by Jeanette Hurt - 1/24/22
So your special valentine loves cocktails, but your mixology skills are - shall we say - lacking? Well, just like your Aunt Judy made her special lasagna by transferring Stoeffer’s into her own pans and getting rid of the evidence, you, too, can become a master mixologist by transferring these delicious ready-to-drink cocktails into your own shaker or glass. Here’s a roundup of canned and bottled cocktails that will up your mixology game for Valentine’s Day.
Spa Girl Peach Vodka Cocktail, $14.99/4-pack
If someone is the peaches to your cream, then make it a Peach Vodka Cocktail from Spa Girl. Pour it straight or get crafty and make your own Love Potion No. 9. It’s peachy-keen, as it’s also vegan, low carb and low sugar, too. Plus, it makes a pretty picture to boot.
Death & Co. X The Craft Spirits Collective Aurora Highball, $20/4-pack
If your sweetie gets crafty with cocktails, then look no further than the new lineup the renowned team at Death & Co has released. These are craft cocktails in a can, and they’re as unique as the ones you’d find at the bar. Try the Aurora Highball, made with Woody Creek Distillers vodka, Clear Creek pear brandy, Junmai sake, green tea and mint syrup. It’s crisp, refreshing and perfect for celebrating Valentine’s Day. There’s also the gin-based Moonsail Fizz and the bourbon-based Ranger Buck, too.
Vervet Sundowner, $22/4-pack,
This Los Angeles-based canned cocktail company calls itself “farm to can,” as its cocktails are made using all California produce and all the vermouth, Amari and bitters are made in-house. Heck, even its preservatives are naturally made from mushrooms. The Sundowner is a strawberry punch made with cold-processed strawberry, champagne vinegar, its own amaro and enough citrus, herbs and vanilla to punch it up. Pour it into a pretty glass, and your Valentine will be none the wiser.
DELOCE Espresso Martini, $42.99/8-pack, $59.99/12-pack
If your sweetheart loves coffee, then you might want to try DELOCE espresso martini. This vodka-based cocktail starts with 100 percent cold-pressed arabic espresso sourced from the Narino Hula regions of Colombia (and if you’re a coffee geek, you already know how special that is). This cocktail is so good that its founders sold out three days after their launch. But fortunately, they’ve crafted enough so your valentine can enjoy some.
Social Hour Pacific Spritz, $20/4-pack
You might not be able to make cocktails as well as Julie Reiner or Tom Macy, but you can certainly buy their Social Hour cocktails and put them in your own cocktail glasses. Try their classic Pacific Spritz which combines an aperitivo with rosé wine from the Finger Lakes into one refreshing cocktail. But if your special person is the apple of your eye, you might want to try their Harvest Whiskey Sour, which combines honey crisp apple with George Dickel 13-year-old, bottled-in-bond whiskey.
Cutwater Tiki Rum Punch, $12.99/4-pack
Looking to be transported to a tropical paradise somewhere? Then this might be the canned cocktail for your Valentine’s Day celebration. Made with Bali Hai rums, mixed with orange and passionfruit juices, this canned cocktail could be your secret ingredient for your tiki love bowl for two.
Hunni Sparkling Soju, $16.99/4-pack
If your honey likes the taste of adventure and the lure of sparkle, then Hunni Sparkling Soju cocktails are perfect for Valentine’s Day. These low (only 4 percent) ABV cocktails are light, bubbly and refreshing with four modern takes on traditional Korean flavors: yuzu + elderflower; Korean pear, perilla leaf + lime; grape + ginger transfusion; and peach + chili pepper. Their base is soju, of course, distilled from organic wheat and California rice, which is enhanced by real fruit juices. The soju used in these cocktails is Yobo, which means honey or darling in Korean, and thus, the name of the soju inspired the name of the cocktail line, Hunni.
Dekō Cocktails Bee’s Knees, $25/375-ml.
If your Valentine is really the bee’s knees, then, well, make it a Bee’s Knees by Dekō Cocktails. This Long Island ready-to-drink cocktail company uses spirits from Matchbook Distilling and other ingredients from local farmers. Made with lavender gin, milled from locally grown corn, raw, wildflower honey, foraged juniper berries and fresh lemon juice, each bottle contains four servings and evokes the Gilded Age. Equally good is its Gold Rush.
Party Can Passionfruit Cosmicpolitan, $29.99/1.75-liter can
If you’re throwing a Galentine’s Day party for your gal pals or doing something like, hey, getting married, then Party Can’s Cosmicpolitan is what you want. With vodka, combier liqueur d’orange, passion fruit juice and lime juice, each can makes 12 craft cocktails- enough for a wedding party or maybe the largest cosmo ever.
CANTEEN Spirits Black Cherry Vodka Soda, $12.99/6-pack
If your sugar doesn’t, well, do sugar, then you’d best find something deliciously drinkable without sugar. CANTEEN Black Cherry Vodka Soda fits that bill perfectly. It’s sweet yet it contains no sugar, but it also doesn’t taste fake. And if your honey-sugar bear-sweet prefers gin or tequila, CANTEEN’s Gin Spritz and CANTINA Watermelon Margarita are also great options.
Dashfire Old Fashioned Variety Pack, $14.99/3-pack
Your lovely loves old fashioned cocktails, but you’re not sure what twist will impress? Then Dashfire’s artisanal cocktail trio of old fashioneds is what you want, with bourbon, rum and rye versions. “Anyone who drinks old fashioneds knows that there are as many variations as stars in the sky,” says Lee Egbert, who owns Dashfire with his wife Dawn. “That’s why having just one old fashioned dish’t seem like enough.” And since the company also makes its own bitters - one of the biggest lines of bitters in the world, in fact - the bitters are paired perfectly to the spirits in each old fashioned. They also make a line of succulent, crafted cocktail cherries, too, called Egbert’s, which easily ups your garnish game.
Freshie Tequila Seltzer, $11.99/4-pack
If your partner likes drinks light and fresh, then, Freshie might be what you should be drinking on Valentine’s Day, and this tequila seltzer was born of romance and practicality. Paige and Ryne Iseminger were on vacation in Mexico, and this wife and husband were getting sick of sugary drinks. Ryne combined tequila with agave, lime and seltzer water, and soon, they were making this sparkling tequila drink for family and friends. Made with all organic ingredients and distilled in a solar-powered, zero-waste, family-owned distillery, Freshie is, well, a fresh option.
Ramona Amarino, $20/4-pack
If your lover loves wine and aperitivos, then Ramona’s Amarino spritz will be a much loved addition to your Valentine’s Day celebration. This dry spritz starts with a base wine made from organic grapes, harvested from Italy. Amaro means bitter and into means little so this is just a little bit bitter, but with bright effervescence and low ABV.
buzzbox Hurricane, $13.99/4-pack
If you love someone like a hurricane, then buzzbox’s Hurricane might rock your Valentine’s Day (or night). Made with light and dark rums and blended with triple sec, pomegranate, passion fruit and pineapple juices, this lovely cocktail might remind you of a romantic trip to New Orleans. Their classic Greyhound and Cosmopolitan also might add some spice.
LIQS Whiskey Fireshot, $9.99/4-pack
If you and your significant one are more into shots, rather than cocktails, then your Valentine’s drink should be something form the LIQS family of shots, and might we suggest the LIQS Fireshot. This combination of whiskey and vanilla crème is delicious and warming, perhaps the perfect kindling for a romantic evening.
Spirited Hive organic honey cocktails, $16.99/4-pack
Need another honey-based cocktail for your honey? Spirited Hive is a new canned cocktail line featuring three organic-honey based cocktails to choose from: bourbon, tequila and vodka. The bourbon adds rosemary and lemon, the tequila includes ginger and lime, and the vodka mixes cranberry and lime. All three are based on certified organic, wildflower honey from Lancaster, PA.
Goose Island Barrel House Blackberry Smash, $15.99/4-pack
Do you or your partner wait in line every year for Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout release? Then celebrate this year’s Valentine’s Day with a Goose Island Barrel House canned craft cocktail. The Blackberry Smash pairs rye with blackberries and mint, then adds a touch of fizz to make everything even better.
Miami Cocktail Company Sunrise Rosé Sangria Spritz, $12.99/4-pack
This is a light, fresh take on sangria. Made with all organic wine and all organic juices of orange, pineapple and lime, this spritz has no added sugars, and it’s just 110 calories a can. Light and fun, it’s perfect for your sugar.
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