Convenience Drives RTD Hard Seltzer Growth in APAC

The rise of RTD (ready-to-drink) beverages in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region is propelled by growing consumer demand for convenience, affordability, and novelty. Everyday Weekend, a New Zealand hard seltzer brand, has quickly expanded across markets such as China and Indonesia since its founding in 2020, recognising the shift in consumer behaviour.

Founder Jeremy Maclaurin highlights that consumers are increasingly favouring pre-mixed alcoholic drinks over traditional bottles of spirits with mixers. The ease of having an all-in-one, well-branded, and reasonably priced product is proving highly attractive, particularly for social occasions.

Fruity flavours dominate the RTD category, but in APAC, there's also a strong focus on creative and eye-catching packaging. Everyday Weekend sees China as a key market, where education around hard seltzers’ natural ingredients and lower sugar content plays an important role in differentiating the brand from sweeter, artificial competitors. The company aims to cement itself as a premium, long-term player in the region, with plans to develop new flavour profiles tailored to local preferences.