Chic canned cocktails for your next picnic
Mixologist-approved cans and bottles that won’t look out of place in your cocktail cupboard
Packing a chic picnic is all well and good but, choose the wrong drink, and things can quickly go from stylish summer soiree to teenagers with tinnies in the park on a Friday night. Champagne is, of course, always a good choice but heavy bottles and crystal glasses aren’t exactly the most portable items. Consult, instead, our edit of canned and bottled cocktails stylish enough not only for catch ups in Hyde Park, but also as gifts for serious cocktail connoisseurs and hosts with the most. Steer clear of the supermarket brands and opt for mixologist-curated cocktails and you won’t look back. From Black Lines to Newcastle-based Kocktail, here are our favourites to shop now.
Black Lines
B-Corp cocktail brand Black Lines has made a name for itself in the capital with bars at The Standard hotel and the National Theatre, but those looking to stock their cocktail cupboard or gift the ultimate connoisseur should look no further than its ready-to-drink range. Available online, and at Selfridges and Whole Foods, Black Lines partners with the best British distilleries while using freshly pressed juices to prove that pre-batched doesn’t mean compromise.
Pick from pear and white tea fizz, rum punch, Shirley Temple and, new for summer, the watermelon paloma. Featuring the smooth, crisp character of Tico Tequila, lifted by juicy watermelon soda and freshly squeezed lemon, and finished with Halen Môn sea salt, it’s light, bright and a little too drinkable – especially when served over ice with fresh wedges of grapefruit or lemon.
Black Lines Watermelon Paloma
Moth
Moth isn’t named after the insect but rather an acronym: ‘mix of total happiness’. Launched in 2021 by Rob Wallis and Samuel Hunt, it has since become one of the biggest cocktail brands in the UK, priding itself on creating drinks that are hotel-quality but in a can. One thing to note is each sip is full-strength – meaning its short cocktails clock in at nearly 15 per cent ABV. Offering all the classics, such as old fashioneds, negronis, and spicy margaritas – as well as taller serves like paloma, pina colada, and mojito – these little black cans are always ready to go. The only question is, are you?
Moth mango margarita
Kocktail
Founded by friends Emil Stickland and Andrew Hutchinson off the back of their frustration with supermarket cocktail standards, Kocktail was born in 2020 – coincidentally at the same time demand for delicious at-home drinks was at an all-time high during the pandemic. To ensure the quality was up to standard, the duo teamed up with long-time friend and mixologist Neil Donachie, a former senior bartender at The Savoy's Beaufort Bar. Concocted and distributed from the brand’s hub in Newcastle, pick from letterbox or bottled serves of gin martini, cosmopolitan, negroni and amaretto sour. Not sure which to go for? Opt for the best-sellers trio of espresso martini, passionfruit martini, and margarita.
Kocktail passionfruit martini
Tayēr + Elementary
Tayēr + Elementary was opened in June 2019 by world renowned bartenders Monica Berg and Alex Kratena. Merging two concepts – Elementary is a modern neighbourhood bar serving classic cocktails, while Tayēr is a produce-driven cocktail bar combining modern techniques with traditional practices – it regularly ranks as one of the best bars in the world. A fire in the bar’s building on Old Street has seen it temporarily take up residency at Cato in Covent Garden; but, if you’re not willing to brave the tourists, its ready-to-drink range doesn’t compromise on taste.
Unlike others on this list, the Tayēr shop ventures beyond your average margs and martinis to offer unique concoctions such as a cedarwood old fashioned, vetiver negroni, yuzu gimlet, and jasmine mai tai. Fancy a surprise? Order the Total Fire Mystery Box to receive six bottles for the price of five and sample utterly wacky serves.
Tayēr Total Fire Mystery Box
Tommy’s Fizz
Founded by award-winning mixologist Tom Albani in France, Tommy’s Fizz is the result of a high-flying hospitality career, and inspired by the rich culinary heritage of the Basque region. Housed in a beautiful bottle that won’t look out of place on your kitchen shelves, each cocktail is crafted using carefully selected ingredients sourced from local producers and, accordingly, the range is limited to just five serves. Our picks are the espresso martini – which you will need to shake before straining into a glass – and the gin and ginger London mule.
Tommy’s Fizz Espresso Martini
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