IWSR：硬茶或比硬苏打更具全球增长潜力

Hard tea has become one of the fastest-growing subcategories in the ready-to-drink (RTD) space and could offer more potential for global growth than seltzers, according to IWSR.

Dr Dre and Snoop moved into the canned alcoholic iced tea market in April

IWSR believes tea is on the rise globally as a flavour trend within the wider alcohol category.

The global data provider for the alcohol sector cites the ‘huge diversity’ of tea, which can be used in hard tea, matcha-based RTDs, sparkling tea products and tea-infused spirits.

IWSR specifically points to hard tea as one of the fastest-growing RTD segments, led by the US.

In the US, hard tea volumes rose by 5% in 2025, according to IWSR. The segment grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22% between 2021 and 2025 in the US.

One of the most well-known brands on the market is Surfside, a Philadelphian spirits-based RTD that has boomed in the US.

Surfside’s volumes rocketed by 126.9% to 10.6m cases last year. It became the sixth biggest-selling RTD brand in the world, according to The Brand Champions 2026 report.

Canada is the second-largest global market for hard tea, up by 6% in volume last year, IWSR revealed. It followed a 6% CAGR gain between 2021 and 2025.

Globally, the RTD category rose by 3% last year. IWSR recently revealed that RTDs surpassed vodka in global value in 2025.

Hard tea follows seltzers’ trajectory

After years of growth, led by category giant White Claw, the hard seltzer segment has seen its volumes slide. Global volumes fell by 10% between 2021 and 2024, and were down by 11% in the US, and by 4% in both Canada and Australia over the same period. Growth of hard seltzers had been dominated by the US, where it is better understood.

IWSR says the hard tea subcategory could have the potential to scale better internationally than hard seltzers – alcoholic sparkling water – as there is no consumer confusion over what it is.

“The recent trajectory of hard tea mirrors the way in which hard seltzer scaled – but tea is better understood in Europe than seltzers, suggesting that hard tea could have more potential for global growth,” says Susie Goldspink, head of RTD insights at IWSR.

“It is also possible that hard teas will only truly thrive in places where iced tea already performs well.”

Furthermore, IWSR has highlighted that 3% of new RTD launches in 2025 had tea-related ingredients, up slightly from 2% in 2021.

Several brands have tapped into the canned hard tea trend in recent months. Suntory’s -196 launched a non-carbonated Green Tea variety pack.

Meanwhile, Lipton recently released a zero-sugar version of its alcoholic iced tea, and Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg launched their gin-based RTD iced tea and lemonade line in April.

That same month, Boston Beer Company’s RTD brand, Sun Cruiser, launched a vodka-based range made with white tea.

AB InBev-owned Cutwater, the fastest-growing alcohol brand in the US, produces a spirits-based Long Island Iced Tea.

Tea trends beyond the US

IWSR has noted trends in markets like Brazil, where cocktails containing yerba mate and local soft drink guaraná have led to a number of copycat RTDs. Yerba mate is a popular caffeine drink in South America.

Yerba mate is also being increasingly used as a mixer with vodka in nightclubs in Switzerland and Austria, IWSR added.

Meanwhile, tea-based liqueurs have expanded into Italy and are being used in classic cocktails. Green tea is also becoming a popular mixer for Scotch whisky in China due to early brand promotion of the pairing.

“Tea is much more than a niche; it is a flavour architecture that can underpin premiumisation strategies across spirits, RTDs and no/low,” Goldpsink added.

“The caffeine overlap opens up energy drink occasions, but without the baggage of synthetic stimulant positioning. Tea also bridges the gap with daytime and apéritif occasions, which remain under-developed for beverage alcohol.

“There could be further potential for hard tea and other tea-based products where iced tea is already a well-established category, while the new-style Chinese tea movement is one that should be watched closely: its global spread will introduce new flavour codes – oolong, pu’er, cheese tea – that are not yet reflected in Western innovation pipelines.”

IWSR previously estimated hard tea would grow by 18% in CAGR volume from 2023 to 2028 in the US.

The Spirits Business recently explored how the RTD category is growing its presence in bars.