Ready to drink (often known as RTD) packaged beverages are those sold in a prepared form, ready for consumption. This contrasts with packaged beverages that are sold in forms that require preparation, for example iced tea (which can also be prepared using tea leaves and fruit juice) and alcopops (which can be prepared by mixing alcoholic beverages with fruit juices or soft drinks).
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Types of RTD
There are different types of RTD beverages, each serves a different purpose, the most notable ones are:
Alcopop
Alcopops are mainly ready made alcoholic cocktails that are carbonated and bottled under various brand names. Alcopops are the most commonly consumed type of RTD in the world after iced tea. It is also important to note that Alcopops are banned in some countries due to religious and cultural reasons, which do not permit the consumption of alcohol. A number of studies have linked the marketing of alcopops to increased incidences of underage drinking.
The industry term for this range of products is flavored malt beverage or progressive adult beverage. The majority sold in the US, are essentially flavored beer.
Alcopops can be based on different types of spirits and liquors, such as vodka-based or rum-based.
Alcopop brands
Alcopop brands are numerous and their alcoholic base vary greatly. notable brands include:
Non-alcoholic beverages
Non-alcoholic RTDs can be further separated into dairy and non-dairy drinks. Iced Tea and coffee are sold in many countries in both dairy-added and non-dairy versions.
Other non-alcoholic non-dairy drinks include herbal energy drinks.
Other non-alcoholic dairy-based drinks include protein supplements and yogurt-based drinks.