The 4th of July is approaching is almost here – everyone is planning their barbecue menu and deciding what drinks to bring. When you picture an Independence Day celebration, you might imagine grilling burgers and enjoying an ice-cold beverage—but what drink do you reach for? Beer, hard seltzers and sodas are all pretty standard, but now there’s an easy way to take your 4th of July menu to the next level: canned cocktails. Celebrate with ready-made cocktails that feature bourbon, the USA’s national drink, or stay refreshed with a classic margarita that’s always a favorite on summer days.
When you’re planning your celebration, you might think gathering the supplies for mixed drinks is too much work. You might have to rely on a sluggish margarita maker. Perhaps you’ll try a cocktail before moving on to something simpler like beer or lemonade. But with canned cocktails, you’ll never have to settle. Find out below how today’s canned mixed drinks are just as refreshing as bar-made cocktails, and how they’re a stress-free way to ensure your 4th of July celebrations go off with a bang.
Don’t Let Drinks Overcomplicate Your Fourth of July Party Planning
The 4th of July is more than an opportunity to get together and enjoy the local fireworks show (or even set off a few in the backyard). It’s a time to have fun together with great food and tasty drinks. Whether you’re celebrating with local friends or family is visiting from out of town, every get-together looks a little different: you might smoke meat in a trusty smoker, grill hamburgers and hotdogs, or enjoy a big potluck. But one thing is true for every celebration: planning the party can be stressful.
While grilling and barbecue are often essential activities for a long celebration that stretches from the afternoon into the evening, here are some helpful tips for the other aspects:
- Assign people things to bring (or have a signup list). This ensures you have a variety of essentials, like buns, condiments, veggies, and desserts, without having everyone show up with a container of macaroni and cheese.
- Go pre-prepared to stay prepared. Traditional family dishes aside, cut down on complications by buying premade sides and desserts. This cuts down on last-minute emergencies and stress.
- Expand the drink menu so there’s something for everyone. Not everyone likes beer, but you don’t want to just stick to soda and water either. Branch out from the standard drink options to include canned cocktails so more people at your party can enjoy a delicious beverage—without having to whip it up by hand.
5 Benefits of Bringing Canned Cocktails to the Party
If cocktails are a new addition to your traditional Independence Day celebration, your guests are in for a treat. But even if your group has dabbled in making backyard margaritas before, switching to ready-to-drink cocktails will take your celebrations to another level. Here are some things partygoers will love about 4th of July celebrations where canned mixed drinks are in the cooler:
Something For Everyone
Everyone has their favorites when it comes to drinks. You’ll have some attendees who are die-hard Coca-Cola fans and others who prefer Pepsi. Beers are no different when it comes to preferences—and that was true even before the boom in craft breweries.
But when it comes to cocktails and mixed drinks, everyone’s palette is much more particular. Some of your guests will love the smooth finish and crisp bitterness of an old-fashioned. Others want a sweet and tangy Mai Tai, while coffee fans will perk up with an espresso martini.
You Become the Hit of the Party—Without the Work
Previously, serving all of these diverse drinks would have been a near-impossible chore that would have taken all the fun out of hosting a 4th-of-July bash. No one wants to spend the whole evening in the kitchen or at the bar cart mixing up single-serve cocktails. While margarita machines can be fun, they’re also slow and messy—and they aren’t a good fit for everyone.
But when you bring a collection of high-quality RTDcocktails to the party, everyone wins. This is a great way for hosts to ensure people have a great time and look forward to any future events at their house. Guests can also curry favor by bringing an assortment of ready-mixed drinks that offer great flavors for everyone and no cleanup for the hosts.
There’s More Than Beer
Beer is a classic for backyard barbecues. But is that because beer is the #1 drink, or because it used to be the only convenient alcohol option? Beer sales have been on a downward trend in recent years, dropping to only 14% of the US alcohol market near the end of 2022. Craft beers are muscling in on major brands, and beer is being increasingly displaced by ciders, hard seltzers, and mixed drinks.
When canned cocktails are available in your local store, or if you plan ahead to order them online, you can offer your guests a diverse menu of drinks that is sure to be a big hit at your get-together.
Don’t Miss the Fireworks
When you’re the host, you have a lot of work to do before and during the party, no matter how conscientious your guests are. But when you do all the prep work ahead of time, such as arranging premade dishes, organizing your kitchen or patio for easy self-service, and filling the cooler with lots of different drinks, you can significantly cut down on work during the party. This means you can chat with guests, play games, and watch the fireworks instead of missing out on the main event..
Cleanup Just Got Easier
No one likes cleaning up after a party. There are lots of dishes. Appliances need to be cleaned, and everything needs to be put back where it goes. But you can cross organizing the bar cart and cleaning up the cups and shakers off your to-do list with premade drinks. All you have to do is recycle the cans once your guests are done enjoying the drinks.
Create Fun Patriotic Recipes
When you have premade drinks in the cooler, you can easily have a little fun with them. Add a bit of color to the margaritas to make them red, white, and blue. Try some jello shots with your favorite cocktail. Pour an espresso martini over a scoop of ice cream for an affogato (and add some patriotic sprinkles for 4th of July flair). The possibilities are endless when the hard work is already taken care of.
How to Choose the Best Canned Cocktails for the Fourth of July
If you think canned cocktails will be a big hit at your Independence Day bash, then now it’s time for the fun part—picking what drinks to provide. Since you don’t have to get the mixers, shakers, and ingredients, you can pick the drinks you want instead of the ones that are easiest to make.
Go Full Americana
Want to stick to a patriotic theme? Order some Old Fashioneds, America’s traditional cocktail. Also have some canned margaritas with premium silver tequila and real lime juice. Need some red for a themed dessert? Opt for some canned cosmopolitan. The best brands will have a wide array of options for you.
Ask Attendees What They Want
Since mixed drinks offer so much convenience, you can even ask your guests what they’d like. If you want the cocktails to be a surprise, you can even do a bit of sleuthing to figure out everyone’s favorite drinks and have them waiting in chilled cans.
Shop Around for a Brand That Uses Real, Authentic, and Refreshing Ingredients
If you’ve ever tried a new fad drink in a can, you might be a bit hesitant about ready-to-drink cocktails. After all, there’s something nice about a newly mixed drink made with high-quality liquors, fresh fruit juice, and tasty syrups—you don’t want preservatives and a tinny taste ruining the experience. That’s why it’s important to look for brands that only deliver drinks made with real ingredients. Here are some tips:
Related: Craft Cocktails in a Can: Yes, There Are Some Great Ones
- You want a short shelf life. If you see canned cocktails with an expiration date two or three years away, put them back on the shelf. Look for ones that have a best-by date that isn’t too far in the future— perhaps around a year or so—because that means they aren’t jam-packed with preservatives or compromising on ingredients.
- Opt for real fruit juice, not citric acid. A common trick for shelf-stable drinks is to use citric acids instead of lime juice. But don’t be fooled—everyone can taste the difference.
- Find brands that deliver real liquors and premium spirits. You can enjoy the same ingredients that you would if you were making the drinks at home: real tequila, real bitters, barrel-aged whiskey, quality liqueurs, etc. You just have to be discerning when you’re shopping.
Load Up Your Cooler at Post Meridiem
Have fun at your 4th of July party, whether you’re the host, manning the grill, or in charge of bringing drinks. At Post Meridiem, we make it even easier to have fun with our selection of delicious, high-quality canned cocktails. We use premium ingredients so you get to enjoy authentic flavors and experience. Visit us online to learn more about our premium, ready-to-drink cocktails and start making every occasion a special occasion.
