Why You Might Want To Think Twice Before Buying Canned Cocktails With Citrus Juice

Food and beverage trends come and go, but one thing's for sure: In the modern age, it's all about canned cocktails. People are ditching draft beer to sip on vivacious canned creations instead. While we applaud the masses for helping the world of ready-to-drink Moscow mules and vibrant negronis flourish, there is one category of canned cocktails we think is best to avoid. Here's why you might want to think twice before buying canned cocktails with citrus juice.

While the thought of sipping on a ready-made margarita or lemon drop sounds effortlessly enticing, it's not all roses. The taste of fresh citrus juices changes the longer it sits around, evolving from a sweet and bright elixir to an underwhelming or even overly bitter mess. This process can happen within anywhere between hours or weeks — even batching citrus cocktails is frowned upon. 

To keep this phenomenon from happening, some canned cocktail brands have opted for easy alternatives to citrus juice and are filling their products with citric acids instead. These additives mimic the smell and taste of citrus juice, but it's a noticeably different experience. Simply put, your convenient cocktail could be full of synthetic ingredients, resulting in a lower-quality beverage and overall drinking experience. 

Now, we're not saying you should shun the canned citrus category entirely, but be cautious about what brands you're buying. Do your research to find out what ingredients you should be looking for in your canned cocktails. It might mean some extra time spent scouring the internet ahead of a shopping trip, but it's better than wasting any hard-earned cash on a letdown of a drink. 

Due to some unavoidable challenges with cocktail ingredients and shelf lives, there are plenty of other canned cocktails ingredients that are markedly different from fresh. From artificial flavorings to stabilizers, these additions don't mean that these drinks are unsafe — they're just different from fresh drinks. Pick up brands depending on your personal preferences. What are you willing to sacrifice for ease? The quality of some brands is lower than others, which is again why research is so key.

Still, some things just can't be beaten, and the taste of fresh citrus juice is one of them. Don't take drinks with synthetic acid for the sake of convenience. Some experiences in life are meant to be savored, and that perfectly tangy sip of citrus is one of them.