6 Ready-to-Drink Canned Cocktails That Actually Taste Good

Recently, a friend and cocktail enthusiast asked me a question: Have you ever had a canned cocktail that was actually good?

I get his point. Despite their growing popularity (last year, RTDs were the fastest-growing spirits category, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States), many are sugary, overly carbonated imposters that bear little resemblance to the quality versions of the drinks they purport to be. But as I told my friend, there are exceptions. In addition to having a few bad canned cocktails, I’ve also had plenty that offer a hands-on, craft experience that avoids the hassle of fresh-squeezing juice, buying barware, and tracking down obscure bottles and other ingredients. Here are six of my favorite canned or RTD cocktails right now. To make this list, RTDs not only had to taste good, but they had to be good enough that nine times out of 10, if they were in my fridge, I wouldn’t be tempted to mix the same cocktail by hand. These are the drinks that met these criteria after several rounds of taste testing. They are perfect to drink this summer, or really anytime.

This line of ready-to-drink cocktails from a beloved New York restaurant comes in individual bottles so elegant that my wife keeps them to put flowers in. That’s your first clue to the quality you’re about to enjoy. Every variation I tried was a great take on the cocktail it claims to be. If you don’t like a given Via Carota cocktail, you probably don’t like this one. My favorite is the Paloma, which combines citrus, tequila, and sparkling water for the perfect summer drink.

Made with Stumptown coffee and Accompani coffee liqueur (part of the Straightaways craft amaro line), this is one of my favorite canned cocktails. The nitrocarbonation, best known for its use in Guinness and other stouts, gives this drink a smooth, velvety mouthfeel and creates the beautiful foam you want on an espresso martini. The flavor is rich and coffee-driven with a near-perfect level of sweetness. This is the cocktail I gave to the friend mentioned at the beginning of this story to convince him that canned cocktails could be good. He agreed, this one is excellent.

No one is more surprised than me to see this offering on the list. I’ve always disdained the canned or bottled soda craze and have always seen it as a way for people to get high without actually wanting to drink. But this version of ranch water is light, clean, and boozy—exactly what I want when I try a ranch water. Flavors include strawberry, lime, and passionfruit. My favorite is lime.

Made with real orange juice and sparkling wine, this craft cocktail tastes exactly like a mimosa, so it’s perfect to pack in the cooler on your first beach trips or to pull out of the fridge when you’re making a weekend breakfast at home and don’t have all the ingredients for a mimosa. If you don’t want the standard orange juice mimosa, you can try a raspberry or peach mimosa (aka a Bellini). I prefer the taste of orange juice.

The first time I tried it, Sunshine Punch was so different that I didn’t know what to think. By my second sip, I was starting to appreciate this weird and wonderful blend of citrus juice, cream, and rum that’s like a summery version of eggnog. We don’t usually associate cream-based cocktails with summer drinking, but this drink is oozing with summer vibes. Served in an eye-catching orange bottle, this bottled cocktail is ready to be served over ice.

Based on a recipe developed for the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Long Drink is a sparkling gin and fruit drink that’s perfect for gin and tonic lovers. My quarrel with some RTDs is their sweetness, but Long Drink strikes the right balance, with just a hint of sweetness. Other flavors include cranberry and peach. As a Forbes contributor previously reported, Jay-Z’s investment firm is betting big on Long Drink. That’s partly because the drink has seen massive growth since its introduction to the U.S. market. Last year, it brought in $1.8 million in case sales, up from just $33,000 in 2019. Take a sip and you’ll see why.