillery – Los Angeles, CA

(Photo: Greenbar Distillery)

As one of the pioneers in organic craft distilling, Greenbar has built its reputation on sustainability and bold, flavor-driven spirits. Its RTD collection includes bright, West Coast-inspired bottled cocktails like a California Poppy Negroni and Smoky Vesper Martini, alongside canned highballs and non-alcoholic RTDs. The beverages are low in sugar and contain organic ingredients.

Craft RTD Renaissance

Thanks to the rise of direct-to-consumer shipping, you don’t have to book a plane ticket or road trip to enjoy these cocktails. Many craft distilleries now offer its RTDs online, letting you stock your fridge with local favorites from across the country. It’s like getting a little piece of someone else’s hometown delivered straight to your doorstep — complete with all the care, quality and personality that make these small-batch cocktails so special.

Craft RTDs are proving that small can be mighty — offering big flavor, local pride and premium cocktails without the fuss. Whether you’re pouring over ice at home or cracking a can under the sun, these distilleries bring the bar to you.