Top Can Cocktails For Summer 2023

Okay y'all, I've been teasing you with this list for weeks, and that's because I've been carefully trying can cocktails and going to different stores to cover my bases. I haven't tested everything, but I feel like I finally have a good list of top can cocktails to share. And believe me, there are quite a few that did not make the list.

On a side note, grocery stores like HEB can't sell real liquor in Texas, so these are mainly malt beverages.

The is how I made my list:

• It must be a single-serve cocktail or wine spritzer

• I didn't even try most major name-brand products (Sorry, Budweiser, and Malibu).

• I specifically excluded most seltzers and ciders because the options are endless and frankly they each feel like a slightly different category.

• It doesn't have to exclusively be in a can, but that has a nice ring to it for the title, so I'm keeping it.

• Occasionally I break my own rules.

My 6 Favorite Can Cocktails For Summer 2023

Let's just go in order from top to bottom with my faves.

#1

Watertight Cocktails - Margarita, Mango Sipper and Guava Paloma

These are consistently my favorite canned cocktails and every flavor is delicious. Compared to other canned or bottled margaritas I tried, this one has an overall lighter taste and is just really pleasant and easy to sip, or as they put it "lighter and more crushable".

They also use simple ingredients - just alcohol, sparkling water,and real fruit juice

This also happens to be a Texas Small Business, so go support, y'all!

#2

Line 39 Hint of Strawberry Rosé Spritzer

I've often referred people to these rose spritzers, that are light yet flavorful and only 100 calories per can. They are made with rosé wine, sparkling water, and a hint of strawberry, and I just think they're absolutely lovely on a hot Texas day.

#3

Topo Chico Margaritas

Okay, this is where I'm going to break some of my rules because Topo Chico is owned by Coca-Cola now, and it's classified as a seltzer... but I'm adding it because it both doesn't taste like a seltzer and Topo Chico has become such an iconic and beloved Texas brand. Plus, these are just really good.

These Topo Chico margaritas are a bit more tart/sour than the Watertight Cocktails, and the overall flavor is delightful. I tried the signature margarita and the strawberry hibiscus. Other brands seem to struggle with a canned margarita flavor, but this one nails it.

#4

JuneShine Hard Kombucha - Yumberry

JuneShine hard kombucha is really tasty, and it just had to make this list because it's also gut-friendly. Y'all, since I hit 30, I have to take Tums to drink and the fact that something can both have alcohol and be gut-friendly is sort of mind-blowing.

There's a Sunset Pack in select HEB stores now with four flavors: grapefruit, black cherry, yumberry and mango daydream. My favorite is the yumberry.

Full disclosure, I have done some brand deals with JuneShine recently, but they did not pay me to be included on this list.

#5

Pirate Water Sex on the Beach

This was a last-minute addition to my list, as I recently found this Sex on the Beach can in the grab-and-go options at my small HEB in Cedar Park. It's so delicious that I had to add it.

This one is sweeter, a little more of a juice-taste. It also has 10% alcohol but isn't overly strong. One of these would be all I need for an evening chilling on my back porch.

#6

Lagunitas Disorderly Tea - Mixed-Up Berries

If you haven't been able to tell by now, I really dig berry-flavored drinks. I like that I could find this one sold separately to try and it was pretty tasty. It does have a strong tea taste.

And that's the end of my top 6. But taste is subjective and I also wanted to mention these canned cocktails that might make YOUR top list, even if they weren't in mine.

More Summer Can Cocktails Worth Noting:

Blue Norther Ranch Water

Now, I just think Ranch Waters aren't my thing, but there's SO much to love about this brand. Blue Norther is a father & son team from Austin, TX and they're both named Austin. If that's not cool enough, they have some of the most gorgeous can designs I've ever seen.

They're made with real fruit, organic agave and are gluten free. The La Pina is good if you love pineapple taste, I've heard from some of my followers that it's their fave. My bestie also liked the paloma picante, although it's not very spicy.

Beatbox Beverages

If you ain't playing around and you want to feel the buzz, Beatbox is a good one to try. They're 11.1% alcohol and you do taste it. These are also sweeter than some of the other options on my list, more like a party punch, and they're larger at 16.9 fl oz.

Thanks to them sending me a couple boxes, I tasted every flavor in their mix pack as well as their hard tea. Tropical was my #1, followed by peach punch.

Taffer's Mixologist Strawberry Basil Craft Cocktail

I debated on this one and kept drinking it hoping an answer would come to me, and ultimately I omitted it from my top list because the overall balance was a little too sweet for me. But at only 100 calories, I still think it's worth trying if you like a flavor like this. I also saw a pineapple coconut one. Spotted these at Leander 2.

What canned cocktails did I miss? Let me know in the comments.