Ready-to-Drink Canned Cocktail Summer

Ready-to-drink (RTD) canned cocktails are on the rise this summer. But are they here to stay, or will they vanish with the warm weather this fall?

As we walk down the aisles of our local liquor store, we see many ready-to-drink canned cocktail options. When we open the fridge and let the condensation clear, our eyes pass over packaging in an assortment of colors with patterns and designs. Red. Blue. Starbursts. Butterflies. We see new appealing options, promising bursts of flavor. Next month, many of these flavors are gone, vanishing into the fog, never to be seen again. Other brands, however, stay. Their branding becomes familiar. They’re staples on the shelf, supplies waxing and waning but always replenished.

We’ve compiled a list of delicious RTD canned cocktail brands that you can find at a liquor store near you. These are the brands you can believe in. These are the brands you can depend on. All of the brands on our list are available nationally (sometimes internationally) and have staying power in an ever-changing market. We list these in no particular order. They all have their own particular benefits and a range of flavors. Read our flavor reviews in the provided links.

NÜTRL Vodka Seltzer

NÜTRL is a Canadian vodka seltzer brand that recently moved into the US. They are already available nationwide. NÜTRL Vodka Seltzers are available in a range of flavors. They first released a Fruit Variety pack with Pineapple, Watermelon, Raspberry, and Mango. After the Fruit Variety Pack, they released a Lemonade Pack with Classic Lemonade, Blackberry Lemonade, Peach Lemonade, and Strawberry Lemonade. All of their seltzers come with a simple list of ingredients: NÜTRL vodka, seltzer water, and fruit juice. Each of their flavors contains 100 calories and only 2.3 grams of carbs and sugar, making this an excellent choice for those who care about tracking their daily nutritional intake. They’re also a low alcohol choice, coming in at 4.5% ABV.

Read our reviews of NÜTRL Vodka Seltzers.

High Noon Sun Sips Hard Seltzer

While technically a hard seltzer, High Noon Sun Sips is a spirits-based seltzer that prides themself on straddling both the hard seltzer and RTD categories. In fact, they took first place as the most popular RTD brand, according to Drizly. Like NÜTRL, High Noon keeps their alcohol content at 4.5% ABV and their calorie content at 100 calories per can. Each can’s sugar and carb content varies, however, ranging between 2.3 – 2.9 grams. High Noon has a range of single fruit flavors, including Peach, Pineapple, Mango, Guava, Kiwi, Lime, Watermelon, Grapefruit, and Black Cherry. Their ingredients are real vodka and real juice.

Read our reviews of High Noon Sun Sips Hard Seltzer.

Cutwater Spirits Canned Cocktails

Cutwater Spirits is one of the most popular RTD brands out there, ranking #2 in RTD brands according to Drizly at the close of 2021 after High Noon. One thing to be aware of with this brand is that their nutritional values vary greatly. Many of their fruit flavors keep to 99 calories and 0 grams of carbs, but their cocktail-inspired varieties run up to 525 calories and 70 grams of carbs. Their alcohol content also ranges greatly, going from 5% ABV to 13% ABV. As long as you keep that in mind, we highly recommend giving Cutwater Spirits a try. The RTD brand has won over 2,000 awards across their portfolio. Their portfolio includes a range of spirit bases, including vodka, gin, tequila, whiskey, and rum.

Read our reviews of Cutwater Spirits Canned Cocktails.

Canteen Spirits/Cantina Spirits Canned Cocktails

Canteen Spirits is an RTD brand with adventurers and outdoors lovers in mind. Similar to Cutwater, Canteen Spirits utilizes multiple spirits, including gin, vodka, and tequila. Their canned cocktails come in a range of flavors across their different expressions, including Strawberry, Ruby Red, Cucumber Mint, Black Cherry, Lime, Pineapple, and Watermelon Vodka Sodas. Cantina Tequila Sodas come in Ranch Water, Watermelon Margarita, and Grapefruit Paloma. The Gin Spritz line comes in Blossom, Ruby, and Citrus. These canned cocktails range slightly in their alcohol content from 5% ABV – 5.6% ABV. However, all Canteen Spirits flavors keep to 99 calories per can and zero grams of sugar. Their carb content ranges between 0 – 2 grams per can as well. If you want a delicious full-flavor canned cocktail but don’t want a high carb, sugar, and calorie content, these are a great option for you.

Read our reviews of Canteen Spirits Canned Cocktails.

Long Drink

The Finnish Long Drink is a canned cocktail brand that is — as the name suggests — from Finland. No surprises there, but what is intriguing is that the Long Drink is a drink with a history. The Finnish government invented the Long Drink after World War II when their small country was struggling to provide drinks to the attendees of the Summer Games of 1952. The drink is traditionally made with citrus soda and gin, and that’s how this brand makes their cocktail. Unlike the other brands we featured in this article, the Finish Long Drink only makes variations on one cocktail, but they do it with authority.

Movie star Miles Teller tasted the Finnish Long Drink and was captivated by the canned cocktail’s delicious taste and history. He is now a part-owner of the brand. For variations on the cocktail, the Finish Long Drink comes in Traditional and Cranberry, both of which have a 5.5% ABV. The brand also comes in Finish Long Drink Zero with zero sugar and a 5% ABV and Finish Long Drink Strong with a higher alcohol content of 8.5% ABV. The Finnish Long Drink Zero has 99 calories and 0 grams of carbs and sugar. If you love gin cocktails, we highly recumbent you give these delicious beverages a try.

Read our reviews of the Finish Long Drink Canned Cocktails.

Want to find your perfect hard seltzer or canned cocktail? Try our new Seltzer Finder! You can search by flavor, ABV, carbs, and more to discover your ideal beverage.