Credit: BABE
Food and Drink
Best canned drinks for picnics: cocktails, wine and non-alcoholic
By Megan Murray
Updated 4 years ago
Canned cocktails, wines and luxe soft drinks are the picnic essential of this summer. These are the coolest ones out there from brands big and small.
In the wake of the pandemic, food and drink trends have become even more creative. As many of us try and create a special experience at home, there’s been an influx of experimental concoctions from innovative hospitality brands.
From wine clubs to keep your cupboards stocked to cocktail kits that let you be the bartender, we’ve loved watching these trends grow – and there’s one that’s going to be particularly big for summer: canned cocktails.
While cans may have a bad rep for affecting the flavour of an alcoholic drink, advancements in technology mean that many brands are finding a way around this and using materials that, they claim, actually protect the taste of the product.
As such, canned wines and cocktails are becoming more popular. And, now that picnicking is back in a big way and socialising outside looks set to be a prominent theme for the summer, we think this is about to become the libation of choice.
If alcohol isn’t your thing, the good news is there’s also lots of low or non alcoholic options to add to your picnic basket, too.
Please always remember to drink responsibly.
OTO
OTO creates a range of refreshing seltzers which are alcohol-free and enhanced with CBD.
The idea came from a group of friends who are passionate about how they feel CBD can help with a range of issues, from sleeplessness to anxiety. They recognised that this ingredient was often miss-sold and poorly packaged, and wanted to create a delicious product with a stylish, modern take.
There are three canned seltzers in the OTO collection, each named after the claimed benefits for drinking it, including focus, amplify and balance. They can be enjoyed alone as a cool drink on a hot day or use as a mixer with alcohol.
RedLeg x Franklin & Sons
Get the picnic party started with RedLeg Spiced Rum x Franklin & Sons’ ready-to-drink cans. RedLeg Spiced Rum is all about recreating the laid-back spirit of island life and is actually named after a hermit crab which spends its days roaming the beach. Sounds good, right?
The brand’s newest flavours are a delicious mix of sweet and fiery, including vanilla-and-ginger-spiced rum and Franklin & Sons 1886 cola, as well as sweet caramelised pineapple rum mixed with ginger ale.
Pocket Negroni
How cute is this little guy? With colourful packaging and a fun illustration, this cocktail in a can makes for a nice addition to a picnic.
We also love, though, that inside is an expertly mixed negroni. After all, how often do you get to sip on a cocktail bar-worthy tipple in the park?
AA Badenhorst Curator wine cans bundle
Enjoy wine on the go from one of South Africa’s top producers with this bundle which offers a seletion of red, white and rosé.
From the white wine expect an easy-drinking mix of ripe orchard fruits, with hints of pear and baked apple. The rosé has notes of rhubarb and custard candies, strawberry compote and a pink grapefruit and the red pairs well with dried meats and cheeses. Perfect for picnics in the park.
East London Liquor RTD collection
This trio of canned spirit and mixers from the oh-so-cool East London Liquor Company includes two dry gin and grapefruit-infused tonics and an East London rum and ginger beer, with a delicious hint of fiery chilli.
Shop East London Liquor RTD Collection at The Whisky Exchange, £5.95 for three
Two Brooks Hard Seltzer collection
Bring the bar to the park with this trio of canned cocktails from Two Brooks.
This bundle includes a lime cooler, fruity mango hi-ball, and tropical passion star. We recommend taking some ice and garnishes with you to really get the party started.
Shop Two Brooks Hard Seltzer collection at The Whiskey Exchange, £6.95 for three cans
BABE rosé and white wine with bubbles
BABE is the canned wine brand with a personality; the ‘about us’ section warns anyone feeling snobby to “get over yourself”. It comes from internet sensation Josh Ostrovsky, a.k.a. ‘The Fat Jewish’ who says the concept is all about having fun.
Wines are available in packs of 12 or 24. This mixed pack includes both a French rosé with bubbles and a Spanish white wine with bubbles. All wines are vegan and gluten free, and they can be found in Sainsbury’s if you don’t fancy ordering online.
Shop rosé and white wine with bubbles at BABE, £27 (was £29)
6 O'Clock Gin
Artisanal British gin maker, 6 O’clock Gin, is a family-run distillery with over 30 years experience in making fruity liqueurs and small batch gins.
Now, this Bristol-based brand has developed a ‘ready to drink’ range of gin and tonics in a can so that you can enjoy its smooth flavours while sunning yourself in the park.
Pick between exotic orange and damson and ginger, as well as classic and light versions of their classic London Dry and tonic.
Clean Co
CleanRum is a low alcohol alternative to traditional Jamaican rum, giving those who don’t like to get too tiddly another option.
CleanRum combines sweet caramel notes and cayenne pepper spice with cola for a mixed drink that is only 0.5% alcoholic, and delicious.
HUN selection box
HUN is an east London-based brand which sources premium wine from South Africa and cans it to create the UK’s first Fairtrade wine in a can. And it’s fully recyclable and vegan friendly, too. Impressive, huh?
It’s also got some big time investors including ex-BrewDog CEO & Red Bull director Andy Shaw and Waitrose executive James Bailey, so it looks like HUN knows its stuff.
Currently HUN has three wines available: rosé, rosé with bubbles and a sauvignon blanc. This selection box gives you a taste of all three, packing either two or four cans of each.
Easy Social Cocktail
Friends Imie, Hebe and Nate love the feeling of being in a lively bar when the atmosphere is electric and everyone is having a good time. But according to them, this great mix of chatting, drinking and dancing should be able to happen anywhere.
That’s why they created Easy Social Cocktail Co, so that people would have the freedom to take a delicious drink with them and create a great atmosphere wherever they want.
There’s a brilliant selection of canned cocktails to choose from including peach cosmopolitan, mango margarita, apple highball and limited edition tipples such as the super strawberry negroni in collaboration with East London Liquor Co.
Bodega Bay Hard Seltzer apple and cherry
Fancy enjoying a tipple without that boozy taste? Well, why not try some refreshing, alcoholic sparkling water?
It may sound a bit ‘out there’ but Bodega Bay reckon that drinking is an important part of our culture, and that it’s possible to offer a healthy, less sugary option.
Fix8
Kombucha has earned a reputation as the on-trend way to drink, but without consuming any alcohol. And, from the branding to the flavours, Fix8 exudes an of-the-moment cool.
Fix8 is crafted in small batches in the traditional way at the brand’s London microbrewery to create a tart, fermented flavour.
Images: courtesy of brands
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