Pernod Ricard’s Malibu partners with Dole to launch new RTD cocktail range 

USA – Pernod Ricard-owned Malibu has teamed up with Dole Food Company to unveil a new range of Malibu & Dole Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Cocktails, scheduled to hit the market in early 2026. 

The partnership is designed to tap into the rising consumer demand for convenient and flavourful alcoholic beverages. The new line combines Malibu’s signature coconut rum with Dole’s premium pineapple juice, a pairing long favoured by cocktail enthusiasts. 

Each 12oz can will contain 130 calories and will be made with natural flavours, free from artificial sweeteners and colours.

The range will debut with four flavour varieties—Pineapple, Pineapple Mango, Pineapple Strawberry, and Pineapple Dragon Fruit. Consumers will be able to purchase the drinks in both 8-pack formats and larger single cans. 

Natalie Accari, division vice president and general manager of RTD & convenience at Pernod Ricard USA, described the launch as an effort to make Malibu’s most popular serve more accessible.  

“This innovation takes our consumers’ favourite serve and makes it even more accessible in a convenient format,” she said. 

The RTD segment has experienced rapid expansion in recent years, driven by changing consumer lifestyles and preferences for ready-made options. With Malibu’s strong reputation in the coconut rum category and Dole’s leadership in fruit-based products, the collaboration aims to strengthen market positioning and boost sales. 

Elisabeth Morris, director of brand and licensing at Dole, highlighted the strategic value of the collaboration. “Both brands are leaders in their category, and bringing them together in a highly desirable and convenient format will only enhance the consumer experience year-round,” she noted. 

The Malibu & Dole launch follows a series of RTD initiatives by Pernod Ricard in the United States. In February 2024, the company introduced a ready-to-serve line for Malibu as well as a separate RTD range under its Absolut vodka brand.  

In 2023, Pernod Ricard partnered with The Coca-Cola Company to launch Absolut & Sprite, and also worked with Ocean Spray on a vodka-based RTD line that debuted in Canada later that year. 

By combining established brand recognition with trending tropical flavours, Malibu and Dole’s RTD collaboration is set to expand consumer choice in the growing market. 

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