For most every musician, some songs become big hits, while others simply do not catch on. In the ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee, tea and juice categories, there are also some hits and misses.

Let’s start with the “No. 1 hits.” Canned juice drinks had a great year ending Sept. 7, according to data furnished by Chicago-based research firm Circana. This category saw dollar sales rise by 8% year over year (YoY) to $1.84 billion, while unit sales picked up 4% YoY to $716 million.

Another “top 20” hit is aseptic juices, which gained 7% in dollar sales YoY to $2.59 billion, as well as a unit-sales gain of 3% to 557 million.

On the negative side of the ledger are RTD coffee and tea beverages — which Circana groups together — which dropped 2% YoY to $8.5 billion, along with a 4% decline in unit sales to 2.47 billion.

Also missing some high notes were bottled juices, whose dollar sales dropped a small 0.7% YoY to $9.3 billion, but unit sales dipped by 4% YoY to $2.8 billion. Bottled juices is a vast category comprising many subcategories.

Hence, although the overall category declined YoY, states Circana, there were signs of strength. Chief among them were bottled fruit juice blend, gaining 8% YoY to $490 million, as well as a 4% YoY unit-sales gain to 124 million; bottled pineapple juice, rising 15% in dollar sales to $106 million, paired well with a 13% YoY unit-sales rise to 20.6 million; and bottled juice and drink smoothies, skyrocketing by 43% YoY to $64.6 million, along with a 19% YoY pop to 7.7 million units, Circana reveals.

“International Delight is known for our delicious and culture-driven collaborations, and the opportunity to partner with the iconic Cinnabon brand was too sweet to pass up," said Rebecca Grad, director of Ready-to-Drink Coffee at Danone North America, Broomfield, Colo., and White Plains, N.Y. "When strategizing how to unveil our newest flavor, we thought about how our core fans look for small moments of joy throughout their day and developed a specialty alarm clock to help them wake up with their senses!”

Death Wish Coffee Co. introduced premium canned lattes, available in three flavors: Vanilla, Mocha and Original. Crafted with simple ingredients including Fair Trade Certified, 100% Colombian Cold Brew Coffee and milk, these sustainably sourced lattes tout a cleaner label while still packing a punch, the company said. Each can contains up to as much caffeine as 1.5 cups of coffee.

"We've been working hard to craft a collection of premium lattes that consumers can rely on without compromising on quality," states Michelle Gallo, vice president of marketing for Saratoga Springs, N.Y.-based Death Wish Coffee Co. "To us, great taste doesn't equate to a ton of added sugar and artificial ingredients. By remaining true to our commitment to exceptional coffee and sustainability, we're excited to introduce the world to our flavorful lineup of clean fuel developed with people and planet in mind."

Product launches

There were several coffee, tea and juice product launches in 2025. Let’s start with coffee. International Delight launched Cinnabon Iced Coffee cans. Created in partnership with the bakery known around the globe for its ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls and iconic scent, International Delight Cinnabon Iced Coffee cans combine cinnamon and cream cheese frosting flavors in a convenient on-the-go can, the company says.

In coffee acquisition news, Frisco, Texas-based Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) announced on Aug. 25 it will acquire JDE Peet’s in an all-cash transaction. This deal will create a “global coffee champion” through the complementary combination of KDP’s Keurig, North America’s leading single-serve coffee platform, with JDE Peet’s worldwide portfolio of coffee brands, the companies said. After the acquisition closes, KDP plans to separate into two independent, U.S.-listed publicly traded companies.

Switching to RTD launches, we start with PHX, which offers 700mg of electrolytes and 200 mg of natural energy from green tea. It includes 100% daily value of eight essential vitamins with zero sugar, the company says. PHX is produced by Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.-based One 11 Brands, a new start-up incubator led by Founder and General Manager Daniel Blake that is focused on innovation within the functional beverage sector. PHX is supported by entrepreneur and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy.

“People count on me to be straight with them, so I only get behind products I really believe in. PHX is legit. It keeps you going when you’re grinding it out and tastes better than the competition," says Portnoy. "Daniel and his team have nailed it with something different here. I’m all in.”

Also, La Colombe, a division of New York-based Chobani, introduced Draft Latte Strawberry Mocha cans in honor of Valentine's Day. "Our seasonal Draft Latte drinks are always a hit and a great way to introduce new consumers to La Colombe. Limited-edition flavors tend to be most popular in fall and winter where flavor profiles are more defined, yet this is not exactly the peak of cold coffee season," says Chobani + La Colombe's Chief Innovation Officer, Niel Sandfort.

In addition, Throne SPORT COFFEE added a Mint Mocha flavor to its RTD coffee lineup. Created by beverage industry veteran Michael Fedele in partnership with pro football superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Throne SPORT COFFEE is designed for health-conscious consumers seeking a better-for-you option to fuel their active lifestyles. "In a crowded market, Throne SPORT COFFEE rises above with its innovative 'Coffee Plus+' formula, packed with natural caffeine, B vitamins, electrolytes, and BCAAs. Unlike sugary coffee shop drinks or artificial energy beverages filled with unrecognizable ingredients, Throne SPORT COFFEE is designed for performance-driven individuals seeking a clean, functional boost. Our new Mint Mocha flavor is the ultimate game-changer,” said Michael Fedele, founder of Throne SPORT Coffee, Stamford, Conn.

Juice debuts in 2025 include Odwalla, which introduced three 100% juice options in Orange, Guava, and Ginger; Green Juice made with pineapple, apple, and nopal (tender cactus); and a not-from-concentrate Orange Juice. These products are available in 13.9 fluid-ounce glass bottles and 16- and 32.4 fluid-ounce Tetra Prisma cartons.

Also, Suja Organic, San Diego, Calif., announced the launch of Sunrise Greens. Sunrise Greens contains one and a half servings of fruits and vegetables, including apple, cucumber, spinach, lemon, and more, providing an excellent source of vitamin C. Made with nine different superfood ingredients like spirulina, green chard and collard greens, this juice provides a healthy dose of greens without the earthiness often found in traditional green juices, the company says. “At Suja Organic, we believe in making healthy choices accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Sunrise Greens is a perfect example of that. It has approachable flavor that’s also packed with the nutritional benefits our customers expect from us,” said Maria Stipp, CEO of Suja Life.

A “duet” performance

To get more insights about the coffee, tea and juice market, we enlisted the help of our sister brand Beverage Industry. Regarding coffee, many consumers are looking to the coffee and RTD coffee category to meet various need states.

“Coffee has morphed into a beverage that can deliver both fun and function, capturing the 30% of consumers who are enthusiasts and providing energy to the 42% of coffee consumers who turn to the beverage as their go-to energy source,” notes Kelsey Olsen, food and drink analyst at Mintel, Chicago, in Beverage Industry. “Meeting demands for both ― separately or simultaneously ― is an ongoing opportunity for brands to address a variety of needs.” 

Olsen also notes that younger consumers are changing the way that coffee is approached. “[W]ith the growing variety of options and the corresponding variety in occasions, younger generations, particularly, may be rewriting the traditional coffee ‘as part of the morning routine’ story, and coffee may be turning more into a beverage that is part of rituals and different moments rather than the same routine each morning,” she said. “For instance ― baby boomers (51%) were twice as likely as Gen Z (24%) to associate hot brewed coffee with being part of their morning routine.

“There is an emerging topic coming into play regarding caffeine and mental health driven by Gen Z: 25% of Gen Z coffee consumers are worried about caffeine’s impact on their mental health,” Olsen continued. “This is bringing rise to innovation centered [on] mental wellness and balanced caffeine experiences (like mushroom coffee) but also opening up paths to modernize decaf and half-caf coffee for modern needs.”

As for tea, Roger Dilworth, senior analyst at Beverage Marketing Corp., Wintersville, Ohio, noted that the wellness aspects of tea have been well-documented, but the RTD segment has other attributes that have counteracted those aspects.

“Some of the health-and-wellness attributes of tea seem to have been accounted for already, i.e., the focused energy of l-theanine and caffeine that tea brings to the table,” he says. “RTD teas are often sugar-laden, which counteracts some of the health message. And the ones that have less sugar are doing satisfactorily but have yet to ignite the RTD tea segment.”

However, Mintel Director, Food and Drink Americas Paige Leyden noted that when it comes to tea’s attributes, manufacturers have an opportunity to expand the traditional aspects that consumers might associate with the category. “Tea drinkers are more likely to associate tea with relaxation and comfort than as a source of energy,” she states. “While relaxation is important, given the prevalence of stress in modern times, there’s also opportunity to promote tea as a viable option for boosting productivity and clear focus.”

Looking at juice drinks, experts noted an increased demand within the juice drinks category due to consumers’ interest in healthy, good-tasting alternatives.

“Another trend dominating the juice market is an increased consumer preference for higher-quality ingredients and fewer preservatives or unnecessary additives,” says Mitch Madoff, head of retail partnerships at New York-based Keychain. “Especially with the influence of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, consumers are increasingly more aware of what they’re consuming and starting to step away from products that are high in processed ingredients.”

As for what the future holds for the RTD beverage category, experts suggest innovation will be vital for the juice and juice drinks market to remain competitive.

“Juice brands will continue to find ways to bring in new consumers while making their existing customers happy with innovative flavors, products and ingredients,” Keychain’s Madoff says. “Other drinks markets like alternative sodas are also seeing continued growth, which means juice brands need to find a way to not only compete with them, but also appeal to their audience.

“These better-for-you trends aren’t going anywhere, and consumers will continue to look for transparency in ingredients and production processes,” he concludes. “This will push brands to focus on more accurately labeling their products and sharing more information about how they source their ingredients.” DF