After suffering through the Atkins Diet, Special K Diet and even the Grapefruit Diet (‘80s and ‘90s babies, we’re looking at you), it feels like we’ve finally entered an age of nutritional nuance. We’re no longer cutting out our favorite foods and drinks entirely, we’re just enjoying them in moderation or with slight modifications to make them a little less sugar- or calorie-rich.
In the wine and spirits space, we’ve been riding the wave of the Sober Curious movement, wherein folks commit to reducing or being mindful of their alcohol intake instead of going cold turkey. Thanks to this renewed attention to drinking clean, we now have more ready-to-drink options on shelves that are lower in calories, carbs and sugar than ever before.
Keep reading for eight of our favorite ready-to-drink cocktails that are ideal for summer sipping. If you're looking for mindful indulgence without sacrificing flavor, get ready to add these to your beach day packing list.
Starting this list off strong with Austin Cocktails, a Texan read-to-drink cocktail with five times distilled vodka, natural ingredients, low carb content and around 100 calories per can. All three flavors are mouth-wateringly tasty, but our favorite is the cucumber vodka sparkling mojito. You can taste the fresh cucumber, lime and mint in every sip, almost like it was just mixed up by a bartender instead of coming out of a can. It’s earthy, refreshing and not too sweet – simply delicious.
Ketel One’s Botanical Spritzes was the brand’s first canned cocktail venture and one of the first clean RTDs on the market, and these 89-calorie cocktails still hit different. Made with vodka, botanicals, natural flavors and sparkling water and containing just 4.5% ABV, Ketel One Botanicals are the perfect spritzes for all-day sipping on the boat, by the pool or at a backyard BBQ. They also come in three delicious flavors, so you can explore all the herbal, floral and fruity flavors these cocktails have to offer.
If you’re a fan of pro golfer John Daly’s anti-country club antics and aesthetics, then you’ve got to try his spiked tea cocktails. The bad boy of golf teamed up with Good Boy Vodka to release an uncarbonated RTD cocktail made with real tea, craft vodka, fruit juice and natural flavors. They’re gluten-free, carb-free, 4.5% ABV and 95 calories each. Plus, Good Boy is committed to helping humans and animals across the country, so it’s good for the soul, too!
Despite the name, these canned cocktails are anything but neutral. Bursting with real fruit flavor and bubbles but sans gluten and added sugar, NÜTRL Vodka Seltzers are only 100 calories each and contain 4.5% ABV for easy drinking. They’ve added tons of flavors to their vodka seltzer lineup, but if you’re craving something a little different (and not as sweet as most hard sodas), try the cranberry variety pack. The tartness of the cranberry cuts the sweetness while keeping it fruity and refreshing for Florida summer sipping.
Florida pool party rule #1: If you’re not rolling up with a High Noon variety pack under your arm, you’re not coming correct. Real vodka, real fruit juice, no gluten or added sugar, 100 calories per can, 4.5% ABV and tons of tasty flavors to choose from...need we say more? High Noon has branched out into tequila seltzer and vodka iced tea varieties as well, so you’re sure to find a can that calls to you.
Crooked Teas were made for those who are more likely to reach for an AriZona Tea than a soda at the gas station for a hot day pick-me-up. These spiked teas check all the usual boxes (zero carbs, sugar and gluten), but they’re also USDA Certified Organic, Kosher and vegan, too. But hey, don’t take our word for it: aptly named ABC guest I Don’t Do Reviews said in their 5-star review of the peach pack on our site: “I don't really write reviews on stuff but I wanted people to know that this is probably the best hard tea out there. YOU CAN SMELL THE PEACH FUZZ AS SOON AS YOU CRACK IT!!”
If that doesn’t make you peachy keen to try this hard tea, we don’t know what will.
If you always have a bottle of Casamigos Tequila on your bar cart for margarita mixing, save yourself a step and stock your fridge with Casamigos Margaritas. Crafted with their famous blanco tequila, triple sec and real juice, these RTD cocktails are 135 calories each, 10% ABV and non-carbonated. Plus, get a load of these fresh flavors: classic lime, guava-hibiscus, passionfruit-prickly pear and strawberry-Colima lime. We’ll take uno of each, por favor.
When you’re craving a paloma or cantarito on the go, grab a pack of Mamitas Tequila Cocktails. These delicious tequila seltzers are gluten-free and contain 95 calories, 5% ABV and less than 2 grams of sugar per can. Each pack has four flavors: pineapple, paloma, mango and lime. Pro tip: grab a mini shaker of Tajin as well and shake it onto the lip of your can between sips to get that spicy rimmed goodness without the mess.
