FROM CITRUS TO PASSIONFRUIT: THE NEXT RTD TREND
For the past four or five years, the Australian RTD market has been dominated by bright, familiar flavours such as lemon and orange. Now, passionfruit is emerging as the next flavour to watch, bringing a more tropical twist to the light, soft-drink-style alcoholic beverages that have become increasingly popular with consumers, particularly women. For pubs, clubs and hotels, the trend is worth watching as consumers continue to look for drinks that are refreshing, easy to drink and familiar without feeling overly heavy or traditional.
The latest example comes from Asahi’s Hard Rated, which has launched Orange Passionfruit Zero Sugar nationally. The 4.5 per cent ABV RTD combines orange and passionfruit and joins the brand’s existing range of lemon, lemon-lime and orange products, including zero-sugar variants. The launch builds on the strong performance of Hard Rated Orange rather than moving away from the citrus profile that has helped establish the brand. Hard Rated has recorded more than $1.5 billion in retail sales since its 2023 launch and now accounts for around one-third of Australia’s light spirit RTD retail sales.
Female appeal
The appeal of the category extends beyond one brand. Women have been an important audience for the growth of lighter, fruit-forward alcoholic drinks, with the combination of familiar soft-drink flavours, lower perceived heaviness and convenient formats helping RTDs find a place alongside traditional beer, wine and spirits. The continued popularity of lemon and orange flavours demonstrates the strength of that proposition, while the move towards passionfruit suggests consumers are ready for more distinctive tropical flavours without necessarily wanting a more complicated drink.
Passionfruit moving beyond ‘niche’
Recent product launches indicate that passionfruit is moving beyond a niche flavour. Good Drinks’ Matso’s Pash Pine Crush was recently named Best New Product Innovation in the RTD/Cider category at the 2026 Australian Drinks Awards. Judges highlighted its real-fruit tropical flavour and its ability to generate genuine consumer demand, particularly by combining a contemporary RTD format with the nostalgia associated with familiar fruit flavours.
James Squire has also entered the space with Passionfruit Soda, a 4 per cent ABV product available exclusively on tap. Designed around the nostalgic taste of passionfruit soft drink, it offers another example of how brands are using a familiar flavour in a modern alcoholic format. Its light, fruit-forward character is particularly suited to casual pub occasions and lighter meals, broadening the potential occasions in which passionfruit RTDs can compete.
For venue managers, the message is less about any individual product and more about where the category is heading. Passionfruit provides a natural progression from the citrus flavours that have dominated light RTDs, while its tropical and nostalgic associations give it a point of difference. With consumers continuing to favour approachable, refreshing drinks, passionfruit looks increasingly likely to become a significant flavour on Australian pub, club and hotel beverage menus.
