As we write this, at the end of February, we are in the midst of another cold snap. Georgia fared this one much better than our northerly neighbors, but we did get a taste of spring in the middle of the month. We want more.
That desire got us thinking about picnics, hiking, the beach and more outdoor settings where one might want to enjoy a good cocktail without carrying around a bartender’s bag full of shakers, strainers and other equipment.
Canned cocktails, seen as a novelty even a few years ago, have steadily grown in popularity and sophistication. Fresh ingredients, especially citrus (which seemed too hard to stabilize in the past), and quality spirits are the focus of a new batch of producers.
These beverages are sold in a wide range of sizes and alcohol content; some are meant to be poured over ice, others drank straight from the can, and some can be chilled and poured into your fanciest glassware at home.
Here are some of our recent finds, listed from least potent brand to most.
GoodDays Canned Cocktails
Based in Athens and canned in Marietta, GoodDays Canned Cocktails are the lightest beverages on our list. The Heater (a whiskey sour) and the Longboat (gin gimlet) are 8.5% and 7.4% ABV (alcohol by volume), respectively, and come in 12-ounce cans. These drinks have a similar alcohol percentage to an IPA beer and, also like beer, taste great straight from the can. Similar to the Finnish Long Drink, but made locally with more diverse flavors, these beverages are beach and pool ready.
Crafthouse Cocktails
From Matt Lindner and Charles Joly, two lauded veterans of the Chicago craft cocktail scene, Crafthouse Cocktails come in 200-milliliter cans, a little more than half the size of GoodDays, with more concentrated flavor and a bit higher ABV, between 11% and 15%. With seven different varieties, mostly from the shaken or sour canon of classic cocktails, we especially liked their original Moonlighter, a chamomile and lavender vodka spritz with Bianco vermouth.
Moonlighter should be poured on the rocks, but their Espresso Martini could be put in a fancy coupe glass or simply enjoyed cold from the can. Breakfast drinks, anyone?
Tip Top Proper Cocktails
We have written about Tip Top Proper Cocktails before, especially thanks to their local connection to Kimball House’s bartender extraordinaire, Miles Macquarrie.
Tip Top’s cans are 100 milliliters, or just over 3 ounces, the size of a proper cocktail before it is shaken or stirred. The ABV of each beverage ranges from 22% for the espresso martini all the way to 37% for the old fashioned, similar in strength to the same cocktails made in a bar. With a dozen current flavors, we recently enjoyed Tip Top’s jungle bird simply poured over ice.
Dashfire
Dashfire started as a cocktail bitters company in Minnetonka, Minnesota, so it is no wonder they have unique takes on classic cocktails. We recently tried two, their lemon and lavender martini and their fig and cascara Manhattan, both 38% ABV in a 100-milliliter can. The high proof means these should be poured over ice and stirred to reach the proper level of dilution, but you’ll still get your money’s worth. The addition of sherry seemed to clash with the lavender in the martini, but the fig and coffee notes in the Manhattan were harmonious and delicious.
Hochstadter’s Slow & Low
The man behind the very popular elderflower liqueur brand St. Germain, Rob Cooper, resurrected a family-owned recipe for what was once commonly known as a Rock & Rye, essentially an old fashioned variant made with rye whiskey and rock candy.
In this canned cocktail, rye whiskey is mixed with oranges, rock candy and honey, then bottled at a stout 42% ABV. Hochstadter’s Slow & Low was first released in a 750-milliliter bottle, giving it the look of a bottle of whiskey but limiting its portability. Putting this premade whiskey drink into a ready-to-travel 100-milliliter can makes it easier to enjoy away from your home bar.
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