28 Popular Store-Bought Canned Cocktails, Ranked

There's something very nostalgic about having a bar cart in the corner of the living room, outfitted with your favorite spirits, glasses, and mixing equipment. But good luck packing that bar cart up and taking it with you on vacation or to your next get-together. Luckily, canned cocktails have absolutely exploded onto the scene over the last few years, with a wide variety of flavors, liquors, and styles to choose from. But it's also likely that this is just the beginning for the canned cocktail market.

We've compiled a list of popular canned cocktail brands — and that's just scratching the surface of what's available out there. We've taken a look at brands that do things traditionally, and those that don't. There are old-school liquor cocktails, wine cocktails, and a few drinks that walk the line between cocktail and seltzer. Some you've likely heard of, and some will probably be new to a lot of people. 

These beverages were ranked based on professional and individual reviews, quality of ingredients, and, most enjoyably, personal experience of sipping canned cocktails. Read on to see how they rank, and which might be a good fit for your next festive night.

Sesh could be considered both a canned cocktail or a hard seltzer. Made for those looking for a low-calorie cocktail option, Sesh clocks only 120 calories per 12-ounce can, which is just above the 100 calories you'll find in a White Claw. With those extra 20 calories, you're getting a little bit more alcohol, with each can of Sesh supplying 6% ABV. The creators also note that the drinks are sugar-free, which isn't entirely uncommon these days, but was an explicit choice when creating these drinks as one of the co-founders is diabetic. 

Like many of the other canned cocktails on the market, Sesh offers a small selection of classic cocktails: Moscow mule, mojito, gin and tonic, and paloma. Additionally, the branding on the cans is minimal, mostly black with a single band of color around the bottom to help indicate what flavor the drink is, which we imagine is supposed to appeal to a wider range of people than some of the other drinks with more explicit gender or age-based branding. 

"In my opinion," writes Better on Draft, "Mojito was the best flavor with a steady balance between the lime and mint. The Moscow Mule was a close second. ... Sesh's version of the cocktail was extremely refreshing. The Paloma had notes of lime and grapefruit with neither one overpowering the other. The Gin & Tonic hard seltzer was straightforward." It seems like you shouldn't expect a lot of complexity here, but instead some slightly boozier seltzers with a cocktail twist. 

Clubtails canned cocktails were undoubtedly made for a party. If you were wondering what gave us that impression, it's that they come in 16- and 24-ounce canned formats and are all 10% ABV. In the lineup of 13 flavors, five are margaritas, and the rest are exactly what you'd expect to find at a beachside bar: Sex on the Beach, Bahama Mama, Screwdriver, Long Island Iced Tea, Strawberry Daiquiri, Peach Breeze, and Alabama Slammer. 

In lieu of liquor and fresh juices, most of these drinks are made with neutral malt liquor and natural flavors. With that in mind, we'd like to manage your expectations of what these should taste like. These should taste like college spring break in Tampa. These should taste like a club on the Jersey Shore in the summertime. This should taste like an unapologetic good time without having to hire a private bartender for your backyard party. They're ideal for a day trip to the beach without a resort stay, and since they're sold primarily in convenience and grocery stores, you don't have to go out of your way to find them. With all of that said, if you're looking for something more along the lines of a craft cocktail from your favorite little bar, you're definitely going to have to look elsewhere.

This drink is for those of you who drink vodka soda, and only vodka soda. And for those whose go-to drink is the vodka soda because of the lower calorie count, you're going to be pleasantly surprised by what Canteen Spirits has to offer. Each 12-ounce can is only 99 calories, with zero sugars and zero carbs. The sodas come in seven "All American" flavors: black cherry, ruby red grapefruit, strawberry, watermelon, pineapple, lime, and cucumber mint. The branding is heavy on the outdoors and geared toward those with an active lifestyle that want to enjoy a bubbly and slightly boozy drink on their next adventure.

Brock Wilbur of The Pitch sat down and tasted five of the Canteen vodka soda flavors, and was subsequently impressed with what they had to offer. "This is perhaps my favorite entry in the series. A perfect blend of flavor and smoothness," he writes of the Cucumber Mint vodka soda. "The cucumber coming off as chiller than the lime was a surprise. This is what I think summer tastes like. And I'm dragging it with me into fall." The Cucumber Mint ultimately ends up tasting as close to what you'll get in a bar as this lineup gets. He also mentions that the Black Cherry vodka soda tastes like drinking a Clearly Canadian in the 1990s, which is either amazing or not, depending on your affinity for Clearly Canadians and the memories you may have made while drinking them 30 years ago.

It only makes sense that some of the big-name liquor companies would catch on to the whole canned cocktail movement and start producing the cocktails for which their liquors are already known. And given that Malibu coconut rum is already known as a spirit best enjoyed when you're unwinding, be it at a beach or a club, we were curious what canned cocktails the company has dreamed up — and cautiously wondering if this would be heaven or hell. 

Of course, the aim is to please, and that they do with two classic rum cocktails, a Piña Colada and a Strawberry Daiquiri, in a can. Malibu also makes a series of five lighter canned sparkling beverages made with malt liquor instead of rum and branded as Malibu Splash. The Splash drinks come in watermelon, strawberry, lime, passion fruit, and pineapple flavors. And while they're not specifically canned cocktails, Malibu also offers pre-mixed rum punch and Blue Hawaiian cocktails in 1.75 liter bags. 

We appreciate that the Malibu Splash drinks offer lighter summertime sips with a healthy squeeze of coconut flavor, but they're still essentially just hard seltzers. The canned and bagged rum cocktails are where the Malibu magic actually happens. But like any Malibu drinker can tell you, it's very easy to drink — and before you know it, you might have had too much of a good thing. You've been warned. 

Your first question might be, "What is a Finnish Long Drink?" This is an entirely reasonable question considering we've never seen it listed on a cocktail menu at any bar in the U.S. Essentially, it's a gin and soda with grapefruit and juniper berry flavoring. The Finnish Long Drink website claims the drink was commissioned by the Finnish government to serve the large crowds attending the summer Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland, in 1952. Now, keep in mind that the average daily temperature in the summer in Helsinki is only 62 degrees Fahrenheit, and grapefruit doesn't actually grow in Finland, although juniper does. 

Nevertheless, we like the idea of a drink that's quick and easy to mix and refreshing in the heat of the summertime. This particular brand has created four versions of the drink: a traditional version with 5.5% ABV, a Zero version with zero carbs and 5% ABV, a Strong version with more citrus and 8.5% ABV (which we imagine is how it's meant to be made), and a Cranberry version that swaps out the grapefruit and juniper but keeps the 5.5% ABV. "[It's] a bit sour with a pleasant tartness. Juniper berries are in the background, quietly rounding things out. There's not much bitterness on the finish — mostly just a hint of sweet grapefruit candy," writes The Gin is In. "The Long Drink Company has pulled off a winner."

If you aren't familiar with Rogue Canned Cocktails, it's very likely that you're familiar with Rogue craft beers, which are based in Newport, Oregon, and widely sold across the country. The company is large and produces beers, liquors, canned cocktails, and even CBD seltzers. Riding on the popularity of their beers, Rogue created a line of canned cocktails in 12-ounce slim cans that are all 7.5% ABV each. The cocktail flavors include grapefruit vodka soda, cranberry elderflower vodka soda, cucumber lime gin fizz, ginger lime vodka mule, ginger lemon whiskey mule, lemonade iced tea vodka soda, apple pie whiskey fizz, and espresso martini.

Florence Fabricant of The New York Times writes, "They're blissfully straightforward mixtures of very few ingredients, plus sparkling water. The spirits are Rogue's own Bayfront Vodka and Farmhouse Gin. The Ginger Lime Vodka Mule and the Cucumber Lime Gin Fizz are my preferences, with the Grapefruit Vodka Soda a runner-up. The Cranberry Elderflower Vodka Soda was too sweet for me." While Fabricant finds the cocktails to be enjoyable enough, she also comments that an extra shot of liquor in each cocktail is a welcome addition for those looking for a more authentic cocktail experience.

You & Yours began as a distilling company in San Diego, California, but has grown to include a beautifully packaged line of canned vodka sodas and gin and tonics. Using their own spirits, You & Yours has created six vodka soda flavors, including cucumber mint, Meyer lemon, cranberry, tangerine, Key lime, and a vodka mule. There are also two gin and tonics in the collection that include a classic version of the cocktail and a blood orange version. Most of the sodas are 7.5% ABV and come in 12-ounce cans. 

The Gin Is In tasted the classic Gin and Tonic, noting, "You and Yours Distilling Co. Gin and Tonic is only on the lighter side of sweet. It's perfect for drinkers who think most canned Gin and Tonics are a tad too sweet, but also for fans of citrus in their G&T." Unfortunately, you may not find these drinks in stores if you don't live in the San Diego area, but they're shipped nationwide if you're so inclined to give them a taste. 

Step away from the ordinary and into a botanical cocktail wonderland. Two Chicks canned cocktails come in eight flavors and are dressed in lusciously illustrated cans. We're especially excited by the vodka elderflower and pear cocktail, as well as the gin apple and cucumber cocktail. All of the cocktails are sparkling, and a few more familiar flavors like the citrus margarita and cranberry Tartini (which is basically a sparkling Cosmopolitan with lime) will appease a wide range of tastes. The company is founded, owned, and operated by women, and markets itself toward women with creative, organic, and self-empowered lifestyles.

Each of the Two Chicks cocktails comes in 12-ounce cans and has a 5% ABV, which makes them relatively easy-drinking and fitting for an afternoon in the park or chatting for hours with friends over bottomless brunch. The Two Chicks cocktails are more creative and authentic than hard seltzers, and less fussy and intense than actual cocktails. We think the flavor combinations and presentation are really lovely, but understand that they might not appeal to everyone, especially those looking for a more masculine drink or a traditional cocktail option. 

Hailing from Boulder, Colorado, the Cocktail Squad canned cocktails are both playful and a little dangerous. The "Classy Classics" collection of cocktails are all 10% ABV, and come ready to drink in 12-ounce (355 ml) cans. The classic cocktails include Margarita, Greyhound, Blackberry Bourbon Smash, Nitro Whiskey Sour, Gin and Tonic, and Vodka Soda. We like that Cocktail Squad offers drinks we know and love, in conjunction with drinks that are a little more creative than the generic canned cocktail options available from everyone else. For those looking for a good time with a little less of a kick, Cocktail Squad also offers two 5% ABV sodas that they call "Classy Casuals": the Vodka Lemon and Whiskey Ginger.

Drinkhacker tasted all of the Classy Classics and had mixed reviews. They found the Gin and Tonic to be on the basic side and would benefit from a citrus upgrade, but possibly nice to use as a base for your own mix-ins. The Vodka Soda was a complete miss, tasting more like a Country Time lemonade than a grown-up vodka soda with lemon. The Nitro Whiskey Sour ranked the highest, with complex and satisfying flavors, while the Margarita, Greyhound, and Blackberry Bourbon Smash all were given fine reviews, if not quite as good as their handmade counterparts. Ultimately, if you're looking for cocktails that pack more of a cocktail punch without having to do any of the work to mix them up, Cocktail Squad has you covered. 

Miami Cocktail Company makes two kinds of cocktails, organic spritzes and bottled organic cocktails. The spritz collection is true to the classic spritz ingredients list, with a few twists along the way. All of the spritzes are made with sparkling wine, either rosé for the Limonata, Bellini, Sangria, and Mimosa spritzes, or sparkling blue agave wine for the Paloma and Margarita spritzes. Each can is 4 to 4.2% ABV and the flavors are delicate and approachable. The bottled organic cocktails are basically batched and bottled wine cocktails, and currently include a Blood Orange Mimosa, Sangria, and Margarita, ranging from 8.5 to 12% ABV per 750 ml bottle. 

Drinkhacker tasted and reviewed all of the spritzes, giving almost all of them high marks. "This may be better than an actual mimosa. The use of tangerine, orange, and mandarin juices adds complexity I don't usually experience in the traditional two-ingredient rendition. Again, the sweetness is well-balanced, and it dries nicely into the finish with pleasant notes of tart citrus and crisp sparkling wine," writes contributor Drew Beard of the Mimosa Spritz. The only one out of the group that he thought was a miss was the Paloma. "It's the least flavorful and balanced of the lineup, with the grapefruit notes coming across watered down and almost slimy. Hibiscus and ginger juice is in here somewhere, also, but it's lost amid tart citrus. What little grapefruit flavors I detect sour abruptly into the finish." 

Cutwater Spirits currently has 27 types of canned cocktails available, which might be the largest selection of canned cocktails on the market. Here you'll find a variety of flavored margaritas, vodka sodas, bloody Marys, and some fruity mixed rum drinks. There are also a few canned cocktails you won't find anywhere else, like a White Russian, Long Island Iced Tea, and an Elderflower vodka spritz. While there are several classic cocktails in the lineup (margarita, gin and tonic, rum and cola), the majority of the cocktails in the Cutwater Spirits collection lean toward the fun and festive and away from the traditional and straitlaced. The cocktails come in 12-ounce cans, and range from 5% to 14% ABV depending on the cocktail, with most averaging about 7% ABV — which is still stronger than many popular beers. 

Spencer Dukoff tasted a few of the most popular Cutwater Spirits canned cocktails for Men's Health and was pleasantly surprised by several of the drinks. "The tart lime complemented the orange triple sec flavor, resulting in a refreshing drinking experience, rather than something that would make you scrunch your mouth into a pucker," wrote Dukoff of the Tequila Lime Margarita. "When I glanced at the ABV halfway through the can — 12.5% — I was a little surprised, simply because the cocktail was so easy-drinking." Cutwater began as, and still is primarily, a distillery in San Diego, California. The distillery produces tequila, rum, vodka, gin, whiskey, and an herbal liquor named Opah. 

Given how many sparkling cocktails are on the market, we wanted to choose the best and most popular in each category to give you an idea of what's out there. One cocktail type that is missing from every other company is a mezcal-based canned cocktail, so we were thrilled to find Elenita. Elenita is made in Mexico with mezcal and natural flavors and is currently available in four flavors: passion fruit paloma, strawberry mule, cucumber lime basil, and pineapple jalapeño. 

The mezcal is distilled in Oaxaca, before being added to these refreshingly tropical and slightly smoky sparkling cocktails. One sip will have you dreaming of eating warm fruit in the heat of the Mexican sunshine and washing it all down with one of these gorgeous sparkling drinks. The beverage is still relatively new to the market, and not as widely available as most of the other drinks on this list. But, for those who love mezcal, we think it's well worth it to order the drinks online.

There are six canned cocktails in the Social Hour Cocktails lineup, and it would take a generously well-stocked bar to be able to pull them all off on your own. The cocktails include Navy Strength Gin & Tonic, Pacific Spritz, Straight Rye Whiskey Mule, Prizefighter (the only appearance of this cocktail on our list), Yuzu Sunset Fizz, and Harvest Whiskey Sour. The cocktails range from 8% to 20% alcohol by volume, but most hover around the 11% ABV mark, which is why you'll find them in more approachable 250 ml cans. 

Social Hour Cocktails was founded in Brooklyn, New York, by Julie Reiner, author and founder of several popular New York City cocktail bars, and Tom Macy, bartender, bar co-owner of the Clover Club, and YouTube video host — two people highly invested in the art of fine cocktail making. Since launching, Social Hour Cocktails have been featured in many reviews, all praising the authenticity and creativity of the drinks. Unfortunately, you'll only be able to find these cans in-store in New York and New Jersey, but you can order them and have them shipped to your door through the company's website.

Tip Top Proper Cocktails is a collection of six genuine classic cocktails, including a Negroni, Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Margarita, Bee's Knees, and classic Daiquiri. You'll immediately notice the small stature of the cans, each only 100 ml, which is substantially smaller than many of the other canned cocktail options that are sold in 12-ounce cans. Even though the other cans are 3.5 times larger, most of them range from 5% to 10% ABV, whereas the Tip Top cocktails are anywhere from 24% to 37% ABV. These little cans pack a real cocktail punch and are made with real liquors and ingredients.

Once chilled, these tiny but mighty cocktails can be enjoyed straight from the can, but we like the ritual of pouring them into a garnished glass when enjoying them at home, preferably on the rocks or straight up. You can rest assured that you're getting a decent drink since all of the cocktails were formulated with the help of James Beard-nominated bartender Miles Macquarrie — and they don't start to decline in quality once you've had a few. If you live in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New York, South Carolina, or Texas, you may be able to find Tip Top Proper Cocktails at your local liquor store. If not, you can still buy the cocktails online in 8-packs for about $40 each before taxes and shipping, coming to about $5 per cocktail, which we think is a pretty good deal.