Coca-Cola is teaming up with Pernod Ricard to launch a new ready-to-drink and pre-mixed cocktail beginning in 2024, the companies announced Monday.
The new cocktail will contain a mix of Absolut Vodka and Sprite, the companies said. The drink will be available in two versions with Sprite and Sprite Zero Sugar. The debut is planned for early next year in select European countries including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany.
The canned cocktail industry has been growing in popularity in the past couple years, with a 2022 report from the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. finding ready-to-drink beverages to be the fastest growing spirits category in both revenue and volume. The announcement didn’t say when the Absolut and Sprite drinks would hit the U.S. market.
The new drinks join a host of expanding alcoholic beverages in Coke’s portfolio in the past few years, including last year’s Jack-and-Coke cocktail in a can.
“We are expanding in the alcohol ready-to-drink space, including products that use select brands from our core portfolio,” said James Quincey, CEO and chairman of Coca-Cola, in a statement. “We are excited about our new relationship with Pernod Ricard and look forward to the introduction of Absolut & Sprite.”
Vodka is already one of the most popular bases for alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages, and lemon-lime soft drinks like Sprite are one of the most popular mixers in pre-mixed cocktails.
