Alcoholic Beverages
Crushable, portable, and, let’s face it, rather attractive…
canned alcoholic beverages are fast becoming the greatest way to enjoy a well-crafted mixed drink without ever setting foot in a bar. Canning a cocktail addresses a fundamental issue: it’s difficult to enjoy sophisticated, alcoholic beverages in locations that aren’t bars. One of the most appealing aspects of beer is its ease of availability; you can quickly open a cooler and grab a refreshing pale lager while cruising on a boat or relaxing on the beach.
And, although it’s not impossible to make a Singapore sling out of the stuff of your picnic bag, it’s objectively a little more difficult. Cans help to make living easier. And when you consider all of the places you may want to enjoy your favorite craft cocktail (on a boat, at a tailgate, in the park, in the shower), canning these cherished beverages becomes very attractive.
Why Consumers Are Still Reaching For Canned Alcoholic Beverages
Consumer Insights on Food and Travel Anheuser-Busch During the coronavirus epidemic, nearly every business underwent tremendous upheavals, and the alcoholic beverage industry was no exception. Ready-to-drink alcohol was popular in 2019, but pandemic-related lockdowns and closures of hospitality businesses in 2020 aided the canned hard seltzer cocktail market.
RTDs rose +26.4 percent globally last year, according to data and analysis firm IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, whereas every other beverage alcohol category fell.
A broad movement toward health and wellness in the food and beverage sector has encouraged customers to prefer lower-ABV alcoholic drinks, which many RTD products fall under. Another shift in consumer behavior since the pandemic is a preference for outdoor activities, making the single-serve, portable nature of RTD alcohol even more enticing.
5 List Of Canned Alcoholic Beverages
Candid’s Gin with Mint, Grapefruit, and Lime Juice
Candid’s Gin with Mint, Grapefruit, and Lime Juice drink, created in Denver, wonderfully balances herbaceous and somewhat sweet flavors with fresh mint and genuine lime juice. The fresh herbs are perhaps the most potent component of this drink (and the rest of Candid’s menu). Candid is unusual in that it does not include any chemically generated tastes, resulting in an approachable yet subtle drink that is as traditional as it is handy. The flavor is comparable to that of a mojito, resulting in something so refreshing that just a sip transports you to a back patio in the middle of July.
Candid founders Melissa Baker and Quinton Bennett both had 15 years of bar experience, and while they enjoyed the specialty cocktail sector, they weren’t enthusiastic with the late hours. It’s also worth noticing their Vodka with Black Tea, Lemonade, and Thyme, which contributes to Candid’s characteristic “herb-forward” flavor.
Proof’s Mai Tai
When it comes to Mai Tais, look no further than this Proof Cocktail Co. version. This finely blended version on an old classic masterfully mixes West Indies silver rum, American bourbon-barrel-aged rum, Curaçao, and orgeat with lime and orange juices and a hint of pomegranate grenadine. The texture of this drink is what actually distinguishes it: The syrups are prepared by hand, the juices are freshly squeezed, and it is the only canned cocktail that does not use microfilters (which can take some of the texture out of citrus juices).
It also has a hefty alcohol content of 23.10 percent, so a single can goes a long way. The full-size can indicates three ready-to-drink cocktails, and poured over ice, you’d never suspect it wasn’t directly from a bar.
If the tropical tiki classic isn’t your thing, try one of the brand’s other notable flavors. The Moscow Mule and Paloma differ from other canned drinks in that they use delayed carbonation, which gives the bubbles a Champagne-like feel rather than that of soda water. And there will be many more on the way, including a French 75, Manhattan, Gin and Tonic, Tom Collins, and others.
Southern Tier Distilling Company’s Vodka Soda
The latest canned drink from Southern Tier Distilling Company began as a basic vodka soda, but creator and mixologist Phin DeMink felt that something was lacking. He began experimenting with citrus fruits to replace the cocktail’s distinctive lime or lemon wedge, and finally settled on a blend of makrut lime, pomelo, and blood orange, with a dash of rosemary to balance off the acidity.
Phin has a long history of innovation in the beverage industry, having spent years inventing recipes for beer, spirits, and cocktails. His enthusiasm and creativity are evident in the remainder of Southern Tier’s offerings, which include more than two dozen brews. The firm also sells three more canned cocktails: the Vodka Madras (picture a vodka soda with cardamom, chamomile, and cranberry added for extra flavor), Gin and Tonic, and Bourbon Smash.
Slow & Low’s Rock and Rye
Shakespeare undoubtedly had a premonition about the Slow & Low Rock and Rye cocktail when he said, “though she be but small, she is ferocious.” Though it comes in a convenient 100-milliliter can (yes, it can be taken on aircraft), it carries the same punch as a drink from an exquisite speakeasy. This canned concoction is inspired by the Hochstadter’s label’s pre-Prohibition era recipe, famed for its candy-sweetened whiskey, and is based on America’s earliest bottled drink, “Rock and Rye.”
Fishers Island Lemonade
Fishers Island Lemonade takes its name from its hometown, a 7-mile stretch of land just north of Montauk, New York. Bronya Shillo grew up working at The Pequot Inn, the island’s lone bar, and came up with the idea to can the joint’s trademark drink, a deliciously nostalgic combination of whiskey, vodka, honey, and lemon juice. The mix of whiskey and honey creates a cocktail that is reminiscent of East Coast sunsets, ferry journeys, and making out with the tennis teacher at your grandmother’s country club.
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