This year's Hot Brand spirits roster totals 12 large and dynamic brands, Impact said. The Tequila and whisk(e)y categories accounted for four brands each, and were joined by two liqueurs, one vodka, and one soju label among the honorees. Spirits Hot Brands above 350,000 cases for 2025 include Don Julio Tequila (Diageo), Lunazul Tequila (Heaven Hill), Buffalo Trace Bourbon (Sazerac), Gran Malo Liqueur (Gallo), and Wheatley Vodka (Sazerac).

The spirits- and wine-based RTD segment saw 20 brands meet Hot Brand criteria. As a group, the Hot Brand RTDs totaled just under 50 million cases last year, up from 30 million the year prior and roughly fivefold from only 9.3 million cases as recently as 2022, according to Impact Databank. Six of the brands more than doubled their volume year over year.

RTD Hot Brands above 2 million cases include Surfside (Stateside Brands), Beatbox (Anheuser-Busch), Cutwater (Anheuser-Busch), Carbliss (SNFood & Beverage), The Finnish Long Drink (The Long Drink Co.), Nütrl (Anheuser-Busch), Sun Cruiser (Boston Beer), and Buzzballz Chillers (Sazerac).

The full Hot Brands list, along with comprehensive data and analysis, appears in Impact’s March 1&15 issue. (Subscription required).