3 Ready-Made Cocktails To Try
Premixed cocktails are perfect for summer fun on the go, says AndréDarlington, co-author of Booze & Vinyl (volumes 1 and 2) and other cocktail compendiums. “They’re an especially great way to enjoy mixed drinks while camping, at outdoor festivals, hiking or during other outside recreation when making a drink from scratch isn’t ideal.” Quality varies wildly, he warns. Ready-made cocktails from trusted liquor brands or designed by mixologists are good options. Check the label too. “Make sure everything there is something you’d put in your own homemade drink,” says Darlington. Three to try:
Master mixologist CharlesJoly (whose drinks are served at entertainment industry soirees like the Oscars Governors Ball) created Crafthouse Cocktails. The lineup includes Smoky Margaritas and Rum Old Fashioneds (from $24 for a four-pack, crafthousecocktails.com).Cazadores Tequila, which has distilled the iconic Mexican spirit for 100 years, now offers a trio of canned cocktails, including classic and spicy margaritas as well as Palomas ($16 for a four-pack, cazadores.com).Cutwater Spirits has an extensive lineup of canned mixed drinks, from Tiki Rum Mai Tais to Bloody Marys (from $3, cutwaterspirits.com).
Everything You Need to Know About Alcohol-Free Spirits
Alcohol-free (AF) spirits are a fast-growing trend as mixologists look for high-quality, high-flavor options to raise the bar on zero-proof sippers (please don’t call them “mocktails,” say those in the know). DerekBrown, author of Mindful Mixology, shares some tips:
AF spirits fall into two main categories. Many are crafted to work as stand-ins for traditional spirits, such as gin, whiskey or tequila. Others, like Seedlip’s line (from $32, seedlipdrinks.com), offer unique distillations of fruit, botanicals and spice. “Both offer really interesting potential,” says Brown.Most nonalcoholic spirits are intended to be used in mixed drinks vs. straight up. Think of them as a base ingredient that mimics the flavors, aromas and heft of their boozy cousins.Try before you buy. Find a bar that serves AF spirits, Brown suggests, and order your favorite cocktail made with one, such as a gin and tonic with Lyre’s Dry London Spirit ($36, lyres.com) or an Old-Fashioned with Spiritless Kentucky 74 ($36, spiritless.com).Go halfsies. You can go completely alcohol-free, of course, or make lower-alcohol cocktails by combining traditional and zero-proof spirits.
Summer Cocktails
Give Your Traditional Mojito a Fresh Twist With Blackberry and Basil Downton Abbey-Inspired The English Garden Gin Cocktail Recipe Sweet Life Slushy Cocktail Inspired By the Frank Ocean Hit This Arab-Style Hibiscus-Rose Cooler Will Be Your New Summertime Go-To Porch-Perfect Negroni With Strawberries and Sparkling Bitter Lemon Melon Balls Stand In for Ice in This Low-Alcohol Melon-Basil Cup
Celeb Spirits Match Game
Can you match these beverage brands to the star associated with them? Scroll down for answers (Answers: Reynolds, Aviation American Gin; Lively, Betty Buzz mixers; Perry, De Soi aperitifs; Clooney, Casamigos Tequila; Johnson, Teremana Tequila; Jenner, 818 Tequila)
