Enjoying a mojito just got a lot less high-maintenance — no muddling required.
Jamaican beer label Red Stripe is releasing a line of rum-based cocktails, according to an April 11 press release. The line of tropical, ready-to-drink cocktails marks the Caribbean brand’s first enterprise outside of the beer category.
Two flavors of Red Stripe Rum Drinks are now available in Florida: Rum Punch and Rum Mojito. Both are available in four-packs of 12-ounce slim cans, and each can contains 5.9 percent ABV and 200 calories. The brand plans to expand to markets in the northeast in late spring.
The Rum Mojito is a light-bodied and slightly carbonated cocktail created with Caribbean Rum, natural flavors, and lime juice. The bolder Rum Punch has a medium body and light carbonation with a punchy sweetness from mango, pineapple, and lime.
“Red Stripe Rum Drinks are all about attitude and high energy, giving a head nod to those who express themselves freely, fully, and fabulously,” the brand shares in the release.
It’s an increasingly common brand strategy to bet on RTDs, as canned cocktails currently reign as one of the hottest categories in the U.S. By 2025, the market volume of spirits-based RTDs in the U.S. is anticipated to grow by 33 percent, according to a 2022 report by IWSR. Consumers’ perception of RTDs tends to skew positive, as the spirits-spiked drinks signal a higher perceived quality over their malt-based counterparts.
“With our latest Red Stripe rum innovation, we are able to tap into this trend, and introduce this iconic brand to a new generation of consumers,” says Oscar Martinez, senior director of marketing and innovation, in the release. “The Red Stripe Rum Drinks perfectly embody the vibrant spirit of Jamaica, and signal a venture beyond beer, no shaker required.”
