Ready-to-Drink/Premixed Cocktails

Ready-to-drink or RTD cocktails got their start as so-called “alcopop” beverages, such as Smirnoff Ice, which are malt liquor-based beverages that approximated a cocktail experience through the addition of different flavorings, generally sugar- and fruit-heavy, plus a healthy amount of carbonation. As with most alcoholic beverages, RTD products have moved upscale in recent years, with numerous craft distillers producing genuine cocktails ready to drink out of the can or bottle. These are often made with the identical ingredients you’d get if you made the cocktail from scratch, though quality tends to vary considerably.

Top Ready-to-Drink Cocktail Posts:

Zima
Cutwater Spirits Whiskey Highball and Whiskey Lemon Tea
Truly Spiked & Sparkling Water

Review: Flying Embers Margaritas and Mojitos

By Christopher Null | January 1, 2023 |

Flying Embers is best known for making hard kombuchas, but it also produces hard seltzers and these canned cocktails, all made with zero sugar and zero carbs. Its unclear what these “cocktail inspired drinks” are made from, but it’s not distilled spirits and it’s not malt liquor. The labels sclaim “alcohol from organic cane sugar,”…

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Review: Togronis Canned Negroni

By Christopher Null | December 22, 2022 |

Dry gin, sweet vermouth, and “red bitters,” in a 100ml can: Sounds almost like a negroni to me, and sure enough this is the only product that Togronis makes, so it better be on point, no? Togronis’ product pours a deep red, surprising in its crimson coloration. There’s a nicely bitter aroma on the nose,…

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Review: Social Hour Harvest Whiskey Sour

By Christopher Null | December 13, 2022 |

Canned cocktails are becoming ubiquitous these days, and while many contain “real” ingredients — actual spirits instead of malt liquor and the like — few can claim the ingredient street cred of Social Hour’s seasonal Harvest Whiskey Sour. This canned cocktail — at a whopping 20% abv — is made with honeycrisp apple, Meyer lemon,…

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Review: Epic Western La Paloma, Chispa Rita, and Ranch Water

By Christopher Null | November 11, 2022 |

Epic Western is situated just a few miles from my home in Austin, where it produces a trilogy of Texas-themed canned cocktails, all made with 100% agave tequila, sparkling water, and — as you’ll soon see — salt. Ready to give them a taste? Let’s crack open some cans and dive in. All are served…

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Review: Sourced Kraken Rum Haunted Halloween Bundle

By Christopher Null | October 18, 2022 |

Sourced Craft Cocktails just dropped a pair of Halloween-friendly kits, including this bundle, featuring two ready-to-go mixers, a bottle of Kraken rum, and the usual accoutrements (skull-topped picks, coasters, koozies, and the like). The two cocktails include the “Sea Monster Mai Tai,” which is really a straightforward version of the classic, and the “Graveyard Smash,”…

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Review: Austin Cocktails Mojito, Ruby Red, and Margarita (2022)

By Christopher Null | October 14, 2022 |

If you can guess where Austin Cocktails is based, we’ll buy you a drink next time you’re in town. You can probably also guess how the brand works: Canned cocktails, slightly fizzy, sweetened with agave and made using real spirits; two servings to an 8 oz. can. All three cocktails in the brand’s lineup are…

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Review: 4 Beers/RTDs From Karbach, 2022 Releases

By Christopher Null | October 3, 2022 |

Ordering a draft beer or canned saltzer in Texas? There’s a solid chance it’s a Houston-brewed Karbach — and probably one of these. Here’s a look at a collection of Karbach’s most notable offerings as of 2022. Karbach Hopadillo IPA – A darker style IPA than we’ve become accustomed to in modern times, this beer…

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Review: Hercules Mulligan Rum & Rye

By Christopher Null | September 25, 2022 |

Hercules Mulligan is a minor figure in American history — and a somewhat larger figure in the musical Hamilton — and now the old Mulligan has a ready-to-drink cocktail named in his honor. It’s a complicated blend of three aged rums, three rye whiskeys, bitters, and fresh ginger — plus a splash of simple syrup. The…

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Review: 5 Drnxmyth Ready-to-Drink Cocktails, 2022 Releases

By Christopher Null | September 14, 2022 |

We’re back with more from Drnxmyth, one of my favorite ready-to-drink brands on the market. As a reminder, these are kept cold and come packaged in unique two-chamber containers, booze on top, juice on the bottom. Twist the two together and you’ve got a cocktail ready for a glass of ice. Abv for each hovers…

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Review: Oldknow Seltzers – Absinthe, Gin, and Vodka

By Christopher Null | September 1, 2022 |

One wouldn’t expect to find a ready-to-drink seltzer made with absinth in the mountains of Georgia, but that’s just what Oldknow Bev Co. has been doing, using its own interpretation of the green fairy — plus versions with gin and vodka — to make a canned, fizzy, ready-to-drink cocktail. Are the masses ready to sip…

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