We’ve put the best pre-made and canned cocktails to the test to see which ones will not only save you time and effort this festive season, but also taste delicious
Cocktails make a delicious party drink or pre-dinner aperitif, but they can be a bit of a hassle to make, especially if you’re serving lots of people with different requests; you’ll also need a well-stocked liquor cabinet for all the ingredients needed. Which is where pre-mixed cocktails can come in super-handy.
In recent years there’s been a huge increase in single serve, pre-made cocktails hitting the drinks aisles; a world away from super-sweet alcopops we probably remember from our youths, these are sophisticated drinks that you’d find in a posh bar, serving bartender-quality classics such as margaritas, espresso martinis and negronis in handy little cans or bottles. This makes them excellent for parties, dinners and even festivals, and many can also be delivered in gift sets or letterbox-friendly packaging, making them a great present idea for someone who loves good food and drink.
Here are our favourites…
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Kocktail
Gingerbread Espresso Martini, £27 from Kocktail
Kocktail sells a range of different sized bottles, from 500ml bottles that’ll serve five to single-serve measures in letterbox packaging (currently out of stock, but worth keeping an eye on; I like that they include garnishes and recipe cards too). As well as the classics, there are also a few seasonal flavours that make great gifts, including Gingerbread Espresso Martini, Mince Pie Old Fashioned and Winter Spiced Negroni.
Nio
Christmas Cocktail Gift Box of 6, £39 from Nio
Nio is arguably this market leaders in cocktails by post, delivering its recipes in unique square packets. While the classics are great (and strong), Nio also excels at limited-edition collections, including destination-based selections such as Postcards from Japan, and these festive blends. For maximum booze for your buck, the Nio Advent Calendar is still available to buy and contains 12 drawers filled with 24 festive tipples.
Boxtails
Party Piece: Cocktail Collection of 6, £38.99 from Boxtails
Perhaps the most ‘party suitable’ of the bunch, Boxtails’ are easy to drink and not too strong – ideal if you don’t want your party guests to peak too soon. The measures are also a little larger than most of the others here too. For the best value for money for parties. buy the Mystery Bundle, which gets you 24 cocktails for £119.99 – £4.99 a drink.
Moth
Moth: Taster Pack, from £26 for 8 from Moth
You’ll probably have seen Moth cocktails-in-a-can; you’ll find them in supermarkets, and they were what all the cool kids were drinking at Glastonbury this year. I link them for their ease (you can swig them straight out of the can if you like), their stylish packaging and how well they do the classics, including my favourites: margaritas, palomas and negronis.
Moth sells lots of different gift sets at this time of year, and the Taster Pack is a great option if you want to try a bit of everything. (They work out as one of the cheapest too, at £3.25 a can).
Lockdown Liquor & Co
Petite Liquor Box, £36 for 6 from Lockdown Liquor
As its name suggest Lockdown Liquor was started during the pandemic, when proper, bartender-mixed cocktails were unattainable, and since then it has gone on to become one of the most fashionable pre-mixed cocktail brands to have on your shelf. The taste really delivers too; Lockdown Liquor’s Picante is perhaps its most popular, but I prefer this mezcal version.
They also sell crackers, subscriptions and barware.
Pimentae
Tommy’s Margarita Cans, now £28.80 for 8 from Pimentae (was £32)
If you’re a fan of margaritas, spicy or otherwise, you need to know about Pimentae. The brand only makes this cocktail – albeit in a few variations – but it does it really well; these colourful cans go down a dream.
You’ll find lots of options on the website, including 50cl bottles, big bag-in-a-boxes and gift sets.
Edmunds
Build a Box, from £34.95 for 6 from Edmunds
I’ve got a soft spot for Edmunds cocktails as they’re from my home county of Suffolk, and I’m assuming its name is a reference to Bury St Edmunds, where I grew up. I love the little individual bottles with stoppers, and they deliver on taste too. You can build your own boxes, choosing from 11 different recipes, or buy ready-made collections.
