The Complete Guide to Launching an Alcohol Brand

By CoreBev

Launching a ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail brand is one of the fastest-growing opportunities in the beverage industry today. But between TTB approvals, formulation, label compliance, production, and distribution, the process can feel overwhelming, especially for first-time founders.

That’s where an experienced beverage co-packer like CoreBev comes in. With years of expertise in spirits manufacturing, contract bottling, and private-label production, CoreBev helps brands move from concept to shelf with precision, speed, and full regulatory compliance.

In this complete guide, we’ll walk you through every step of launching your own spirit brand or RTD cocktail, and show you how choosing the right co-packing partner can save you time, money, and stress.

Step 1: Define Your Beverage Concept

Before diving into production, clarify your product’s identity:

• Are you launching a bottled spirit, or a ready-to-drink cocktail in a bottle/can? What type of cocktail are you creating — a vodka soda, tequila spritz, espresso martini, or rum punch?

• What’s your target alcohol-by-volume (ABV)?

• Will you be producing in cans, glass bottles, or PET?

Having a clear concept helps your co-packer determine the right formulation process, equipment, and packaging format for your beverage.

Step 2: Develop and Approve Your Formula

Every RTD cocktail, and some complex spirits, must have a TTB-approved formula before production begins. CoreBev’s in-house regulatory team works directly with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to streamline this step — ensuring your recipe meets all federal compliance standards.

 Key Steps in Formula Development:

• Ingredient review for compliance

• Proof and ABV verification

• Submission to the TTB for approval

• Flavor adjustment and stability testing

Working with a TTB-experienced beverage co-packer eliminates costly errors and delays that can slow your product launch by months.

Step 3: Make your product a Brand

Your product deserves an award-winning brand behing it. At CoreBev, we offer end-to-end design services that will help give your brand a professional look. CoreBev assists with brand development, label development, website design, and ancillary marketing and sales design assets, providing you everything you need to have beautiful packaging that will attract buyers.

Step 4: Secure Label and Brand Compliance

Your label approval (COLA) is just as important as your formula. CoreBev assists with layout, compliance checks, and re-submissions, ensuring your label artwork, ingredient statement, net contents, and health disclaimers meet TTB and state-level standards.

Our team reviews every detail before your cans or bottles go to print, a service few alcohol co-packers provide in-house.

Step 5: Choose a Trusted Co-Packing Partner

This is where your dream becomes real. Your co-packing partner is responsible for producing your cocktail safely, consistently, and at scale. The wrong choice can cost you thousands, or even your entire batch.

At CoreBev, we specialize in RTD cocktail co-packing, spirit-based bottled beverage production, and private label bottling for clients nationwide.

We provide:

• Turnkey co-packing services for alcoholic beverages

• Canning and bottling lines capable of high-speed production

• Full quality assurance testing and batch documentation

• Bonded warehouse storage and logistics coordination

Whether you’re a new brand producing your first 1,000 cases or an established company scaling to 100,000, CoreBev’s contract manufacturing model is built for flexibility and precision.

Step 6: Packaging and Production Runs

Once your formula and label are approved, your co-packer schedules your first production run. At CoreBev, we manage:

• Bulk spirit sourcing (vodka, rum, tequila, gin, and more)

• Blending and carbonation

• Filtration and filling

• Canning, bottling, or kegging

• Date coding, lot tracking, and palletizing

Our bottling and canning facility in Connecticut handles both small-batch pilot runs and large-scale national orders — all under strict quality control.

We even help optimize packaging design, case configuration, and shipping efficiency to maximize profit margins.

Step 7: Distribution and Logistics

Many new brands underestimate post-production logistics. Your product must move through the three-tier system, meaning your co-packer must work hand-in-hand with your distributor network.

CoreBev simplifies this process by helping brands:

·      Prepare compliant shipping documents

·      Manage excise tax reporting

·      Coordinate freight, warehousing, and fulfillment

Our partnerships across the beverage supply chain allow new brands to get to market faster and more efficiently.

Step 8: Managing Costs and Minimums

A professional co-packing agreement defines your production minimums, cost per case, and payment structure. Transparent pricing is critical.

Typical RTD cocktail production costs include:

•  Bulk alcohol and flavor base

•  Packaging materials (cans, bottles, cartons)

•  Co-packing fee per unit (filling, sealing, labeling)

•  Testing, compliance, and storage

At CoreBev, we offer competitive co-packing rates and flexible minimum order quantities (MOQs), making it possible for both startup brands and established spirits companies to produce with us.

Step 9: Building a Sustainable, Scalable Brand

The RTD cocktail market is rapidly expanding, but only brands that prioritize quality, consistency, and compliance will thrive.

By partnering with an experienced co-packing company like CoreBev, you’re not just outsourcing production — you’re gaining a full-scale manufacturing partner invested in your growth.

We’ve helped dozens of emerging brands successfully launch, scale, and distribute nationwide. Our clients trust us because we treat every product as if it were our own.

Partner with CoreBev

If you’re ready to launch your spirit brand or ready-to-drink cocktail, there’s no better partner than CoreBev.

We provide turnkey co-packing solutions for:

• Canned cocktails

• Spirit-based seltzers

• Ready-to-pour bottled cocktails

• Private label spirits

From TTB compliance to bottling, design, labeling, and logistics, CoreBev is your single-source partner for end-to-end beverage manufacturing.

Contact us today to discuss your RTD project and get a personalized production quote.