Jack Daniel’s taking control of cocktail line, ending Pabst partnership
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Brown-Forman will assume control of Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails July 7, 2026.
- Company cites increased RTD demand and centralizes control to grow portfolio’s momentum.
- Pabst ends the partnership to reallocate resources toward core beer portfolio.
With ready-to-drink sales booming — one of the few spirits sectors showing growth last year — Brown-Forman is making a big change to one of its lines.
The Louisville-based company announced that it is ending a partnership with Pabst Brewing Company for Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails. In 2021, the maker of Jack Daniel’s joined with the brewer to produce, sell, market and distribute the line, as well as develop new malt beverages. That resulted in the introduction of Jack Daniel’s Bolder, Jack Daniel’s Hard Tea and el Jimador Spiked Bebidas under Brown-Forman’s tequila brand.
Now, Brown-Forman said it is bringing things in-house and, effective July 7, will assume management of the supply, sales, marketing and distribution of the products.
“We have enjoyed working with the talented team at Pabst over the last few years to drive growth and innovation across our (flavored malt beverage) portfolio,” Robinson Brown IV, senior vice president and managing director, United States and Canada, of Brown-Forman, said in the news release. “Moving forward, bringing these brands in-house allows us to take greater control of our ready-to-drink strategy during a period of increased consumer demand.
“By centralizing our efforts, we are better positioned to accelerate the portfolio’s momentum and maximize its future impact.”
“We appreciate Brown-Forman’s collaboration over the past five years as we expanded their FMB footprint,” Greig DeBow, CEO of Pabst, said in the release. “This transition will allow us to reallocate resources toward execution and innovation within our core portfolio of iconic brands. We’re excited to continue delivering on the beverages we’re best known for while creating new drinks that delight consumers.”
Beginning in July, Brown-Forman will oversee the supply chain and commercial operations for the brands, “aligning them with the company’s broader strategic focus on the ready-to-drink category,” according to the release.
Brown-Forman also has its own line of Jack Daniel’s RTDs, launched in 1994 with Coke. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey ready to drink cocktails are the top-selling whiskey based RTD globally, according to the company. The line also includes a Jack Daniel’s and Ginger Ale and a Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Lemonade.
Brown-Forman also has a successful tequila-based RTD line called New Mix that launched in Mexico over 20 years ago. The line includes a Paloma, Cantarito, Vampiro and sparkling water varieties.
RTDs are pre-mixed cocktails, often sold in cans, made with spirits, wine and malt.
As overall bourbon and spirits sales have dropped over the last two years, RTDs have become increasingly important.
According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S., RTD cocktails are now the top-selling American spirit by volume.
In 2025, Americans bought 85.6 million 9-liter cases of RTDs, up 17.1% from the year before, and for the first time dethroning perennial favorite vodka as the top-selling spirit category.
Malt-based RTDs such as White Claw and Truly, and other drinks like Twisted Tea and Smirnoff Ice still dominate, with more than 77% of sales. But wine-based drinks have grown to 4% of all RTD sales, and spirits-based RTDs now account for 19% of the market.
