We are now entering the golden age of ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails, and where we’re going, you won’t need your cocktail shaker. The RTD cocktails hitting shelves are so delicious that you might not be able to tell the difference between the can in your hand and a freshly mixed drink from your local bar. (Read more about the rise of the RTD cocktail here.)
We are now entering the golden age of ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails, and where we’re going, you won’t need your cocktail shaker. The RTD cocktails hitting shelves are so delicious that you might not be able to tell the difference between the can in your hand and a freshly mixed drink from your local bar. (Read more about the rise of the RTD cocktail here.)
With more high-end RTD cocktails made with premium ingredients, it’s easy to impress without stress when entertaining guests. It’s as easy as pouring your favorite RTD cocktail in a beautiful glass and adding a garnish, if you’re feeling fancy. And trust us when we say, they won’t be able to tell the difference between if it came from a bottle or a can.
Keep reading for our favorite premium ready-to-drink cocktails, why we love them and how to serve them for maximum wow factor.
On The Rocks makes a wide variety of premium, ready-to-drink cocktails, including their Margarita, Mai Tai, Manhattan, Old Fashioned and more, but their Cosmopolitan is by far one of their most popular cocktails in the collection. Mixing tart, sweet and fruity flavors, the Cosmo is a beloved go-to drink order for a reason. User Norine said it best in her 5-star review on our website: “HANDS DOWN THE BEST PRE-MIXED DRINK I HAD!!!!!!!!! I'm a Cosmo Diva and this tasted like it was mixed in front of me. Thank you for making my brunches this summer easy.”
The name says it all: just pour this premixed margarita over ice and you’d be hard-pressed to differentiate it from a freshly shaken and squeezed marg. This ready-to-drink cocktail is made with Los Rijos Silver Tequila, a premium 100% Blue Weber Agave tequila. Pour it over ice in a glass and garnish with a dehydrated citrus wheel and a salt rim.
If Grey Goose is your vodka of choice, you’ve got to get your hands on their premixed classic martini. It’s made with the premium Grey Goose Vodka we all know and love, dry French vermouth and a dash of orange bitters. Elegant, clean and timeless, this is the perfect cocktail to serve your girlfriends at your next book club meeting. Garnish with a skewered blue cheese olive for a bite of creamy, savory goodness that’s just *chef’s kiss*.
When we say this cocktail tastes freshly mixed, it’s because it is...kind of. The Glenlivet has pioneered a genius “twist and mix” bottle where a capsule of natural cocktail flavorings is dropped into the rest of the bottle when you twist the cap off. While we’re all for serving premixed cocktails and letting guests think you mixed it yourself, you may want to make this the exception so your party guests can watch the magic happen with a twist of the cap. It’s no one-trick pony, though; the cocktail inside is a deliciously smooth Manhattan made with premium The Glenlivet Scotch. Sláinte!
When it comes to cocktail-mixing difficulty, an Old Fashioned is on the easy end...but sometimes even muddling that dang sugar cube is too much work. This is why it’s a good idea to keep a bottle of the 91-rated, Wine Enthusiast, Cooper’s Mark Old Fashioned on your bar cart; just pour it in your favorite rocks glass and enjoy. It drinks super smooth with Cooper’s Mark Bourbon, hints of citrus and bitters and finishes with notes of caramel and spice. Garnish with a Fabbri Amarena Cherry for that classic je ne sais quoi the Old Fashioned is known for.
Batch & Bottle has premixed cocktails down to a science, offering ready-to-drink selections like their Glenfiddich Scotch Manhattan and Reyka Rhubarb Cosmopolitan. If you’re partial to a beautifully botanical drink, Batch & Bottle Hendrick’s Gin Martini is a must-try. It has delightfully complex flavors of cucumber, rose, citrus and herbs. User laurene159 said in their 5-star review on our website, “Batch & Bottle Hendrick’s Gin Martinis are not only tasty but a great size to store in my home bar. I love that I can pour a glass or use this drink as a base for other types of martinis without purchasing so many different items.” Cheers to decluttered bar carts!
Craving an espresso martini? Chill a bottle of Ketel One Espresso Martini, shake, pour it in a martini glass and get to sipping. It’s made with smooth Ketel One Vodka, cold brew coffee liqueur and a touch of simple sugar. Garnish with those three crucial coffee beans and your dinner guests will never know it isn’t a handcrafted cocktail.
The days of muddling jalapeño peppers are over. The Mi Campo Spicy Jalapeño Margarita delivers all the heat you want from a spicy marg without worrying about fishing out spicy seeds later. Made with 100% Blue Weber Agave tequila and real jalapeño peppers, this margarita has flavors of sweet lime, lemongrass, jalapeño and toasted coconut. Just pour it over ice and enjoy — or, better yet, rim your glass with Tajin for an extra kick of citrusy spice on the front end.
Sometimes no-frills is the way to go. Tanqueray’s premixed Negroni is made with just their iconic dry gin, vermouth and bitter orange liqueur. With such a classically balanced and botanical cocktail, nothing else is needed! Just chill, pour into a rocks glass over ice, garnish with an orange peel or dehydrated orange wheel and serve. Pour a few out as a post-meal cocktail next time you have friends or family over for dinner.
While many premixed cocktail makers are nailing the basic margaritas, martinis and Manhattans, don’t think that there aren’t some wild card flavors worth trying. Absolut’s Raspberry Lemonade is a lightly carbonated cocktail that blends the taste of sun-ripened raspberries and fresh lemons for a bubbly, refreshing, sweet-and-sour cocktail that isn’t to be missed. Pour it in a glass and garnish with lemon wheels and/or fresh raspberries for the perfect pool party sipper.
If Bulleit Bourbon is a staple on your spirits shelf, pour out Bulleit’s premixed Old Fashioned cocktail next time you’re enjoying an after-dinner drink and cigar with friends. The sweet oak, nutmeg and light toffee notes of Bulleit’s High-Rye Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey come together with bespoke orange bitters in this spirit-forward ready-to-drink cocktail. Add a few drops of water to open your palate and enjoy neat or on the rocks.
If it’s good enough for Carrie Bradshaw, it’s good enough for us. The Perfect Cosmo by actress Sarah Jessica Parker and RTD cocktail powerhouse Thomas Ashbourne tastes like sweet cranberry with a hint of strawberry, rounded out by freshly squeezed lime and smooth vodka. It’s all-natural, Kosher, gluten-free and, most importantly, perfectly pink! Serve it in an equally pretty-in-pink glass. We can imagine Carrie B sipping her Cosmo out of this while she types out her next spicy column. Thomas Ashbourne has more than just The Perfect Cosmo up its sleeve. Indulge in the velvety richness of their The After Hours Espresso Martini or the zesty kick of their The Margalicious Margarita.
