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Alcohol Glossary

Ready-to-drink (RTD)

Beer, cider, wine and spirits

Abbreviation: RTD · Also: ready to drink

Summary: For UK Alcohol Duty, ready-to-drink products made using fermented alcohol can be other fermented products, while any mixture or compound made with spirits is classed as spirits.

Reference: Alcoholic products technical guide (opens in a new tab)

HM Revenue and Customs · Reference checked 21 July 2026

Where to look: Section 2.4 final sentence and Section 2.5 opening definition

The summary above is a concise paraphrase of the cited material. It is not a quotation or a complete statement of law.

Glossary last reviewed .