Founded in 1972 by Anthony von Mandl, Mark Anthony Brands has grown to become the biggest RTD company in the world, thanks primarily to its Mike’s Hard Lemonade and White Claw brands. That dominance looks set to continue following the acquisition in April of The Finnish Long Drink. Global Drinks Intel sat down with the company’s president, David Barnett (below), earlier this month.
How’s the company performing at the moment?
We’re in a position of real strength and momentum. We’re still very focused on being the flavour leader in beverage alcohol, and over the last few years, we’ve really tightened up our portfolio, our marketing, and how we show up commercially.
We’ve steadily grown share – up 10 basis points in 2024, 15 in 2025, and another 21 year‑to‑date in 2026 – and we’ve hit some milestones we’re genuinely proud of, like surpassing 1bn cases in lifetime sales and returning White Claw to volume growth. And most recently, we are excited about our announcement to acquire and scale the Finnish Long Drink brand.
What’s been keeping you busy in recent months?
A lot of my focus has been on making sure our core brands are set up to win long‑term – getting White Claw back into growth, sustaining Cayman Jack’s double‑digit momentum, continuing to evolve Mike’s Hard Lemonade, holding Harder steady in an incredibly competitive high‑ABV single‑serve space, and building for the future with brands like Dillon’s and MXD.
At the same time, integrating The Finnish Long Drink has been a major focus – bringing it into the Mark Anthony system thoughtfully while continuing to grow the brand and stay true to what its passionate fans already love.
More broadly, I spend a lot of time thinking about our people and culture – preserving what makes us unique at Mark Anthony while building the capabilities we’ll need for the future, from AI and space planning to navigating a rapidly changing marketing environment.
What have been the most significant growth drivers for the company recently, and where are you seeing headwinds?
We’re operating from a position of strength. The flavoured beverage alcohol space continues to be the primary growth engine for the industry, and it’s where we’ve built a clear focus and competitive advantage.
Core brands like White Claw and Cayman Jack continue to outperform the category, with White Claw Surge driving incremental growth in higher‑ABV occasions and White Claw Zero Proof expanding our reach into non‑alcoholic moments. Those segments are helping us grow by meeting consumers where their preferences are evolving.
At the same time, we’re navigating broader macro pressures – from economic uncertainty to more moderated consumption trends across certain consumer segments. Those dynamics reinforce why staying disciplined around flavour, innovation and occasion‑based relevance is essential to sustaining growth.
How does Mark Anthony’s performance differ between the on- and off-premise channels?
We’re seeing strength across both, though they’re playing different roles right now. Off‑premise continues to be the largest driver of volume, while White Claw in particular is showing growth in both channels – especially the on‑premise, where maintaining and building on the momentum we’ve created is an important focus for us.
As occasions evolve, our priority is making sure the brand shows up in the right moments – whether that’s at home or in bars, restaurants and live experiential settings-–so we continue to earn relevance across both channels.
What strategies are you using to strengthen your on-premise presence?
It starts with understanding how people actually behave in social, on‑premise settings. Programmes like our White Claw ‘Couple of Claws’ US$1m bar tab were designed to interrupt default ordering behaviour and drive real trial in moments where group influence and shared experiences matter most.
Beyond that, it’s about showing up meaningfully in culture through the right partnerships and experiences, so White Claw isn’t just listed on a menu, but actively shaping how and when people choose to drink in those occasions.
Mark Anthony is a global business with a portfolio across wine, spirits and RTDs. How would you describe the company’s identity?
We’re an innovation-led company at our core, with a relentless focus on quality and craftsmanship. At the same time, we operate with a sense of humility and curiosity that allows us to keep learning and evolving.
Being privately held gives us the freedom to think long-term, take smart risks and challenge conventions in ways that larger, more traditional players often can’t.
Before joining Mark Anthony in 2022, you spent 18 years at Diageo. What prompted you to make the change?
My 18 years at Diageo were spent across a range of leadership roles, which gave me a strong foundation in building global brands at scale and understanding the dynamics of a large, complex organisation.
What ultimately drew me to Mark Anthony was the chance to take that experience and apply it in a more entrepreneurial environment. One that moves fast, shapes emerging categories and isn’t afraid to take bold bets. It felt like an opportunity to be closer to where the industry is heading and to have a more direct hand in building what comes next.
What do you feel differentiates your brand-building approach compared to legacy beer and spirits companies?
We take a very focused, consumer-first approach to building brands. It starts with a deep understanding of how people are actually drinking and socialising, and then building products and experiences around those occasions rather than chasing short-term trends.
At the same time, we operate with an entrepreneurial mindset by testing, learning and moving quickly, which allows us to create and scale new categories. You see that in innovations like Mike’s Dirty Lemonade. In testing, it ranked in the top 20% of innovations, with 92% of people saying they were likely to buy and 63% saying definitely. This gave us confidence that we were landing in the right place.
Earlier this year, you surpassed 1bn cases in sales for Mike’s Hard Lemonade (above), a brand that launched back in 1999. What do you credit Mike’s endurance to?
Mike’s has stayed relevant by staying true to what made it work in the first place – bold flavour, originality and a point of view that’s always been a little unapologetic. As one of the brands that helped establish the FMB category, it’s continued to evolve as consumer tastes have changed, without losing that core spirit.
I’ve also been pretty open that the brand needed a real shot in the arm, and we’re confident we have the right plans in place to deliver that. You’re seeing it come to life through a strong new campaign with ‘Made with Real Character’, alongside innovation like Mike’s Dirty Lemonade, which is inspired by the dirty soda trend.
How are you prioritising investments across your portfolio in today’s competitive trading environment for alcohol?
It comes down to focus and diversification. We’re investing behind those brands and innovations with the greatest potential to drive impact, while also expanding into new areas like non-alcoholic offerings, including White Claw Zero Proof.
The Finnish Long Drink acquisition is a prime example of this diversification. It strengthens our portfolio in a complementary space and positions us to capture new occasions and consumers.
What role does premiumisation play in your current and future strategy?
We’ve always believed our brands earn their place through quality, flavour and the overall experience. As the industry evolves and people drink more selectively, that becomes even more important – every product has to truly deliver.
If there’s one thing we’re absolutely confident in, it’s our liquids. Flavour is our real foundation, and it’s what gives everything else – packaging, marketing, partnerships – real credibility. For us, premiumisation isn’t about charging more; it’s about delivering something distinctive and great‑tasting across occasions that people are excited to come back to.
Your focus last year appeared to be on streamlining your portfolio. Why?
It really came down to focus and discipline. We made deliberate choices to double down on our core brands and the parts of the business delivering the greatest impact, which allows us to move faster and invest where it matters most.
We’re also one of the few companies willing to make the hard call to quickly exit brands or businesses that aren’t working, rather than letting them distract from core priorities, and our distributors and retail partners genuinely appreciate that clarity and rigour.
What are you most proud of across your brand portfolio right now?
There’s a lot across the portfolio that makes me proud, but if I’m being honest, getting White Claw growing again really stands out. After the early hyper‑growth phase, many people doubted whether the brand – and even the category – could reaccelerate. Proving that wrong has been incredibly rewarding.
Staying close to culture, continuing to evolve the brand in meaningful ways, and seeing that momentum return has been energising for me and the team, and it reinforces just how much runway White Claw still has ahead.
