RTD nitro cold brew represents an exciting, dynamic, and innovative segment of the global coffee industry. It capitalises on the tremendous growth of cold coffee popularity and well-entrenched convenience-led consumer trends. 

The secrets to the segment’s potential lie in its multi-faceted consumer appeal. 

RTD nitro cold brew is best served in sleek, eye-catching aluminium cans, perfect for busy modern lifestyles’ on-the-go consumption needs. Moreover, nitro coffee is new and interesting, making it a conspicuous hit in a competitive marketplace. 

Most importantly, nitro cold brew is incredibly well suited to flavour variation and customisation: it pairs easily with alternative milk types and functional additives and can be served as a low or zero-sugar beverage thanks to the creamy texture produced by the nitrogen bubbles.

We spoke to Alex Eales, new product executive at Vida E Caffè, to learn more about the benefits of offering RTD coffee.

What is RTD nitro cold brew?

RTD, or ready-to-drink coffee, refers to beverages that are packaged for immediate consumption, usually in aluminium cans or plastic and glass bottles. These beverages are commonly retailed in convenience stores, supermarkets, or petrol forecourts and sold to consumers on the move as cold drinks.

Coca-Cola may have started bottling its drinks over a century ago, but for the coffee world, RTD is a relatively new phenomenon that has experienced extraordinary growth in just the last ten years: Fortune Business Insights projects the global RTD coffee market to exceed $64 billion by 2032. 

The segment is already broad in terms of product diversity; iced americanos and iced lattes, dairy and non-dairy, cold brew, and cascara all fill supermarket refrigerators. Indeed, the breadth of available options is a testament to RTD coffee’s rapid rise. 

RTD nitro cold brew sets itself apart in several key ways. By infusing cold brew with liquid nitrogen prior to sealing the can, the consumer enjoys a creamier and smoother drinking experience compared to regular cold brew or iced coffee. The cascading effect produced by nitrogen bubbles is akin to that of a nitrogen draught beer, like Guinness. 

Importantly, this effect enhances the indulgent perceptions of the beverage without the need for added sugars or artificial flavouring, appealing to modern health and wellness trends. Instead, RTD nitro cold brew can be customised in other ways and tuned to satisfy increasingly varied and discerning consumer coffee tastes. 

As younger consumers, especially, seek out new, innovative, and cold coffee options to get their daily caffeine fix, RTD nitro cold brew offers coffee brands a powerful way to appeal to them. 

“Some global markets, particularly in Asia, show a strong preference for cold coffee. The South African market, by comparison, still prefers hot options, but cold applications are growing in popularity, especially ones with exciting and trendy new flavours,” says Alex.

“This may be indicative of younger consumers migrating to drinking coffee. Vida E Caffè has four RTD coffee variants, one of which is made with oat milk.” 

“The off-premise consumption of our refreshing and delicious range allows our brand to transcend our cafes into retail, e-commerce, and events. It also allows customers who don’t have access to a Vida outlet to engage with and experience the brand.” 

The importance of flavour variation

82% of coffee drinkers customise their coffee in some way; only 18% drink their coffee black. By offering variation, coffee companies increase their ability to appeal to the vast majority of the global coffee audience. 

“Our customers love experiencing well thought-out innovation in our coffee menu, and we generally see good engagement in new coffee product launches, be it new flavours, hot or cold applications, new ways of serving, or adding functionality to their daily fix,” Alex says. 

“We’ve used collagen, CBD oil, and ashwagandha as a functional boost. Innovation keeps our customers coming back to experience products that they wouldn’t make themselves at home. It’s a sense of escapism.”

As Alex points out, variation is a powerful tool for customer conversion. With so many options – different retailers, coffee brands, menu options, and beverage formats – it is crucial to stay ahead of the curve and demonstrate to shoppers that your brand is innovative. 

As mentioned, RTD nitro cold brew is a prime platform for menu or portfolio variation, thanks to its compatibility with different additives and ingredients. 

For dietary-led purchasing decisions, RTD nitro cold brew can be prepared with an oat milk base to create a zero-sugar, canned, vegan flat white. Caramel can be added to create a more indulgent vegan caramel latte.

With added caffeine or health-led compounds like L-theanine, brands can offer their customers functional coffee beverages. For example, Hardtank’s Extra Kick and Super Focus nitro cold brew products are designed to help clients cover this kind of purchasing behaviour. 

Single origin RTD nitro cold brew satisfies the increasing demand for specialty coffee-led beverages, spurred on by increased consumer awareness of coffee quality and provenance. Using the same technology and processes, a house or signature blend can be easily substituted for a higher-quality or specialty-grade bean to help build menu stratification.

Build a diverse line of RTD nitro cold brew with Hardtank

New product development and manufacturing require a significant amount of investment for businesses without the correct resources. However, partnering with a white label RTD nitro cold brew partner like Hardtank makes it a simple and cost-effective process. 

Our RTD manufacturing facility was recently awarded a BRCGS Food Safety Grade A certification, ensuring every product we produce is subject to the most exacting global standards.

We also offer market-leading MOQs – you can start from just 3,000 units per SKU – with six-week turnaround times to help you get to market faster, keeping your business agile and responsive to the latest trends.

We already offer ten customisable RTD nitro cold brew variations, from vegan caramel lattes to tonic cold brew and strawberry hibiscus cold brew tea, and more variations are in development. 

To learn more about bringing your own line of RTD nitro cold brew to life, visit our website or contact our team directly. 

You can still catch a recording of our recent Cold Brew Masterclass here.

RTD nitro cold brew