As Brand Director of Brown-Forman’s Ready-to-Drink portfolio, Mary Beth O’Mara leads Jack Daniel’s RTD marketing innovation, including Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola, Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails, and New Mix, the #1 tequila RTD in Mexico. Within a relatively challenged overall alcoholic beverages category, Ready-to-Drink cocktails are a bright spot. Demand for RTD cocktails in the U.S. is valued at US$ 1.7 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach US $4 billion by 2036, reflecting a CAGR of 9.0%, according to Future Market Insights. Growth is expected to be led by the Western USA with an annual growth rate of 10.3% until 2036.
RTD cocktails are pre-batched and bottled or canned. The benefits of having such a drink are that the customer does not need to worry about balance, technique, or having multiple ingredients at home. The idea is that the customer will open the cocktail, pour it, and serve it.
El Jimador New Mix launched in 1997 and is the best-selling RTD brand in Mexico. According to IWSR, New Mix, owned by Brown-Forman, had 38% market share as of 2024. New Mix is the #1 RTD in Mexico and delivered over 10M 9L cases in 2024. (iWSR will be updated this Spring with the 2025 performance.) The brand is now bringing two flavours, Paloma and Cantarito, to the US. New Mix is crafted and canned at Casa Herradura in Jalisco, Mexico. The range combines El Jimador Blanco Tequila and fruit liqueurs. The Paloma features a blend of tart grapefruit and Tequila, enhanced by a subtle sweetness from grapefruit liqueur and concentrate. Meanwhile, the Cantarito mixes Tequila with citrus liqueur and grapefruit concentrate, resulting in a fizzy, zesty cocktail. O’Mara notes that as “we look to evolve this brand in the U.S., we are going to remain looking at what the right flavors are in Mexico, in order to bring over to the U.S.”
Offered at 5% ABV in 355ml cans, both flavours are available in packs of four with a suggested retail price of US$10.99. New Mix is initially launching in 9 states: California, Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Nevada, Arizona, New York (the Metro area), New Jersey, and Colorado. According to O’Mara, the launch’s primary constituency is the Mexican-American consumer. “We worked closely with our Mexican team to have a brand that leans into culturally relevant storytelling,” she notes. O’Mara also says that her team made sure that New Mix drinks are physical availaible in stores. Merchandise will be mostly in Spanish with English availability. The packaging of New Mix products had to be slightly modified from their Mexican version to comply with U.S. regulations.
According to O’Mara, Mexican Americans are heavy buyers in local grocery and convenience stores. On-premise consumption growth (e.g., in sports and entertainment arenas) is a feature of both the Hispanic and the general RTD cocktail markets.
The advertising plan for New Mix RTD begins at the end of this month, with a digital-first, Spanish-language approach. Influencers are a critical element of the campaign and will be present at key moments for Mexican Americans, including food, music, and general lifestyle moments. “We asked influencers to work in Spanish”, O’Mara asserts. Their work will be amplfied through digital media. Retail media, including shopper and delivery platforms, will also be a part of the plan. Shopper marketing will lean on the New Mix brand name and ensure that Mexican culture and heritage are represented.
Soccer World Cup advertising and marketing options are being evaluated, O’Mara says. Part of the Soccer World Cup will be taking place in Mexico, and there will be a lot of media excitement. “We will be leaning into this moment in time, when the World Cup comes to life,” she states.
Agencies that support New Mix in this effort include independent full agency Lerma and Spark (a unit of Publicis Media). Local experiential activations and shopper marketing initiatives are also included in the program.
In the coming months, the New Mix RTD marketing campaign will be focused on 75% of the Mexican-American population, which lives in the nine markets cited above.”We will continue to examine how we will transition to the non-Mexican-American consumer and evolve into the general market. We are still learning and observing,” O’Mara notes. She adds that different flavor profiles may be needed for the general market consumer.
