Cocktails in a can sound like sacrilege. Cocktails are meant to be ordered at a bar instead, where their flavor is a mark of the bartender’s skill and the quality of ingredients used. And, indeed, when canned cocktails first came out, they weren’t very good at all.
Many canned cocktails are still pretty awful. They’re often sugary and lack the nuance of the classic cocktails. Some taste just like you dumped some vodka in poor quality soda and called it a day.
Yet, the canned cocktail industry has evolved. While there are still plenty of inferior products, there are some amazing ones out there. The best products even have a similar flavor profile and all the nuances found in bar made cocktails.
These products also make cocktails much more accessible. You can take them on picnics, to the beach, and even to some events. They allow you to enjoy cocktails at home too, even if you don’t have a fully stocked bar.
The Best Canned Cocktails By Style
Rum Canned Cocktails
Crafthouse Cocktails Rum Old Fashioned
An old fashioned is a classic cocktail, normally made with whiskey, a sugar cube, and bitters. Crafthouse Cocktails has taken a different approach and released a Rum Old Fashioned version instead.
However, the cocktail isn’t as different as you might expect. The rum of choice has been aged for five years and then combined with a dry pot stilled rum. This approach gives you much of the complexity found with whiskey.
Crafthouse Cocktails also uses chocolate bitters. While this is an unusual choice, it should nicely complement the rum and makes the cocktail stand out.
The alcohol content of this cocktail is decent too, coming in at 24.6% ABV. This is less than normal for an old fashioned (the cocktail often gets close to 40% ABV), but it’s much better than most canned cocktails.
Tip Top Daiquiri
Tip Top cocktails might seem disappointing at first, as they come in tiny 100 ml cans. They’re also expensive. Seriously. An 8 can box from their site costs $39.99 (or $33.99 on subscription). Yet, the cocktails are worth every penny.
Tip Top Daiquiri is indeed a daiquiri. It’s also designed to replicate the flavors of an authentic daiquiri, rather than the frozen and ultra sweet variations you find in many bars. The cocktail uses the classic daiquiri ingredients, including lime, sugar, and multiple types of rum.
The ABV is decent too, coming in at 24%. This is telling, as an ABV of 5% or 8% wouldn’t be authentic at all.
Plain Spoke Mojito
Plain Spoke Cocktails avoids artificial ingredients to create cocktails that are delicious and authentic. Their Plain Spoke Mojito follows the classic mojito style, so it relies on a combo of Caribbean rums, mint, lime juice, and cane sugar.
There’s nothing unusual about the ingredients list, nor does there need to be. Why not stick to the classics?
Cutwater Tiki Rum Mai Tai
Cutwater offers many exceptional canned cocktails, including their Tiki Rum Mai Tai. This cocktail uses two full shots of Cutwater rum, paired with coconut, rum, and citrus flavors.
The cocktail comes in at 12.5% ABV and receives consistently positive reviews. Reviewers highlight the delicious fruit flavor. The cocktails might not be as good as a decent mai tai from the bar, but the price is hard to beat.
Coffee-Based Cocktails
Thomas Ashbourne Espresso Martini
Espresso martinis are easy to make, but difficult to perfect. The Thomas Ashbourne Espresso Martini does this cocktail extremely well by missing together flavors of chocolate, coffee, and vanilla, all of which are complemented by the vodka.
The cocktail comes in at 12% ABV and is sold in 375 ml bottles or 200 ml cans.
There’s another cool thing about this cocktail too – Neil Patrick Harris was the mixologist behind the creation. This is a great bonus for anyone who’s a fan of the actor or of celebrity endorsements.
Straightaway Nitro Espresso Martini
Straightaway follows a similar theme with their Nitro Espresso Martini. Their version relies on homemade coffee liqueur, which was created with cold brew from Stumptown Coffee Roasters. There’s honey in the recipe too, giving it a noticeable sweetness.
The flavor profile is seriously worth trying, if you can find the cocktails. However, the company only sells these cocktails in Oregon. They won’t even ship the cocktails to other parts of the country.
Tribini Cocktails
Tribini offers three different canned coffee cocktails and they’re all stunning. The first is their Double Espresso, which follows the classic espresso martini style. The simple cocktail just relies on espresso and vodka, giving you a strong coffee flavor.
Then there’s the Golden Espresso Martini. This adds cream liqueur into the mix, creating a creamier and even more decadent cocktail. The ABV is 12.5% here, as it was for the Double Espresso version.
Finally, Tribini sells a Toasted Hazelnut cocktail. This is still an espresso martini, but it includes hazelnut flavor that makes it even more interesting.
Not only are these delicious cocktails, but they’re also low in sugar. Tribini relies on alternative sweeteners (natural ones, not artificial) for sweetness rather than using sugar.
Gin Cocktails
Ginsmiths Gin Tonic
Let’s begin with a classic gin cocktail – the gin and tonic. Greenhook Ginsmiths Gin and Tonic perfectly follows this classic style, with just the right balance of gin to tonic.
I can’t emphasize how crucial the balance of ingredients is. Many canned gin and tonics skimp on the gin and use poor quality tonic, giving you a sugary drink that tastes completely wrong.
This version gets everything right and might even be better than a gin and tonic from your local bar.
Tip Top Negroni
Negronis are a strange cocktail. They rely on equal measures of Campari, gin, and sweet red vermouth. That ingredient balance creates an intense and bittersweet cocktail. Some people love it. Some people can’t stand it. There isn’t a middle ground.
The Tip Top Negroni leans in that reputation, giving you a cocktail that’s every bit as intense as it should be. This one comes in at 28% and retains the distinct red color found in a traditional negroni.
Rogue Spirits Cucumber Gin Fizz
The Rogue Spirits Cucumber Gin Fizz is perfect for gin lovers, as the flavor of the gin really shines through. There are only a handful of other ingredients in the cocktail, including cucumber, lime, cane sugar, and sparkling water.
The simplicity might sound boring, but honestly it’s not. Refreshing cocktails like this are often crowd pleasers and are perfect on a warm day. This one also has a 7.5% ABV, which is impressive for a fairly simple spritzer.
Cocktails With Vodka
10 Barrel Brewing Co. Bloody Mary
Vodka is the staple spirit of canned cocktails. Many versions are light, sweet, and fruity, but there are also options like the 10 Barrel Brewing Co. Bloody Mary. This is an impressive cocktail, with all the classic bloody Mary flavors, including horseradish, pepper, and Tabasco.
The ABV here is 10%. A traditional bloody Mary is often a bit stronger than this (around 18%), but 10% is still decent, especially if you want a cocktail during the day.
Cutwater Vodka Transfusion
Cutwater has a variety of interesting canned cocktails, including their own 10% ABV Spicy Bloody Mary. They also offer an interesting Vodka Transfusion that’s worth talking about.
This cocktail just has a 7% ABV and relies on vodka, ginger beer, and grape juice. This makes it a little like a Moscow mule cocktail, just with a hit of grape juice. Reviews are generally positive, although some people struggle with the grape flavor. As always, you’ll need to experiment for yourself to see whether the cocktail matches your flavor preferences.
Crafthouse Cocktails Moscow Mule
Speaking of the Moscow mule, here’s a more traditional version from Crafthouse Cocktails. This one can be purchased in 200 ml cans, 750 ml bottles, or as a 1.75 L bag in a box.
The Crafthouse cocktail sticks to the traditional Moscow mule ingredients, so you get a decent flavor kick from the ginger beer. This isn’t an excessively sweet cocktail either, and has a decent 10.1% ABV.
LiveWire Heartbreaker
The LifeWire Heartbreaker is a unique canned cocktail. It even won two medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2023.
The familiar vodka base of the cocktail is complemented by kumquat, grapefruit, jasmine, and ginger. It’s basically the middle ground between a Moscow mule and a paloma, featuring flavor notes from each, plus some unique characteristics of its own.
At 7.5% ABV, this would be a perfect summertime cocktail. LifeWire offers other unusual cocktails as well, including a Mojito that relies on coconut and shiso. So, if you enjoy this one, why not try out some of their other offerings?
Spirited Hive Vodka Cranberry Lime
If you want something simple, Spirited Hive has you covered with their Vodka Cranberry Lime cocktail. Like their other expressions, this little cocktail has been sweetened with honey and has a 7% ABV.
Despite the ingredients, this doesn’t taste much like a cosmopolitan or cape codder cocktail at all. It’s much more similar to a herbal iced tea or even a gin cocktail. This isn’t a bad thing, especially if you like some complexity in your drinks.
Canned Cocktails With Whiskey
Cocktail Squad Whiskey Sour
While whiskey isn’t that common in canned cocktails, some companies do use the spirit to perfection, creating an interesting balance of flavors. The Cocktail Squad Whiskey Sour is a fantastic example of the style.
This is actually a truly delicious cocktail and lives up to the whiskey sour name. What’s more, the Cocktail Squad makes this whiskey sour the authentic way, meaning that they don’t rely on sour mix to do so.
The end result is a sour cocktail that’s goes down a treat. The ABV is 10% here, which is on par with many other canned cocktails.
Golden Rule Old Fashioned
Golden Rule is another brand that sells its cocktails in tiny cans. However, this style often means you’re getting an authentic cocktail, rather than one that’s drowning in mixer.
The ingredients in the Golden Rule Old Fashioned also highlight how authentic this cocktail is. We’re talking about three-year-old bourbon, plus bitters, sugar, and some orange. It’s a boozy cocktail too – coming in at 39.5% ABV, just as an old fashioned should.
Sagamore Spirits Rye Honey Paloma
The Sagamore Spirits Rye Honey Paloma is much like a traditional paloma in that it relies on grapefruit juice. It even includes agave, which gives it some of the classic tequila flavor found in a paloma.
However, this cocktail relies on rye whiskey rather than tequila, making it different than any paloma you’ve ever tried before. Using whiskey instead of tequila in a paloma is a bold choice, yet the gamble has certainly paid off in this case.
Tip Top Old Fashioned And Manhattan
Tip Top offers two whiskey cocktails and they’re both amazing. The first is their Old Fashioned, which is one of their most popular cocktails. It’s simple, as an old fashioned should be – relying just on whiskey, sugar, and bitters.
This isn’t an overly sugary old fashioned either. It has an impressive 37% ABV, meaning it consists mostly of bourbon.
Then there’s the Tip Top Manhattan. This one has a slightly lower ABV, coming in at 31%, which is in keeping with the classic cocktail. This time the ingredients focus on rye whiskey, vermouth, and bitters, giving you a nuanced and exceptional cocktail.
Slow & Low Rock & Rye
We’ve already talked about the Coffee Old-Fashioned from Slow & Low. Now we’re onto an even more exciting entry, the Slow & Low Rock & Rye.
Slow & Low have created their own recipe, which relies on rye whiskey, coupled with rock candy, honey, bitters, and navel oranges. This creates a variation on the old fashioned cocktail, with some distinctive flavor notes.
And, like a classic old fashioned, this is a strong cocktail. The ABV is actually 42%. You can order it in a bottle or as individual cans and it’s delicious either way.
Agave-Based Cocktails
Cutwater Tequila Cocktails
Tequila features in many canned cocktails, so we’re only going to focus on a handful of top contenders. The first is Cutwater Spirits, which produces many delicious cocktails (we’ve already talked about a few of them).
Cutwater Spirits has a strong focus on tequila, which may be why they have so many tequila cocktails. Their selection includes two 12.5% entries: a Lime Margarita and a Mango Margarita (12.5%). Then there are some 10% ABV versions, including their Strawberry Margarita, Pineapple Margarita, Spicy Pineapple Margarita, and Peach Margarita.
That’s just their margarita selection. There are plenty of other cocktails too, like a 13% ABV Long Island Ice Tea and a 5.9% Lime Ranch Water. With so many flavors, you’re certain to find at least one you enjoy.
Tequila Cazadores Canned Sparkling Margarita
Cazadores is another brand that specializes in canned tequila cocktails. That’s not surprising, though, as they also specialize in tequila itself. Their main expression is a Ready-to-Drink Margarita, which has a 5.9% ABV and relies on natural ingredients.
The company also offers other cocktails, including Paloma, Spicy Margarita, and Ranch Water. The range water is basically a spritzer, made using blanco tequila, lime juice, and sparkling mineral water.
Two Chicks Sparkling Paloma
The Two Chicks cocktail line is lower in alcohol than most others on this list, coming in at just 5% ABV. Still, that lower alcohol content works well in many situations. It also allows the flavors of the cocktail to shine through.
They have two tequila expressions to choose from – Sparkling Paloma and Sparkling Citrus Margarita. Both are light and refreshing, perfect for when the weather is warm. If neither of these sound quite right, why not try one of their vodka, gin, or whiskey cocktails?
MARGS Sparkling Mezcal Margarita
The MARGS Mezcal Margarita has a few interesting things going for it. First, it’s made using mezcal rather than tequila, which adds a distinct smokiness to the cocktail.
It’s also another low alcohol content cocktail, coming in at just 5% ABV. Plus, the cocktail relies on sparkling water as a key ingredient, making it a little like a margarita spritzer. The same company has other similar products, including a Classic Sparkling Margarita, a Mango Margarita, a Spicy Margarita, and even a Coconut Margarita.
Spritzers, Seltzers, And The Like
Spritzers and hard seltzers are incredibly common, so we’re only featuring a handful of the very best brands. These aren’t the only high quality products out there, not by any measure.
The simplicity of these drinks means that your favorite version is probably determined by flavor preferences, rather than the quality of the product. Also, if these drinks aren’t interesting enough on their own, you could use them as the base of a more complex cocktail.
Usual Raspberry Spritz
Usual Wines is most famous for selling single serve bottles of wine. After all, wine starts oxidizing as soon as you open the bottle. Small bottles ensure that every glass of wine tastes perfect.
If you’re going to buy a wine spritzer, why not get one from a wine company? They already focus on making exceptional wine, so you know you’re in good hands.
The Usual Raspberry Spritz is also pretty exceptional. It relies on raspberry and rosé, which is much better than your classic white wine spritzers.
Loverboy Limoncello Spritz
The Loverboy website describes this cocktail as ‘Summer in a Can’, a vibe that’s also obvious by the bright yellow color of the can.
The name Limoncello Spritz suggests that this cocktail uses limoncello as one of the main ingredients. Yet, it actually relies mostly on lemon juice, orange juice, and pear juice, plus sparkling water. It’s not even clear whether limoncello is used at all.
Still… regardless of the ingredients, this is a popular cocktail. Reviewers suggest that the flavor profile is perfect, creating a fruity and refreshing drink. The company has even managed a good balance with the lemon, where the fruit’s flavor comes through strong, but doesn’t lead to an overly tart cocktail.
The Finnish Long Drink
The Finnish Long Drink is apparently a famous Finnish gin cocktail, one that’s now being sold in cans throughout the United States. It’s essentially citrus soda that’s been spiked with gin. The combination of gin and citrus soda creates a much tastier cocktail than your classic spritzer.
There are currently four versions of the drink, each with their own features. There’s the Traditional, with a 5.5% ABV and all natural ingredients. Then there’s the Zero, which uses sucralose for sweetness instead of sugar.
Following on is the Cranberry version (which speaks for itself) and a Strong version, with an 8.5% ABV. Which sounds the best to you?
Sprezza Bianco Spritz
The Sprezza Biango Spritz follows distinctive Italian styles, focusing on bianco vermouth, white wine, and bitters as key ingredients. Beyond this, there is simply mineral water and carbonation. That combination creates a very dry cocktail that offers distinct herbal notes.
The dryness of the cocktail is fantastic, given that so many others are excessively sweet. The company also has two variations on the recipe. One of these features rosé, while Rosso Spriz version includes white white, toasted spices, orange bitters, and red vermouth.
Other Cocktails
LiveWire Golden God
LiveWire loves using unusual flavors in their canned cocktails. This is particularly clear in their Golden God cocktail, which combines rye whiskey and brandy with elderflower, apricot, and green tea.
The combo of flavors is certainly interesting – creating a cocktail that some people will love and others will hate. Why not try it for yourself? It’s certainly easier to buy a can than to try and mix this drink up at home.
Taylor Chip Dry & Tonic
Tonic water is most popular as a gin mixer and is sometimes used for vodka as well. The Taylor’s Chip Dry & Tonic proves that those combos aren’t your only option.
Their alternative is made using dry white port, which is a distinctive ingredient on its own. Mixing this with tonic water is a radical idea that has produced this delicious cocktail. Even if you’re not convinced, the style is worth at least once, right?
Plain Spoke Brandy Old Fashioned
The Plain Spoke Brandy Old Fashioned is another cocktail that messes with tradition. It follows the style of an old fashioned cocktail, except that it’s made using brandy instead of whiskey.
This is a delicious cocktail if you’re looking for something different and somewhat refined. However, true old fashioned fans might want to steer clear, as this cocktail uses lemon-lime seltzer as an added ingredient. The seltzer dilutes the cocktail down to a 10% ABV. This makes it much like an old fashioned spritzer, rather than an authentic old fashioned cocktail.
Bonus: Slow & Low Coffee Old-Fashioned
This Slow & Low Coffee Old-Fashioned is another cocktail that relies on coffee, but it doesn’t take the classic coffee martini approach. Instead, this version is a riff on the classic old fashioned cocktail. This means there’s whiskey, sugar, and bitters in the mix.
But, there’s also coffee and honey, which aren’t found in the original. These give you a distinct flavor profile that you won’t find elsewhere. What’s more, this cocktail is 80 proof. That’s 40% ABV, which is seriously impressive.
It’s only sold in a 750 ml bottle, which is a shame. Still, the company does have some canned cocktails, like their Rock & Rye.
Mainstream Canned Cocktail Brands
Many of the cocktails on this list may be unfamiliar, as they come from small scale companies, ones that focus on quality and often have a limited distribution network. However, many popular companies also produce canned cocktails.
Here are some of the most popular examples. Most aren’t as complex or refined as those we’ve featured previously, but they might be worth trying in a pinch.
Absolut Canned Cocktails
Absolut is famous for their flavored vodka expressions, so it’s not surprising to see them in the premixed cocktail market as well. They currently have four expressions to choose from: Absolut Berry Vodkarita, Absolut Pineapple Martini, Absolut Grapefruit Paloma, and Absolut Mango Mule.
With an ABV of 10%, these cocktails have a decent strength without being too extreme. While these cocktails aren’t as complex as those you might make yourself, the flavor profile is surprisingly good and the sweetness isn’t overpowering.
That said, the recipe for these cocktails varies depending on your location. Canada and some other countries have a 7% version instead, which isn’t as well-reviewed. The same pattern applies to some of the other cocktails on this list as well.
Jack Daniel’s Canned Cocktails
Jack Daniel’s now offers a variety of canned cocktails, including Tennessee Honey Lemonade, Jack and Coke, and Tennessee Honey Apple Fizz (all with a 7% ABV). With the popularity of Jack Daniel’s whiskey, you’d expect these canned cocktails to be exceptional. Yet, they fall flat.
For one thing, the ABV is fairly low, which means there’s a lot of mixer in each can. Those mixers aren’t ideal, often giving you an overly sweet drink with flavors that don’t quite taste right.
The Jack and Coke version is the least offensive of the three. It’s also the easiest to make yourself. Honestly, just mixing Jack Daniel’s with a can of Coke would give you a better drink (one that probably works out cheaper as well).
Bacardi Rum Cocktails
Bacardi currently offers a Rum Punch, Lemonade, Mojito, and Lime and Soda as their main product line. You’ll sometimes see new and interesting versions, like a Mango Mojito and Pina Colada, although these don’t always stick around.
Not surprisingly, these are all rum cocktails and rely on Bacardi rum as their feature ingredient. The cocktails are often around 5.9%, making them weaker than many of the others we’ve featured.
Some people do love the offerings from Bacardi, perhaps partly because they’re easy to find and aren’t too expensive. Still, the flavor profiles aren’t ideal and don’t appeal to to everyone. They’re certainly not as refined and engaging as bar made versions of the same cocktails.
Malibu Canned Cocktails
If you want a canned rum cocktail – go with Bacardi. For whatever reason, Malibu hasn’t had much luck with their canned cocktails. Many of them are simply far too sweet – often to the extent that you can’t taste much else.
The Strawberry Daiquiri and Pina Colada versions are particularly controversial, while more people enjoy the Pineapple Bay Breeze. However, flavor preferences vary dramatically, so you might actually enjoy these, especially if you like sweet treats.
Crown Royal Cocktails
Finally, we have the Crown Royal cocktails. The flavors here include Peach Tea, Washington Apple, Whisky & Cola, and Whisky Lemonade. They’re all whiskey cocktails, sold in 12 fl oz cans with a 7% ABV. While the cocktails still have their limits, they appear to be better than most other big brand canned cocktails. This is useful if you’re looking for an inexpensive and easy to find cocktail.
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