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If you\u2019ve never heard of Via Carota, it\u2019s a super-popular Italian restaurant in Manhattan\u2019s West Village, frequented by celebrities<\/a> and food writers alike, and while it\u2019s an absolute mess trying to get a reservation (the next available table for two was at 4:30 p.m. on the first Monday in May, but during the time it took to write this story, those tables were booked), you can<\/em> experience the trattoria\u2019s famous bar program from the comfort of your own home. That, friends, is because the restaurant recently launched a line of bottled cocktails<\/a> you can order online<\/a>, and while ready-to-drink beverages are decidedly not<\/em> my thing, I was pretty surprised by how good these ended up being. And, while I think it\u2019s always good to learn how to make the classic cocktails<\/a> \u2014 and a fun, abyssal rabbit hole to go down \u2014\u00a0there\u2019s certainly a time and place for pre-mixed cocktails<\/a>, especially ones that are made from high-quality ingredients such as those found in Via Carota\u2019s Bourbon Set<\/a>, Negroni Set<\/a>, and Martini Set<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n All of the bottles<\/a> are available a la carte on Via Carota\u2019s site, and the sets come with gorgeous rocks glasses (Nick & Nora glasses for the martini set) and branded swizzle sticks. As you can see, I couldn\u2019t resist breaking into the bottles of espresso martini and old fashioned before snagging a photo for this review. (Not pictured: the Negroni and white Negroni bottles, which The cocktails are pretty low-proof, as well, because they\u2019re pre-diluted, which means you don\u2019t have to worry about stirring them with ice before you serve: Just pour the cold bottles into a chilled glass (add ice if desired) and enjoy. While I wouldn\u2019t call them weak (the old fashioned comes in at a respectable 33.5 percent alcohol by volume) they\u2019re definitely good if you\u2019re trying to take it easy (the martini<\/a> is just 18 percent ABV). And, while these probably aren\u2019t going to be mainstays on my bar cart, they\u2019re perfect <\/em>for gifting \u2014 especially with Mother\u2019s Day and Father\u2019s Day right around the corner. They\u2019re also a great solution for folks looking to try out classic cocktails for the first time. While I always suggest going to your favorite watering hole and supporting local bartenders and businesses, not every bar will have the bottles or know-how to whip you up, say, a white Negroni or a proper old fashioned. (In fact, you\u2019ll probably get an eye-roll from whoever\u2019s behind the stick if you order those at your local beer-and-shot joint.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n So, that leaves the other option: shelling out for a bunch of bottles to make your own classics at home. While I strongly recommend doing this (I think everyone should have a solid home bar, if not for entertaining, then at least to whip up a stiff one before staring out a rainy window while giving a Mad Men-<\/em>style monologue), it can get pretty expensive \u2014 especially since most of these drinks are \u201cspirit-forward,\u201d (aka boozy and sans fruit juice) so the results are only as good as the liquor they\u2019re made with. So, snagging these ready-to-drink bottles mixed by a restaurant that obviously knows what they\u2019re doing is an easy way to find out what flavors and cocktails you like before spending a ton of money on booze you might only drink once.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n So, whether you\u2019re beginning your foray into the cocktail world, looking for a worthy addition to your bar cart, or searching for the perfect gift for the liquor lover in your life, you really can\u2019t go wrong with the Via Carota cocktail sets.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nmy friends and I guzzled before I remembered I had to write this<\/s> didn\u2019t fit into frame.) By all accounts, these are solid ready-to-drink bottles \u2014 something I don\u2019t often hear myself saying \u2014 and would be a welcome addition to any home bar. My favorite (surprisingly, because I\u2019m not usually a fan) was the espresso martini: Whatever they\u2019re doing with the ratios and dilution is working <\/em>because I had to hold myself back from slurping down the entire bottle like an iced coffee. The Negronis<\/a> were tasty, too, and while whiskey nerds, myself included, might think they went a little heavy on the vermouth in the Manhattan bottle, the bourbon still comes through, and the delicious bottle of old fashioned<\/a> definitely makes up for it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n