Best canned co*cktails and hard seltzers, tested by editors | CNN Underscored (2024)

The best canned co*cktails of 2024, tried and tested

Finnish Long Drink

All our editors loved this refreshing hard seltzer from The Finnish Long Drink, which comes in flavors like traditional citrus, zero sugar citrus, strong citrus, cranberry and peach. Long drinks (or lonkeros) originate from Finland, where Helsinki-based beverage company Hartwall invented the distilled gin and grapefruit-infused recipe to serve tourists after the 1952 Summer Olympics. No wonder Finland was ranked one of the happiest countries in the world.

Our editors loved how crisp and subtle the co*cktail was, which even impressed those of us who aren’t big fans of canned co*cktails. I especially loved how mild the gin infusion was, to the point where I could hardly taste the alcohol. Several testers even compared the crispness of Finnish Long Drink to a Sprite, including editorial director Chelsea Stone, associate editor Jillian Tracy, senior testing editor Rick Stella, senior lifestyle editor Tamara Kraus and testing writer Joe Bloss. “I like that it’s mellow and not super carbonated,” said Tracy. Kraus agreed, calling it a “simple classic."

High Noon Vodka Hard Iced Tea

Our trusty team of testers loved the non-carbonated High Noon Vodka Iced Teas, especially since they are crafted without added sugar. These refreshing cans come in four flavors: original, lemon, raspberry and peach — which are great options to enjoy in the summertime.

Senior digital content strategist Hannah Lauson appreciated that although they come in various fruity flavors, the High Noons weren’t overly sweet. “It’s not too carbonated and doesn’t have that ‘alcohol’ taste,” she noted. Social coordinator Gabby Triolo liked that it tasted like an authentic iced tea. Photographer Molly Flores summed it up best when describing High Noon Vodka Iced Teas: “It’s a banger, chef’s kiss.” Total Wine recommends pairing these seltzers with salty snacks, spicy foods and red meat — which are all essential ingredients of a summertime barbeque if you ask us.

VMC co*cktail

VMC (Viva Mexico Cabrones) was founded by Mexican boxer Saúl Canelo Alvarez, Spirit of Gallo and Casa Lumbre, and much like the founder, these co*cktails pack a punch. Made with 100% blue agave tequila grown in Jalisco, Mexico, these cans come in three flavors: Paloma, margarita and Jamaica hibiscus. Our testers appreciated that these cans had the perfect balance of authentic Mexican tequila without tasting weak or watery. Overall, we found it to be an invigorating co*cktail that would taste even better with a slice of lime and over ice.

Most testers especially loved the easy-to-drink grapefruit-forward paloma flavor. “I would buy this again,” said Tracy, who appreciated that the ready-to-drink canned co*cktail wasn’t too sweet. Lauson agreed, adding this was her top pick: “I love the Paloma flavor because it’s not too sweet or too bubbly.”

Tip Top Negroni

A classic Negroni is made with equal parts gin, vermouth and Campari on the rocks, usually garnished with an orange peel. Now imagine all those ingredients in an adorable pocket-sized can and you’ll get Tip Top Negronis. According to the Tip Top website, this canned co*cktail has tasting notes of bright orange and grapefruit with fresh juniper and a juicy, bitter finish. Our testers thought the surprising fruit juices not typically found in a classic negroni were a delightful, refreshing addition. Reviews editor Tobey Grumet Segal even described it as stronger than an actual negroni, but excellent nonetheless.

Bloss, our resident Negroni lover, raved about this canned co*cktail and thought the price was worth it for four cans. I thought so too, especially considering the average cost of a Negroni at a bar nearly matches the price of this entire box. Flores thought this would be a great canned co*cktail for special occasions and Stone felt this bite-sized can was the “cutest” of all. Kraus, who isn’t a fan of negronis, described this pint-sized co*cktail as “alcohol whiplash.” Regardless of your preference, you’re bound to be in tip-top spirits after a sip of this cheeky co*cktail.

Welch’s Craft co*cktails

Who would have known that the wholesome family farmers at Welch’s — producers of delicious Concord grape juices, fruit snacks and spreads — also made vodka-infused canned co*cktails? Now that’s what we call range. The ready-to-drink cans have an ABV of 5.9% and are available in flavors including watermelon mule, vodka cranberry and passion fruit mojito. Of course, all are made from real fruit juice.

Most editors agreed they could hardly taste the alcohol in this juicy vodka co*cktail, although some compared the drink to a vodka cranberry or spiked grape juice. We especially loved the vodka transfusion, which if you didn’t know, is typically a drink composed of vodka, ginger ale, Concord grape juice and lime juice. To sum up this canned co*cktail in a few adjectives, our testers described it as fun, sweet, surprising and nostalgic, which, if you couldn’t tell, meant we were big fans of the Welch’s vodka concoctions.

Ciroc Vodka Spritz

Dogfish Head Tropical Mix

Although Dogfish Head is known for its beers and ales (and dog-friendly breweries), the company also makes canned co*cktails infused with various spirits, including vodka, tequila, rum and vodka. We tested a range of flavors like blood orange mango vodka crush, new pineapple orange rum mai tai, new strawberry lime tequila margarita and strawberry honeyberry vodka lemonade.

Although some testers enjoyed the fruit-forward flavors, like in the passion fruit citrus mule and mai tai, some found these citrus flavors to be overpowering. Flores said these flavors had an overpowering fragrance and Grumet Segal also took note of the sweetness, which bordered on artificial, though she liked the rum mai tai option.

Bloss, for example, loved the passion fruit citrus vodka can and even noted it tasted like a proper ginger-filled mule. However, with a 12% ABV, he felt the alcohol content was too high and he would prefer to make his own mule instead.

Fishers Island Lemonade

If you’re looking for a canned co*cktail similar to a Long Island iced tea but not as powerful, look no further than Fishers Island lemonade. Our editors loved the smooth, not-too-bubbly richness of this craft co*cktail, which is made with premium vodka, barrel-aged whiskey and natural lemon and honey flavors.

Even our whiskey-haters liked this flavorful iced tea, which comes in flavors like half & half, pink flamingo, nude peach, fizz and blueberry wave. Although it has a 9% ABV, we hardly tasted the vodka or whiskey, and many appreciated the flavorful, rich texture of the beverage. Stone found it too sugary for her taste but others liked the nostalgic taste of lemonade. Stella said it best: “It has a good lemonade feel without the strong whiskey/vodka taste.” Triolo agreed, adding: “It smells light and fresh and doesn’t have a strong aftertaste. I like this one and think it’s perfect for summer.”

According to its website, Fishers Island was inspired by the “FIL” house co*cktail served at the Pequot Inn at Fishers Island, NY, where bartender-turned-founder Bronya Shillo served plenty of these co*cktails and brainstormed canning this signature drink. No wonder this co*cktail is reminiscent of breezy summer days.

Austin co*cktails

Texas-based Austin co*cktails was founded by sisters Jill Burns and Kelly Gasink to pay homage to their farmer grandfather, Fred. Although it has other bottled beverages, we tested the canned co*cktails made with premium spirits and natural ingredients. All are sweetened with a touch of organic agave in flavors like tequila-based bergamot orange margarita, vodka-based Fred’s ruby red co*cktail and vodka-based cucumber vodka mojito.

Austin co*cktails aims to create full-flavored co*cktails that are lower in calories and carbs compared to other canned co*cktails. It does so with organic agave and real fruits and herbs instead of sugar or sweeteners,meaning some bottles may have naturally occurring sediment.

I thought Fred’s ruby red smelled authentically minty, which checks out considering this co*cktail was inspired by Fred’s garden. Lauson agreed, noting that this flavor had a strong mint flavor but wasn’t too carbonated. Stone loved Austin co*cktails and especially appreciated its real lime and botanical flavors. Grumet Segal raved about the grapefruit-forward flavors while Bloss found the orange margarita to have dentist-like herbal notes, which he wasn’t a fan of. Overall, we all found it easy to drink and refreshing but worried about the 12.5% ABV that could sneak up on us.

SipMargs

A good margarita is hard to mess up if you have great ingredients. All you need is a good, authentic tequila, lime juice and triple sec with your choice of a salty, sweet or even spicy rim. An even better margarita is customized with your favorite additions, like mezcal or mango juice. Sip Margs achieves that customized margarita experience with their canned co*cktails, what they claim to be the best-tasting margaritas —period.

This handy variety mix comes in a range of flavors with a 5% ABV, including classic, mango, coconut and mezcal, all made with high-quality Blanco tequila grown, harvested and distilled in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico with real cane sugar. It even has a spicy marg flavor, too.

We tasted almost all flavors and were pleasantly surprised with the mango margarita can. Flores was a fan of the “excellent carbonation” and “surprising flavors,” which she described as “everything a canned co*cktail should embody.” Grumet Segal thought they tasted naturally fruity and balanced, like in the coconut and mango options, while Tracy felt like the sparkling nature of the cans took away from the joy of a margarita. Kraus even found the coconut marg to taste “like an alcoholic coconut water.” As someone who appreciates a refreshing lime-filled margarita with a Tajín rim, I especially loved the tangy sparkling spicy margarita flavor, which had the perfect amount of spice, and was begging for a muddled chile pepper. Kraus agreed, even noting this option could crank up the spice.

Truly Tequila Soda

Truly hard seltzers come in an endless array of flavors, packs and possibilities. From light flavors like its berry mix and citrus mix to its vodka soda packs, tequila soda options and even “red white and tru” varieties (think cherry pop and cotton candy flavors). The Massachusetts-based brand truly does it all. For this taste test, we decided to stick to the tequila soda mix, which comes in flavors like lime, grapefruit, spicy watermelon and pineapple guava — all at 110 calories per can at a 5% ABV.

According to its website, Truly tequila sodas are made with premium tequila Blanco, real fruit juice from concentrate, sparkling water and natural flavors. I thoroughly enjoyed the spicy watermelon flavor as someone who leans into heat, and even thought it could have used even more spice. Many found this can to be reminiscent of candy, like Kraus who found it to smell like Sour Patch Kids but not as sweet. It could be a good pick for someone new to the spicy-and-sweet flavor duo. Other testers found the pineapple guava option underwhelming, but better than the light Truly hard seltzer flavors that are typically more popular.

Loverboy Spritz

Reality television fans may already know the backstory behind this trendy spritz brand, created by entrepreneur Kyle Cooke from Bravo’s hit reality show, “Summer House.” Although the canned co*cktails skyrocketed in popularity thanks to their frequent appearance on the show, the colorfully-branded beverages have also blown up on social media.

We poured ourselves the orange wine-infused blueberry lemon, pear kiwi, passion fruit guava and mango peach cans. As a lover of all kinds of spritzes, I thoroughly enjoyed the blueberry lemon flavor, which felt subtle but had an enjoyable tart kick. Kraus even likened the flavors to a Monster energy drink and compared the pear kiwi to a Jolly Rancher. That said, some testers found these canned co*cktails to be on the sweeter side, like Stone who described it as “insanely sweet” and Triolo who noted: “It’s a no for me.”

Spritz Society Peach Pack

A spritz is any sparkling wine-based co*cktail, usually containing prosecco or dry white wine, soda water, citrus, and a liqueur. California-based Spritz Society canned co*cktails pay homage to the much-loved summertime drink, with lively flavors like passion fruit, grapefruit, peach, blood orange, pineapple and lemon. Unlike a hard seltzer, which uses malt liquor as the base alcohol, these canned spritzes all use a crisp white wine sourced from California. The company was founded by a team of content creators, including founders Ben Soffer, Claudia Oshry and Jackie Oshry.

For this taste test, we tried the peach flavor, which is made with sparkling water, white wine, cane sugar, lemon juice concentrate and other natural flavors — all at an ABV of 6% with 120 calories per can. Most testers didn’t like this particular flavor, although some thought it could be refreshing and taste even better in a proper wine glass with a fresh fruit garnish. Tracy, for example, wrote that this co*cktail “wasn’t overly wine-flavored, which is nice.” Unfortunately, most agreed this peach spritz in a can can’t beat the real deal.

Social Hour co*cktails

Naturally, we had to test other canned spritz co*cktails so we turned to New York-based Social Hour, the brainchild of bartender Tom May from Brooklyn’s Clover Club and “DrinkMasters” judge, Julie Reiner. These bright and bubbly spritzes come in various unique flavors, including whiskey mule (made with ginger beer), navy-strength gin & tonic, Yuzu sunset fizz, pacific spritz and black pepper Paloma.

During our own “social hour,” we tested the best-selling Pacific spritz option — which is a tribute to the Aperitivo Spritz. This canned co*cktail is made with passionfruit, tangy grapefruit and crisp rosé, all at an 8% ABV. The rosé lovers in our testing pool appreciated the Aperol Spritz vibes, although some found this flavor reminiscent of Manischewitz wine.Bloss, for example, who has a preference for red wine, described this co*cktail as having “a nice balance of bitterness with more depth.” Flores described this can as “the most interesting co*cktail with natural tasting flavors” and vouched that she would repurchase these cans time and again. Tracy also enjoyed the balanced flavors and agreed she would buy this fun spritz in a can this summer.

Tanqueray Rangpur Lime Gin & Soda

Don’t worry, gin enthusiasts — we made sure to test out gin-based canned co*cktails too, specifically this Rangpur lime option from Tanqueray, the classic brand known for its London dry gin infused with botanicals and a grapefruit peel edge. We were intrigued by the addition of the Rangpur lime in these cans, which is a rare hybrid between a mandarin orange and lemon indigenous to Bangladesh.

Triolo, who is not “a big gin person” still liked the bright gin & soda, which has an ABV of 6%. Stella, on the other hand, found the co*cktail to have a “fake lime taste” that reminded him of cleaning supplies. Tracy wrote she would rather make her own gin co*cktail instead of purchasing these cans to add more flavor and garnishes to match her preferences. In comparison, Bloss thought this was a solid choice and felt Tanqueray did an excellent job with this gin-based co*cktail.

Malibu co*cktails Piña Colada

If you’ve ever sipped a coconut-filled piña colada or summery mai tai, you’ve certainly heard of Malibu Caribbean rum made with coconut liqueur. The name is almost synonymous with a beachy, breezy co*cktail, which is why we picked up the piña colada rum cans. The tropical pre-mixed co*cktail is made with classic white Malibu rum and coconut and pineapple-flavored liqueur, all at a 7% ABV.

If you like sweet, rich rum, this is the canned co*cktail for your next beach day or pool party. Most of our testers found this luscious co*cktail to be on the sweeter side, including Lauson, who described it as having a powerful shampoo-like coconut flavor. Stella noted this co*cktail had an “interesting mouthfeel” with an average piña colada taste, erring on the artificial side. Kraus described it as the kind of co*cktail you’d enjoy in college, mainly due to its sweeter nature. Tracy even described it as tasting like a coconut birthday cake.

Bacardi Variety Pack

If you’re craving a Bacardi party, look no further than Bacardi Rum Summer co*cktails. Cuban-born brand Bacardi has been in the rum game for over 150 years, at one point even becoming Cuba’s first multi-national company. According to its site, Bacardi stands out from other rums because of its use of molasses sourced from “the best sugarcane in the world” and a unique strain of yeast and local spring water.

We tested the rum-based co*cktails in the flavor Bahama Mama, which are crafted with cane sugar, sparkling water and, of course, Bacardi rum. Most testers enjoyed the tropical hints of orange, red berries and pineapple and Grumet Segal even wrote: “It tastes like the Caribbean,” likening it to a sweet rum punch. Lauson felt it was “very bubbly and sweet” and Bloss found it to “taste like candy.” Tracy thought they were the best-tasting rum drink of the bunch, although she agreed it was sweeter than she was accustomed to.

Talkhouse Encore Spirits

Talkhouse Encore cans are ready-to-drink co*cktails in all kinds of spirits inspired by Stephen Talkhouse, a family-owned, intimate music space in Amagansett, New York —a.k.a the Hamptons. In fact, on its site, every canned co*cktail comes with a uniquely curated, beachy playlist.

All co*cktails are made with real vodka and tequila and are available in flavors like iced tea and lemonade vodka sodas, lime vodka soda, grapefruit tequila soda, blood orange tequila soda, Hampton mule and cranberry vodka soda. We taste-tested the mule and blood orange tequila soda, which are only 100 calories per can at an ABV of 5%. I thought the blood orange flavor tasted like Sunny D and found the lime vodka soda option quite light and refreshing. However, our testers were not “wowed” by the cans and thought Cutwaters could be a better choice for a variety pack. Of the two, our testing team preferred the Hamptons mule due to its authentic ginger twist.

Horton co*cktails

It’s often said you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but in this case, we couldn’t resist gravitating towards the groovy packaging on Horton’s colorful cans. Horton was founded by Krista Horton, whose go-to drink was always “coconut rum mixed with diet (cola)” and wanted to share this concoction with the world.

These pastel-clad cans come in various versions of its standard coconut rum, including pineapple soda, lime soda and diet kola at an ABV of 7%. We tested the coconut rum and pineapple soda cans, which were a crowd-pleaser, although many found the coconut flavor too powerful. Tracy, our resident Diet co*ke lover, appreciated the diet kola can and thought it tasted like a Poppi. Flores appreciated that both flavors didn’t taste too sugary and agreed she would buy this for an outing with friends. We all concluded the packaging was the most impressive element of the canned co*cktails.

Dos Equis Michelada

Mexican beer brand Dos Equis is known and loved for its authentic Mexican cerveza, or golden pilsner-style beer. When we heard it had micheladas in a can, we knew we had to get our hands on them. A michelada is a spicy Mexican co*cktail made from light beer, fresh lime juice, and, the most important flavor of all, chile. We were bold and tried the original flavor, which is made with tomato juice, lime, and spices at an ABV of 4.1%. They also come in mango and pineapple flavors, which I think would be great in a tajín-rimmed glass.

If you like Bloody Mary’s, you’ll enjoy this flavorful, tomato-ful Michelada co*cktail. If you despise piquant canned co*cktails, this may not be the choice for you. Upon first sip, this co*cktail is an interesting blend of savory flavors you normally wouldn’t expect from a beer. Bloss, for example, didn’t enjoy this flavor combination but I liked the heat combined with lime juice. Remember, this may be a bold choice for those who aren’t prone to tangier flavors.

Cutwater Tequila Seltzers

If you’ve walked into any liquor store, you’ve probably seen Cutwater Spirits or vodka. The San Diego-based company distills a portfolio of spirits including whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, tequila and liqueurs but we stuck to the tequila variety and vodka canned co*cktails for this test.

We found the Cutwaters to be a hit-or-miss experience. Some of our testers loved flavors like the vodka mule and tequila Paloma but disliked the vodka-based tiki rum mai tai and were highly contested on the vodka-based espresso martini.

The Cutwater espresso martini is made with Cutwater vodka, coffee cream liqueur, cold brew coffee flavors and, surprisingly enough, contains milk, all at an ABV of 13%.Kraus enjoyed this flavor and thought it would taste even better chilled and Lauson agreed, describing it as a “delicious latte,” while some, like Triolo, found it too reminiscent of an iced coffee. Bloss wrote that “it can’t compete with the real thing.” Tracy found the mai tai, which is made with Cutwater rum and notes of pineapple, coconut and citrus, to be very boozy and Flores described it as “way too artificial.”

I enjoyed the tequila paloma thanks to the addition of grapefruit soda but Stone found it too sweet. Stella thought the vodka mule, made with ginger beer and lime flavors, had a respectable ginger taste. The bottom line? There could be something for everyone, if you pick a pack with a spirit you’re a fan of … just make sure to enjoy them chilled.