If you were to imagine yourself sipping on an Aperol Spritz, we can bet that this dreamed-up situation would include some warm weather and lovely views. 

That’s because spritzes are the perfect summer drink. Characterised as a wine-based cocktail with a refreshing glug of soda, this is what picnics were made for. 

Which is why pre-mixed cocktail specialists Kocktail has created a summer spritz selection box especially for al fresco dining and drinking. Curated by professional bartenders, freshly made and delivered directly through your letterbox, the pack contains four cocktails: rhubarb and cucumber spritz, lychee and elderflower spritz, Venice Beach spritz and an Earl Grey spritz.

The customer experience has also been well thought out. For example, each drink comes in a cute, little bottle with fun, bright packaging which feels like a treat. To explain its origin and how to serve it, each bottle also has an accompanying instructions card and garnish which is packed away in an air-tight pouch. 

Shop summer spritz selection box at Kocktail, £29 

Launched in February 2021, STIR-UP was born out of a shared love by founders Lauren Stevenson and Virginia Norris, for creating great tasting drinks to be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home. STIR-UP bring a monthly cocktail experience directly through your door with easy to use individual ingredients for minimum waste and maximum variety. 

Working as either a subscription service (priced from £34.95 for a single box, £32.95 per month for a three-month subscription and £29.95 a month for a six-month subscription), STIR-UP bring stylised versions of the classics such as the Cosmopolitan, Espresso Martini, Mai Tai, Negroni and Picante straight to your door. 

The week before your STIR-UP box arrives, you will receive the STIR-UP Shopping List. This ensures you have the right glasses, tools, garnishes, ice and music, ready to stir, shake, pour and share at home. Bringing the bar to you never looked better. 

Shop a selection of cocktail boxes at STIR-UP, from £29.95 

Hush Mayfair is one of west London’s most desirable dining spots with a boutique aesthetic, cosy outdoor terrace and award-winning cocktail bar.

They’ve teamed up with Nio Cocktails to create a glamorous drinks box to make your night in as fancy as a night out.

There are three box options for you to choose from; negroni, gimlet and old fashioned. Each one comes with two pre-made cocktail pouches which you can pour straight over ice and a gorgeous set of glasses.

Of course, the glassware included is as stylish as can be, designed by Avery with 1960s influences and a gold rim. The style of glasses you’ll receive depends on your chosen cocktail, as Hush wants to ensure that the experience will feel as fabulous as the one they provide in their restaurant.

Those ordering a gimlet will find two coupes, while those who favour a negroni or old fashioned will be treated to short ‘on the rocks’ glasses instead.

Shop Townhouse by Hush boxes at Hush, £50

Run by a small team of wine fanatics, Peckham Cellars is an exciting south London company with lots to offer. Though at the heart of what they do is wine (as sourced from small scale wine-makers “who take pride in their product”, might we add), their love of great drinks has expanded to cocktails. 

The team deliver their bottled cocktails nationwide and, among the selection you’ll find your favourite classics. There are 500ml bottles of old fashioned, margarita and pornstar martini on offer, but a true favourite has to be the negroni. 

Shop Troo Cocktails Negroni at Peckham Cellars, £25

Think of the Cocktail Porter as your very own butler, concerned only with ensuring that the most delicious tipples are delivered straight to your home. 

The Cocktail Porter’s cocktail kits come brilliantly presented in a letterbox-style brown box, stuffed full with beautifully packaged ingredients and information on how to stir up something stiff in your kitchen. 

We particularly like the J&B Rare Scotch Whisky Sours collection. Nothing is too much trouble for the porter, and so you’ll find rustic dehydrated fruit for garnishing, foaming bitters to get experimental with and sweet syrups for flavouring. 

The whole kit includes no less than six mini J&B Rare Scotch Whisky bottles, fresh lemons, pineapple syrup, spiced apple syrup, cinnamon syrup, foaming bitters, two dehydrated lemons, dehydrated caramelised pineapples, dehydrated cinnamon apples and cinnamon sticks.

Shop J&B Rare Scotch Whisky Sours collection at Cocktail Porter, £41.95

Sipful is the stylish brand which is making drinking crowd-pleasing cocktails at home, easier. 

The interactive element of putting together a cocktail in the comfort of your abode can be fun, but if you’re looking for a tipple you can just grab from the fridge ready made, we like Sipful’s ease and options.

Choose between orange mimosa, peach bellini and blood orange mimosa in a can, which come either in themed boxes (such as designed for lockdown) or in a pack of 12.

Shop canned cocktails at Sipful, from £14.95

Everything Hawsmoor does is imbued with quality and, although we can’t enjoy the restaurant’s in-house experiences right now, its at-home cocktail kit is no different. 

This luxurious set includes four large pre-made bottled cocktails which are ready to pour over ice into your favourite glass. Each one should be enough for two serves, so you can enjoy with your roomie.

Each cocktail has been designed and crafted by the Hawksmoor team with rich, smokey flavours like the fuller-fat martini which mixes Woodford Reserve bourbon, tonka bean and brown butter or the sour cherry negroni with Hepple gin, rose vermouth, Campari and our cherry. 

While the Hepple gimlet (with Hepple gin, blackcurrant leaf cordial, lemon) and ultimate dry martini (Hepple gin, Hawksmoor vermouth blend, Filicudi lemon oil) are best served slightly frozen, into a frozen glass. Exciting!

Shop bottled cocktails at Hawksmoor, from £12

The perfect gin and tonic is an elusive thing, but Bolney Wine Estate is here to help you make your own.

You see, the Bolney Wine Estate knows a thing or two about whipping up a good drink. This charming Sussex-based vineyard started back in 1972 and currently has three generations of the founder’s family still working there. 

With a passion for alcohol, and of course specifically wine, the estate has developed its own make-at-home cocktail kits which include spirits, liquors and mixers of their expert preference.

Although there are many to choose from (you can browse these on the website), we particularly like the gin and tonic kit as it gives you the chance to try the estate’s own gin and comes with three tubes of premium botanicals to garnish your drink.

Shop Bolney perfect serve gin kit at Bolney Wine Estate, £56.99

NIO is different because instead of sending lots of bits and bobs, chunky bottles or wasteful materials, its smart and sustainable in the way it packs its drinks. You see, each cocktail its poured into a paper envelope-like package, meaning it’s packaged flat. Innovative, right? 

These envelopes can therefore be stacked into a letter box-friendly parcel which makes delivering them easy, too. Each box includes three, six or nine ready to pour cocktails. All you need to do is open the corner and serve with ice. The packaging is minimalistic and neutral, with a clean-cut feel. 

NIO’s cocktails are often strong and spirit-based, with drinks like negroni, gimlets and whisky sours on the menu. But you can build your own box to ensure you only get what you like. 

Shop mini box of three cocktails at NIO, £19.50

The range of kits is incredible, with lots of cult recipes and exciting blends you might not have heard of. We particularly like the look of the ‘Luxe Chocolate Espresso Martini Cocktail Experience’ pictured above, but we wouldn’t say no to a Raspberry Rose Gin Fizz, Rhubarb and Ginger Negroni or Luxe Blueberry and Lavender Sour, either. 

Boxes have a luxurious look and feel, finished in a royal blue and gold art-deco design and come with instructions on how to make your cocktail at home. The only warning we will give you, though, is that not absolutely everything is included. For example, the expresso martini kit includes Absolut Vanilla Vodka, Coffee and Chocolate Sliqueur and dark chocolate to garnish but you’ll need your own shaker and expresso. 

You can either order a cocktail you like from browsing through the boxes on the website or sign up for a subscription and get a surprise. Each box has enough ingredients to make four cocktails.

Shop Luxe Chocolate Espresso Martini Cocktail Experience at The Cocktail Man, £29.95