Ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails have soared in popularity over the past few summers. And for good reason – when you want the taste of a well-mixed cocktail but need the ease of a can of beer or seltzer, you go for an RTD cocktail!
These cocktails use real spirits like gin, vodka, whisky, or tequila as the alcohol in their drinks – as opposed to whatever the heck is in a “malt beverage.”
Served in individual bottles or cans, RTD cocktails don’t require any mixing or shaking. Just serve cold over ice or drink straight from the container. Finally, you can sip a margarita on the beach without paying a resort upcharge or have a spiked lemonade where you actually know what it’s been spiked with.
There are a lot of different ready-to-drink cocktails available with almost every liquor imaginable. Here is our list of the 5 best ready-to-drink brands:
Ketel One Botanical Spritz
Ketel One Botanical vodkas are now available in canned spritzer form. Each four-pack of Ketel One Botanical Spritz contains sparkling water premixed with one of the Ketel One Botanical vodka flavors: Cucumber & Mint, Peach & Orange Blossom, or Grapefruit & Rose. Gluten-free, non-GMO, and low-ABV with no artificial sweeteners, added sugars, or artificial colors, Ketel One Botanical Spritzes are a pure and simple ready-to-drink.
Ciroc Spritz
Launched in partnership with Sean Combs, aka Diddy, Ciroc’s new ready-to-drink line blends their ultra-premium French vodka with juicy natural flavors. The sleek, summer-hued cans are sold in packs of four and are available in four tropical flavors: Sunset Citrus, Watermelon Kiwi, Pineapple Passion, and Colada. Ciroc Spritzes are gluten-free and contain no artificial sweeteners.
Crown Royal Whisky Ready-to-Drink Cocktails
Winner of the Gold Medal at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Crown Royal’s canned cocktails pair their signature whisky with classic flavors like Peach Tea, Washington Apple, Cola, and Lemonade. Each 12-ounce can is the same size and shape as a typical beer can, with a similar ABV of 7%. Sold in packs of four, this is the RTD for whisky cocktail lovers.
Loyal 9 Vodka Lemonade
Loyal 9 is a relative newcomer to the beverage industry, but they are experts in ready-to-drink cocktails. Their thing? Simple, high-quality ingredients and an American passion for lemonade. Their lemonades contain no carbonation, no gluten, and only real fruit and real vodka. The slim can four-packs are available in Lemonade, Mixed Berry Lemonade, Watermelon Lemonade, and Lemonade + Iced Tea.
Tanqueray Gin Ready-to-Drink Cocktails
Gin and tonics were some of the earliest ready-to-drink cocktails to hit the market, so it was only a matter of time before the best British gin, Tanqueray, ended up in a can stateside. Available in a classic G+T, as a gin and soda water with Seville orange flavor, or a blend of their Rangpur Lime Gin with soda water, these Tanqueray RTD cocktails have been a smash hit across the pond for years.
So, next time, skip the bar and order in a pack of ready-to-drink cocktails.
