Most brands entering the drinks category quickly realise that traditional bottles don’t offer the flexibility they need. Whether it’s RTD cocktails, juices or other beverages, there’s now far more demand for lightweight drink pouches that reduce transport costs, protect the product and allow flavour updates without committing to large print runs. For SMEs especially, the ability to launch multiple variants without spiralling packaging inventory makes pouches a practical and commercially sensible choice. This page sets out how drink pouches are being used across the sector and what to consider when choosing materials for alcohol, juices and other drinks products.
Selecting the correct laminate strucutre is critical for liquid products. Alcohol demands a different level of chemical resistance to fruit blends; purées and syrups require more robust moisture control; and some formulations are simply harsher on adhesives and tie-layers than others. For that reason, most drinks pouches still use multi-material laminates such as PET / NYL / PE, with some specifications incorporating aluminium foil or metallised films where very high barrier is required.
These structures give a reliable combination of stiffness, seal performance and barrier protection across a wide range of formulations. Alongside them, there are now recyclable mono-PE and mono-PP options available for certain ambient drinks, but they are not a direct drop-in replacement for every application; they tend to suit products with more moderate barrier demands or brands that are actively reworking formulations to fit simpler film structures.
There is no universal “best” film. The right structure is the one that maintains flavour, colour and integrity throughout distribution without introducing unnecessary material complexity.
Liquid products expose weaknesses quickly. A pouch intended for alcohol or fruit-based formulations needs more than basic moisture resistance; it needs a laminate that can withstand oxygen exposure, flavour migration and the temperature changes that occur in transit. High-barrier structures with controlled OTR and WVTR values are usually the safest route, particularly where flavour stability is central to the product.
These performance claims should always be validated with the final liquid on your own filling line. Pilot runs often reveal interactions between the product and laminate that will not appear on a data sheet.
For brands that need an overview of spout types, barriers and finish options, our spout pouch page covers the specifications most commonly used in the drinks category.
Drinks brands frequently launch multiple variants at once—strengths, flavours, functional blends—and artwork changes are common. Digital printing keeps MOQs manageable in these early stages and avoids the cost of plates when refining designs. It also offers reliable colour consistency across SKUs.
As products mature and volumes increase, gravure priting becomes more cost-efficient and supports extremely precise colour control. Both processes allow for full-surface artwork, removing the need for applied labels and giving a cleaner, more premium finish.
Mono-material PE structures have progressed to the point where they are now viable for many ambient drinks. They reduce material complexity and offer a clearer sustainability position, provided the product itself doesn’t require the highest barrier level.
As discussed in the wider shift towards mono-materials, recyclability remains dependent on local collection systems as much as material design. Even so, mono-PE is becoming a realistic option for brands seeking lower-impact packaging that still performs on the shelf.
Much of the industry’s shift towards pouches has been gradual rather than headline-driven. Brands aren’t switching purely for sustainability reasons; they’re doing it because the format removes constraints that slow product development. The main advantages include:
In short, spout pouches align with the way modern drink ranges are launched, tested and scaled.
Alcohol pouches highlight filling-line inconsistencies more clearly than rigid packaging. Seal temperatures, dwell times, film stiffness and spout weld strength all influence performance, as does the behaviour of the liquid itself at different temperatures.
Once dialled in, drinks pouches tend to perform reliably across courier networks and third-party fulfilment environments—an increasingly important point for DTC and mixed-channel beverage brands.
Aluminium
Spout position
Custom graphics
Outer finish
Spout colour
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