Diageo adds Margarita to RTD range

Ketel One owner Diageo has added a sixth product to its line of ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails.

The Cocktail Collection officially launched last year with an Espresso Martini, a Cosmopolitan and a Negroni, joining two Bulleit Bourbon cocktails that launched in 2022. The Astral Margarita is made using Astral Tequila, which uses ‘a traditional, time-intensive process to achieve a smooth, bright profile with bursts of citrus and notes of agave’. Diageo acquired the Tequila brand in 2020 when it bought Davos Brands. “We are committed to bringing bartender-quality cocktails straight to our consumers' fingertips, so hosts can focus on enjoying moments with their guests, worry-free,” said Nikhil Shah, brand director at Diageo. “We are thrilled with the reception of The Cocktail Collection so far and, with the Margarita's enduring appeal, it is our hope that we will reach even more cocktail enthusiasts with our newest offering.” The 20% ABV Astral Margarita comes in 350ml and 750ml bottles, with RRPs of US$13.99 and US$25.99 respectively. This week, Diageo revealed that its sales for the first half of fiscal 2024 were down, blaming its sales drop in Latin America on a “worse than expected” consumer environment and high inventory levels. In January, behavioural research platform Veylinx revealed that consumer demand for alcoholic RTDs has grown by 20% year on year.