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 couple of years, with a wide variety of flavors, liquors, and styles to choose from. There's little doubt that the global pandemic has helped fuel the desire for simple cocktails that can be enjoyed at home when your favorite watering hole has temporarily (or in some cases, permanently) closed its doors. But it's also likely that this is just the beginning for the canned cocktail market.
Here we've compiled a list of 31 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. Read on to see how they rank, and which might be a good fit for your next festive night in.
#5 (out of 31)
QNSY is a new canned cocktail company based in Queens, New York, which just launched in the summer of 2021. Two alumni of the NYC food and beverage scene developed the drinks, which are made with real ingredients to bring you an authentic handmade cocktail experience. Their motto, "We welcome EVERYBODY. We Take sh*t from NOBODY," is just about as New York as it gets, and we were excited to finally get to try these sparkling cocktails in person.
Currently, QNSY makes three cocktails: a Cosmo, Mojito, and Margarita (affectionately named "Lovely Rita"), all of which are naturally gluten-free and 5% ABV. What we like about each of the cocktails is that they hit all of the familiar notes from our favorite cocktails, but have an impressive depth that we don't often find in other canned cocktails. While some of our tasters leaned more toward the cool flavors of the mojito or refreshing lime kick of the Lovely Rita, we're unapologetically partial to the juicy and delicate pink cosmo.
If you live in New York or New Jersey, there's a good chance you can find QNSY at a grocery store, bar, or beer distributor near you (locations listed on the QNSY website). If you're a little further away from NYC, fear not — these canned cocktails are also shipping nationwide.
Read the full article on The Tasting Table!
