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I feel very lucky to eat and drink for a living, and this week was one for the scrapbooks. Yes, I was tasked with the very arduous task of sampling every canned cocktail I could get my hands on. And, as I\u2019m sure you are well-aware, there are a lot<\/em> of canned cocktails you can get your hands on these days.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The ready-to-drink category has nearly literally exploded over the last few years, with basically any bar classic you can think of now coming in a canned version. So how is one supposed to surf through this wave of booze? Well, I drank my way through as many as I could (roughly a baker\u2019s dozen this week alone, 20 in total) that ran the gamut: punches, daiquiris, Finnish long drinks, ranch waters, margaritas, negronis, cosmos, espresso martinis. You name it, I drank it all for the good of food journalism everywhere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Pour some of these in a fancy glass and I think you\u2019ll be fooled yourself. I surely was.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Let it be known that this was the drink that truly launched this investigation of canned cocktails, because this one 100% fooled me. If you\u2019re looking to get a pack of canned cocktails and need a surefire winner, this is the cut-and-dry crowd-pleaser. I don\u2019t know what sorcery the Dos Equis people did to make this mango margarita<\/a> taste so wildly well-balanced, but it\u2019s magical nonetheless.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The base of Mexican blanco tequila is ultra-smooth, the mango juice tastes fresh squeezed (and worth the squeeze). In short, if this is the future of what canned cocktails can taste like, then count me in. Be careful with these, though: Each can is 10% ABV and very (very!)<\/em> easy to drink. Pro tip: Be sure to \u201cdress\u201d your can with a rim of lime juice and Tajin seasoning to really make it a party.\u00a0<\/p>\n Buy<\/strong>: Dos Equis Mango Margarita<\/a>, $13.99 for 4 (12-ounce) cans at Total Wine<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If there\u2019s an ocean of canned cocktails, then there\u2019s definitely a sea of canned margaritas all on its own. Having sampled many of them, one particular really stuck out in the mezcal corner: MARGS Sparkling Mezcal Margarita.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n As a fan of savory-smoky-spicy cocktails, I bee-lined it to this mezcal pick and was immediately struck by how it nailed the herby smoke-factor you\u2019d expect from Mezcal without it reading as \u201cdrinking liquid smoke.\u201d With just a touch of sweetness from the triple sec, tart lime, and a bit of bubbles, this can has the dimension and fun of a bar-made margarita.\u00a0<\/p>\n Buy<\/strong>: MARGS Sparkling Mezcal Margarita<\/a>, $12.99 for 4 (12-ounce) cans at Total Wine<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n You might not immediately think of Neil Patrick Harris and \u201ccocktail tastemaker\u201d in the same sentence, but you should. I knew this drink would be a must-try, as I sampled the exclusive cocktail he made for EPCOT\u2019s Food & Wine Festival<\/a> and<\/em> binge-watched his drag-queen dinner-party show, Drag Me To Dinner<\/em><\/a>. As one of the partners of Thomas Ashbourne\u2019s line of curated cocktails (other partners include SJP, Playboi Carti, and Rosario Dawson) Neil Patrick Harris crafted a, to put it plainly, damn good espresso martini.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Every component of this RTD cocktail (which comes in both cans and a bottle) was bang-on; the espresso tasted freshly brewed with chocolaty notes to it and the vodka base was very smooth and subtle, and it even shook up well (fluffy layer of foam basically included!). Just add a few espresso beans on top and you\u2019ll save yourself a couple of hefty bar tabs by enjoying one of these (or<\/em> two of these) 12% ABV nightcaps right at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n Buy<\/strong>: Thomas Ashbourne After Hours Espresso Martini<\/a>, $19.99 for 4 (200-mL) cans at Thomas Ashbourne<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Just when I thought I knew what I like in mixed drinks, a whole new category makes me reframe all that I know. I don\u2019t necessarily shy away from whiskey-based drinks, but I don\u2019t often seek them out. Personally, whiskey-based drinks are something I didn\u2019t think could be refreshing or anything other than something you slowly drink in a lingering fashion. But then I got to try Sagamore Spirits\u2019 Rye-based canned cocktails<\/a> and everything changed. If you, like me, assume those things about whiskey-based drinks, these will surely convert you.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Taking flavor cues from tart, bubbly grapefruit-y palomas (which are usually made with tequila), this spicy rye whiskey-based version (which comes in at 9% ABV) has a punchy burst of honey sweetness that goes super well with the brightness of the citrus. This was definitely one of the cans that made me go, \u201cWow\u201d in an Owen Wilson voice before I got back to sipping.\u00a0<\/p>\n Buy<\/strong>: Sagamore Spirits Rye Honey Paloma<\/a>, $14.99 for 4 (12-ounce) cans at Drizly<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019m a rum girl through and through, and, poor thing, it often gets a bad rap. The same is absolutely the case for daiquiris. Don\u2019t get me wrong \u2014 I\u2019ll never pass up a creamy, frozen beachside daiquiri extruded straight from a Slurpee machine, but sometimes you want to go back to the basics.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Let\u2019s just say, this is the tastiest return around. With a blend of three rums (aged, Jamaican, and silver), lime, and just the slightest zhuzh of cane sugar, this petite can packs in all that you\u2019d expect from the classic cocktail (and will definitely scare the scurvy away and get you a solid buzz at 24% ABV).\u00a0<\/p>\n Buy<\/strong>: Tip Top Cocktails Daiquiri<\/a>, $35.99 for 8 (100-mL) cans at Total Wine<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Sometimes (okay, a lot of times) a drink is just fun<\/em>. And these definitely fit that bill in more ways than one (without even mentioning the fun packaging and name). Simply put, this drink kinda has everything: refreshing bubbles that tickle your nose, a bit of heft (courtesy of the orange wine base), and that distinct bittersweet limoncello flavor (and a dash of Himalayan sea salt) that\u2019ll have you feeling like you\u2019re a (very safe) extra on White Lotus<\/em>. I immediately poured a chilled can right into a spritz glass and certainly felt like I was tasting the closest thing to liquid sunshine.\u00a0<\/p>\n Buy<\/strong>: Loverboy Limoncello Spritz<\/a>, $39.99 for eight 250ml. cans at DrinkLoverboy.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n I know that the botanical bitterness of a negroni isn\u2019t for everyone, but it\u2019s kind of the opposite of Green Eggs and Ham<\/em> for me. As in, I\u2019d drink one on a train, plane, in the rain, etc., which is why I\u2019m pretty in love with the Tip Top Proper Cocktail\u2019s Negroni. If you, like me, often don\u2019t have the three main components (gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari) all at home at any one time, this canned Negroni will make your home bartending game a whole lot easier. The Tip Top Negroni not only nails this classic cocktail\u2019s proportions, but also adds a dimension of its own with a floral, juniper-essenced gin that plays off the juicy-spicy Campari.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Just pour a can over ice (preferably just one big ol\u2019 ice cube) in your favorite rocks glass and add a little orange peel for a flourish (and for those deliciously necessary citrus oils), and you\u2019ve got an expert-level aperitivo in your hands. This alcohol-forward, yet easy-drinking cocktail (alert: Each can is 26% ABV) is just begging to be sipped outside on a patio somewhere warm.<\/p>\nThe Best Canned Cocktails<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Best Tequila-Based: Dos Equis Mango Margarita\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Best Mezcal-Based: MARGS Sparkling Mezcal Margarita<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Best Vodka-Based: Thomas Ashbourne After Hours Espresso Martini<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Best Whiskey-Based: Sagamore Spirits Rye Honey Paloma\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Best Rum-Based: Tip Top Proper Cocktails Daiquiri<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Best Wine-Based: Loverboy Limoncello Spritz<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Best Gin-Based: Tip Top Proper Cocktails Negroni\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n