If you’re drinking … what’s your go-to choice these days? Wine, beer or maybe a cocktail? If you’re short on time or simply want something easy and affordable, maybe you’re reaching for a canned cocktail. If so, you’re not alone. Because canned or “RTD” (ready to drink) cocktails are booming at the moment.

While U.S. spirits revenue fell 2.2% to $36.4 billion in 2025, signaling softer discretionary spending and an embrace of non-alcoholic beverages, canned cocktail revenue jumped 16.4% to $3.8 billion—making it the industry’s strongest growth category. CNBC says the category has more than doubled its market share since 2021 as consumers gravitate toward a lower price point.

Some experts are saying it’s what the future of drinking might look like in the U.S. Certainly, in other markets, like Japan, canned pre-mixed drinks are incredibly popular. Among the reasons the Distilled Spirits Council cites for the growing popularity of ready-to-drink cocktails are the way it checks off a few boxes: being relatively high-quality while also appealing to people looking to drink less. “Consumers are showing a strong preference for spirits ready‑to‑drink cocktails because they’re made with real spirits, offer great convenience and flavor, and include lower‑alcohol options,” said the organization’s president and CEO, Chris Swonger, in a statement.

Within that category, however, there were still some fluctuations in 2025. The Council notes that, within the ready-to-drink space, malt-based seltzers lost 14% of their market share last year, while spirits-based ready-to-drink cocktails gained 11%. It isn’t surprising that, as more prestigious names begin working on ready-to-drink options, drinkers who might have avoided them before are opting in—and that’s having a significant impact on the industry.

As consumers are drinking less, those who are still imbibing are being more selective. In a tougher economic environment, affordable and tasty canned cocktails are winning out over premium bottles behind the bar, that’s for sure. Why stock a full home bar when you can just pop a top?

The American military is continuing a significant buildup of air and naval assets in the Middle East ahead of planned talks with Iran in Geneva later today. The pieces are being moved into place both to intimidate Tehran and to have options to strike inside the country should negotiations over its nuclear program fail, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

Already, Gulf Arab nations have warned any attack could spiral into another regional conflict in a Mideast still reeling from the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Iranians are beginning to hold 40-day mourning ceremonies for the thousands killed in Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month, adding to the internal pressure faced by the sanctions-battered Islamic Republic. Iran is attempting to project strength and unity, but seething popular anger has not abated.

While President Donald Trump said he is going to be “involved indirectly” in the second round of nuclear talks, the meeting between envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi could be a make or break moment that will signal whether the two countries are moving towards an new nuclear deal or towards a war. The talks “will be very important,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday night, saying that Iranians are tough negotiators. “I hope they are going to be more reasonable, I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal.”

Uh oh .. Gen Z has managed something no modern generation has pulled off before. After more than a century of steady academic gains, test scores finally went the other direction. For the first time ever, a new generation is considered dumber than the previous one.

The data comes from neuroscientist Jared Cooney Horvath, who has spent years reviewing standardized testing results across age groups. “They’re the first generation in modern history to score lower on standardized academic tests than the one before it,” Horvath told the New York Post. The declines cut across attention, memory, literacy, numeracy, executive function, and general IQ. That’s not just one weak spot. That’s the whole darn dashboard blinking at once.

InsideHook says to be the first generation in modern history to reportedly reverse academic gains is quite a feat, and to hear that Gen Zers are perhaps overconfident in their intelligence, suggesting that many may not be concerned with their test scores, certainly sparks concern. It’s no secret that teachers have been struggling to engage students in this age bracket, but how can a young person focus at their desk when the phone sitting in their back pocket is constantly buzzing with a new viral trend that they’re missing?

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