What Goes Into a Bar? (No, this isn’t the start of a bad joke)
There’s just something about a well-stocked bar. Not everyone has a dedicated space for a bar, but even a beverage cart has an air of sophistication: premium spirits on full display, just asking for a self-taught mixologist to get creative and wow guests. Today, remarkable premade canned cocktails are making a grand appearance, adding intrigue and variety without all the fuss.
Stocking a cocktail bar can be fun, but it can also be expensive and take up quite a bit of space. According to MasterClass, every bar should have at least one brand of:
- Vodka
- Gin
- Tequila
- Rum
- Whiskey
- Liqueurs, such as Amaretto, Campari, Cointreau and Vermouth
Then there are the mixers, the essential ingredients that balance the spirits and bring sweetness, tang, herbiness, spice or fizz. You’ll need the staples, like cranberry and citrus juices, Coke, club soda and tonic. There are also the ingredients that amateurs often skip over yet mature drinkers appreciate: bitters, simple syrup (made from equal parts water and sugar), and flavored syrups, like Grenadine. Some bar snobs go as far as bottling their own sour mix, mixing simple syrup with lemons and limes.
Don’t forget the garnishes. They can take a cocktail from basic to beautiful with little effort. From olives, cherries, oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit to herbs, fruits and veggies, you can quickly elevate any cocktail.
If unopened, spirits will last for years (just dust off those bottles so it isn’t apparent), but once opened, it’s best to replace them after eight months if you want to retain the full flavor. You will need to check the expiration dates on the mixers and keep the garnishes fresh.
Of course, you need all the glass types and tools, too, like a jigger, shaker, and utensils to fashion the garnishes. It’s also a great idea to have a bartender’s guide nearby, just to be sure you know exactly what proportions of which ingredients to use, as balance is what makes the perfect cocktail. With all of this in stock, you are ready to make classic cocktail recipes for your guests.
Or You Could Try Something Different
If all of this sounds a bit labor-intensive and costly, you do have options. You also may wonder how to transport these ingredients outside of your home, say at a tailgate, a trip or a day at the beach or lake. Premade cocktails that already have those ingredients perfectly balanced in a convenient little can you just shake and pour its contents over ice.
Okay, we know, canned cocktails don’t have the best reputation—yet. That’s because so many companies, typically beer manufacturers, have brought to market sugary, artificially sweetened, artificially flavored drinks with cheap ingredients. They market them as “cocktails”, but they are really just flavored seltzer with malt liquor, a far cry from what you’d stock your bar with or order from a reputable bar.
But things are changing, finally. There are now high-quality, full-strength, perfectly balanced, premade cocktails that are real, bar cocktails that just happen to be in a convenient can, perfect for when you don’t have the time, space or desire to make a cocktail from scratch. And you can find many of the classic cocktail recipes you love, like Margaritas, Old Fashioneds, Vodka Gimlets, Cosmopolitans, Daiquiris, Mai Tais, and even Espresso Martinis. All premade with quality ingredients at just the right strength and proportions.
8 Classic Cocktail Recipes Everyone Loves
If you go the premade route, all you need is to buy cans of the classic cocktail recipes your guests likely want or would be willing to try. That’s what makes this route so fun—you can fill your cooler or your bar with all kinds of cocktail varieties without breaking the bank, and it gives your guests a fun way to taste cocktails they may not have tried.
Here’s a rundown of some of the most popular classic cocktail recipes you can buy premade in a can or make your own. Of course, you can dress these up with garnishes or include different ingredients, but we believe classic cocktail recipes should be simple, authentic and pure.
Margarita
- 1 ⅔ ounce Silver Tequila
- 1 ounce Orange Curacao
- ¾ ounce 100% real lime juice
Makes one, 3.4 ounces (100ML) drink.
Make your own: Pour all ingredients into a shaker with ice, and shake vigorously. Pour through strainer over a lowball glass filled with ice.
Buy premade: Shake can and pour over lowball glass with ice. Look for a brand that has a minimal number of ingredients without soda, seltzer, artificial flavors and colors, or anything that you wouldn’t use to make a margarita. And make sure it specifies its lime juice is 100% real.
Pro tip: If you purchase premade canned margaritas, read the label. Many claim they use lime juice, but unless it says 100% real lime juice, it’s likely lime flavoring and/or citric acid and/or pasteurized. Why? Because real lime juice, or any juice, for that matter, quickly degrades with oxygen. Canned cocktail companies have two ways to preserve the lime flavor: add these ingredients and processes, or strip out the oxygen and package it in a way that naturally preserves the lime juice.
Old Fashioned
- 3 ounces Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- 4 dashes of bitters
- ⅓ ounce Demerara Syrup or make simple syrup by dissolving 1 teaspoon of sugar in 1 teaspoon of water
- Orange twist
Makes one, 3.4 ounces (100ML) drink.
Make your own: Add the syrup and bitters to an old fashioned glass. Fill the glass with ice cubes (the larger, the less melt). Add the bourbon, and stir gently. Twist a thinly sliced orange to express the oil, then drop the orange into the glass.
Buy premade: Shake can and pour over a rocks glass filled with large cubes of ice.
Pro Tip: Ditto here as with the margarita, but we’ll add another way to validate authenticity. Look for classic cocktail recipes on the can that add up to a bar-strength Old Fashioned. If it’s a proper Old Fashioned, it should have the same alcohol-by-volume (ABV) as if you made it yourself, meaning it should say it’s around 37% ABV or 74 proof. Anything much less than that and you’re paying for water or other ingredients not found in an authentic Old Fashioned.
Vodka Gimlet
- 2 ounces Vodka, chilled
- ⅔ ounce 100% real lime juice
- ⅔ ounce simple syrup (made from equal parts cane sugar and water)
Makes one, 3.4 ounces (100ML) drink.
Make your own: Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain contents into a lowball filled with ice or into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime.
Buy premade: Buy this one, and refrigerate or ice down the can. When ready to serve, shake and pour over a lowball filled with ice or into a chilled cocktail glass.
Pro Tip: Just as with the others, look for simple ingredients. Three is really all you need to see here unless you’re lucky enough to find a canned Vodka Gimlet that goes the extra step to add lemongrass oil to this classic cocktail recipe. You won’t be disappointed.
Cosmopolitan
- 1 ¾ ounce Vodka
- ¾ ounce 100% real lime juice
- ½ ounce 100% real cranberry juice
- ½ ounce Orange Curacao
Makes one, 3.4 ounces (100ML) drink.
Make your own: Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an orange zest twist or lime sliced into a wheel.
Buy premade: Shake can and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with an orange zest twist or lime sliced into a wheel.
Pro Tip: There are a lot of canned cosmos out there, but few are made with these classic cocktail ingredients. Many contain citrus and lime flavorings, which as we said, are not actual juices. Others add carbonation, which immediately eliminates it as a classic cocktail recipe. It’s worth finding a canned daiquiri that’s balanced and true to its roots.
Cherry-Lime Daiquiri
- 2 ounces Rum
- ⅓ ounce cherry liqueur
- ⅔ ounce 100% real lime juice
- ⅓ ounce simple syrup
Makes one, 3.4 ounces (100ML) drink.
Make your own: Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry or lime wheel.
Buy premade: Shake the can and pour ingredients into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a Maraschino cherry or lime wheel.
Pro Tip: Many canned daiquiris can be overly sweet and contain artificial flavors and colors. If you want a real daiquiri, look for classic cocktail ingredients like a blend of premium rums, Italian Maraschino liqueur, and, of course, 100% real lime juice.
Mai Tai (courtesy of the Trader Vic, the originator)
- 2 ounces Bacardi 8 year old rum
- ¾ ounce 100% real lime juice
- ½ ounce Orange Curacao liqueur
- ⅓ ounce Almond Orgeat Syrup
- ¼ ounce Sugar syrup ‘rich’ (2 sugar to 1 water, 65.0°brix)
Makes about 4 ounces.
Make your own: Combine all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Pour into a double old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice and garnish with half of a lime shell, mint sprig and fruit stick (skewered pineapple and Maraschino cherry)
Buy premade: Shake can and pour over a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a lime or orange wheel.
Pro Tip: Orgeat is a syrup made from almonds, sugar and typically rose or orange flower water. You can buy Almond Orgeat Syrup premade which is perfect for a classic Mai Tai. Don’t want to go to the trouble? Find a classic canned Mai Tai that lists this as an ingredient, as well as a blend of rums for an authentic tiki taste.
Southside
- 2 ¼ ounces London Dry Gin
- ¾ ounce 100% real lime juice
- ⅓ ounce simple syrup
- 4-5 mint leaves
Makes one, 3.4 ounces (100ML) drink.
Make your own: Add the mint and lime juice to a shaker and muddle. Add the gin and simple syrup and fill with ice. Shake vigorously and double strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass. Garnish with a mint leaf and lime wheel.
Buy premade: Refrigerate or ice down can. When ready to serve, shake can and pour into a chilled martini or coupe glass, garnishing with a mint leaf and lime wheel.
Pro Tip: Be sure you double-strain the mix if you make your own. You don’t want to see tiny clumps of mint in the cocktail. If you purchase a canned Southside, make sure it has mint listed in the ingredients list. It’s a required ingredient for a classic Southside cocktail.
Espresso Martini
- 1 ounce 100% Arabica cold brew coffee or chilled espresso
- 1 ⅔ ounce vodka
- ¾ ounce coffee liqueur
Makes one, 3.4 ounces (100ML) drink.
Make your own: Fill shaker with ice and add all ingredients. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass.
Buy premade: Chill can, shake and pour over ice or into a chilled martini glass. Shake with ice to get the classic espresso martini foam.
Pro tip: This trendy yet classic cocktail is a perfect addition to brunch or as an after-dinner drink. Instead of having to brew and chill coffee, consider buying authentic canned Espresso Martinis you can keep in the fridge and always be ready to impress your guests. Look for a drink that has real coffee.
Give Yourself a Break
Making cocktails can be enjoyable, but there are also times when you simply want to enjoy your guests, take cocktails with you on the go, or bring more than a bottle of wine to a host. The good news is, that there are fantastic, authentic canned cocktails that mimic classic cocktail recipes so you don’t have to compromise. Want to try award-winning classic canned cocktails? See why Post Meridiem is getting so much attention.
