Don't Dismiss Canned Cocktails Over One Bad Experience

From a perfect margarita to an effervescent spritz, there's a canned cocktail out there for everyone. While the wide variety of options can make for a fun scavenger hunt as imbibers fight to find the best flavors, those options can be just as overwhelming too, and one bad experience could ruin your taste for this category of drinks entirely. Still, with the thousands of canned cocktails out there, we're confident that you can find the right brand and flavor for you.

To help avoid any anxiety about choosing a canned drink, we sat down with the Chief Mixologist and Spirits Educator for Total Wine & More, Molly Horn, to get the lowdown on all things canned cocktails. According to Horn, while some of these drinks might get a bad rap — whether for their lack of quality compared to fresh drinks or otherwise — that doesn't mean you should write off these drinks entirely. 

Some might find the process of finding their drink intimidating, but Horn says there are many ways to help narrow the search so you can be confident about your next selection. "When it comes to trying new canned cocktails, take the time to find (through research or a recommendation) the great ones so you don't give up on the category! Use the advice here and, where possible, ask if the [liquor] store offers tastes!"

Since the popularity of canned cocktails is still relatively new (the hype for these drinks really started booming in the mid-2010s), brands are making strides every day to create better, bolder flavors to exceed expectations. For that reason, Mixologist Molly Horn believes you shouldn't let one lackluster drink ruin the entire experience for you. Even if your first experience is bad for one reason or another, there's hundreds more options to choose from. "I've tasted a few that struggled to capture the bold flavors of a fresh cocktail, which often seems to be from efforts to avoid using sugar," Horn explained. "With that said, there are many fantastic brands out there, innovating and disrupting the category. I'm excited about what's currently on the shelf and what is yet to come!"

Whether from advice from a friend, searching reviews online, or asking for some help from experts at the liquor store, you don't have to scour the shelves alone. For example, you can try learning what ingredients you should be looking for in a canned cocktail. There are countess routes that can lead to a truly delicious drink, so don't pass up the opportunity for some help. Whether you enjoy something sparkling, still, savory, or sweet, your canned cocktail of choice is still out there waiting to be found. (And, if you're open to it, you can even dress up a canned cocktail to make it really fit your flavor vision.)