The Only Type Of Canned Cocktail That's Worth Drinking, According To A Mixologist

Once upon a time, canned booze may have been all about beer, but over the years our options have continued to expand. Hard seltzer was huge in the 20-teens and canned wine is now an acceptable option, but according to some drinkers, canned cocktails are really where it's at. The options are numerous and there really does seem to be something for everyone, even canned mocktails for those who eschew booze. While everybody's got an opinion on which canned cocktails are the only ones worth drinking (here are our picks for 2023's best), we thought it would be fun to ask a mixologist for their input. Lexi Parker, who tends bar at Denver's Poka Lola Social Club, admits she hasn't tried too many of these types of drinks, but of the ones she has encountered, she has a clear favorite.

Parker's canned cocktail of preference is the negroni from a brand called Tip Top since it's one of the only ones she's familiar with. As she explains, the negroni is "my go-to spirit-forward cocktail" in non-canned form, so it stands to reason that it would be her favorite canned drink as well. She also feels that spirit-forward drinks, the kind that are meant to taste like booze, are likely to make for better-tasting canned cocktails since they get most of their flavor from the alcohol. This means that they don't rely on mixers such as fresh lemon juice, egg whites, or other ingredients that might not translate well to canned form.

Lexi Parker makes a good point about how a cocktail's ingredients may influence how well it takes to being put in a can, but it seems as if many drinkers do not agree that spirit-forward options are best. The top-selling maker of ready-to-drink cocktails in the U.S. is High Noon, a brand whose beverage portfolio consists of drinks that combine vodka or tequila with fruit juice and seltzer. (While High Noon styles itself as a hard seltzer, it's booze-based rather than malt-based like Truly or White Claw so is categorized as a canned cocktail.) Yet another top seller, according to data compiled by The Spirits Business, is the Jack Daniels lineup that includes drinks such as Jack and cola. That checks out since soda typically comes in a can so there's no reason why such a drink wouldn't do well as a ready-to-drink cocktail.

If you do want to take a tip from Parker and look into more spirit-forward RTDs, though, you could try a canned martini (The Club makes these in both gin and vodka versions), Manhattan, or Old Fashioned (Dashfire makes canned versions of the latter two). If you're driving home or otherwise abstaining, you can always indulge with a booze-free St. Agrestis Phony Negroni or three and remain as sober as a presidential candidate.