(Photo illustration: Isie Yang)
Whether it’s zero-proof fizz or a full-strength nitro espresso martini, the craft canned cocktail is the hero we all need—and deserve—this summer. We‘re happy to report there’s a bumper crop this year, thanks to the innovative distillers, brewers and bartenders who have upped their games to bring joy to our summer picnics and backyard hangs.
Here are 21 of our favourite new canned cocktails—almost all of them made in Canada.
Even though some might think these bite-sized Bloody Caesars are more evidence of shrinkflation, less can be more—especially when it comes to alcohol. Better yet, there’s no skimping on flavour. It’s punchy, salty and piquant, which makes it the perfect “cocktail snack.”
The Mellow Mojito is exactly as advertised—a light, refreshing, dry and restrained sparkling citrus drink with a subtle hint of mint. It’s exactly what you want to drink during a zero-proof cocktail hour, alongside this Hamilton distillery’s other offerings, including a slightly twangier Midday Mule and a stunningly delicious Perpetual Paloma (both also alcohol-free).
Named after the founder’s cocker spaniel, this woman-owned cocktail company has really managed to raise the bar when it comes to ready-to-drink options. Simply put, the French 75 tastes like a real cocktail made with actual gin, lemon and sparkling wine, which is a very good thing. We also tasted the brand's cosmo, lemon drop (both also available at BC Liquor), cucumber spritz and gin fizz and all were dry, refreshing and clearly made with integrity.
Dartmouth’s Dear Friend is one of Canada’s most cherished bars—and now its much-loved cocktails are available to all. We love the Melo Collins, another snack-sized, lower-ABV, gin-based cocktail that delivers plenty of complex flavour, subtle fruit and gentle fizz. It also offers an Espresso Martini that has a real roasted coffee aroma and tastes like rich mocha.
This light, bright and bubbly rum-spiked coconut water is so spot-on with its subtle sweetness and restrained fruit that it will even appeal to those who aren’t massive fans of coconut water.
Given the success of various spritzes over the past few years, it’s hardly surprising to see the spritz-in-a-can trend starting to take off. This Cherry Spritz from Willibald Farm Distillery in Ayr, Ont., is light, refreshing and tastes a little like a cherry Jolly Rancher. Nostalgia for the win.
This Gin Lemonade from Saskatoon’s Stumbletown Distilling is exactly the kind of bright, natural-tasting and subtly sweet bubbly soda you want for a chill afternoon on the patio. Additional sugar-free offerings include the creatively flavoured Snap Pea Gin Soda and Gin and Rhubarb Tonic.
Easily one of the best zero-proof cocktails on the planet. The thing that makes this fizzy bittersweet cocktail so outstanding is the texture—a hard thing to perfect in a non-alc cocktail.
Bottled cocktails count too, right? We hope so, since we love the legendary Nova Scotia winery’s bright, fresh and bubbly take on the French 75. Also try the canned Piquette Zero, which is non-alcoholic and comes in three styles.
In a world full of hard seltzers and vodka sodas, Billion Trillion’s Sake Fizz offerings are a totally welcome change. The six percent package promises a voyage into a “good time galaxy” and the tangy, light and dry fizz inside truly delivers. Also comes in Mandarin Yuzu and Mango Yuzu, the latter of which is our top choice, especially if you shake it gently before serving. Available at private retailers in B.C. and Alberta.
Canned nitro cocktails are a trend we’re definitely going to see more of and, if you want to know why, check out Muskoka’s amazingly rich and luscious Espresso Martini, a lightly sweet rendition of the modern classic cocktail that’s currently enjoying an enthusiastic revival.
Dalia Kohen, founder of Calgary’s plant-based The Coup restaurant, realized a few years back that the world needed more delicious and complex alcohol-free options. In late 2021, she helped fill that gap with Wild Folk, a line of “free-spirited botanical cocktails.” We can’t say enough about the lightly carbonated, fresh and peppery Bee’s Knees, as well as the outstanding Sparkling Negroni, a classic tinged with baking spice. Wild Folk also makes a fabulous Vermouth Spritz, and, for people who need more bitterness in their lives, the Amaro Mixer (called The Bitter Tongue), is the kind of drink that takes no prisoners.
Salty, sour and rich in umami, this is an RTD with a strong POV. Check out this award-winning distillery’s other flavours, too, including the Summer Kiss, a lovely strawberry, rhubarb, lemon and vodka fizz as well as its light and fresh Vodka Blueberry Lemonade.
With a touch of watermelon and lime and just enough cane sugar to bring it all together, this gin-soda does a great job of passing for a full-strength cocktail. FYI, Romeo’s also makes a pretty great elderflower-infused alcohol-free gin and tonic.
This perfect classic vodka mule has bright bubbles, pronounced ginger and precise doses of lime and sugar to brighten and sweeten it up.
Inspired by the fragrant, massive lemons from Sicily and, of course, Italian sparkling wine, this sweet and punchy spritz is yet another delicious low-alcohol option—one that can be made even lighter by serving over ice and adding a splash of soda.
Famous for its canned gin cocktails made with fresh Niagara fruit, Dillon’s Distills is playing around with vodka this year as a base for its apricot, raspberry and blueberry-peach concoctions. As you’d expect—given that vodka is a neutral spirit—they’re a little less complex than their gin counterparts, which allows the sweet fruit to shine even more than usual. Blueberry is our fave. Also available at the LCBO.
Tiki purists might point out that, since it contains pineapple juice, this isn’t really a classic Mai Tai, but treat it like one and serve over ice (preferably crushed) in a tall glass.
Quebec City’s Monsieur Cocktail recently launched its NOA line, which they’ve dubbed “non-alcoholic spirits for people who don’t drink” and we’ve already become huge fans of its Peach Amaretto Sour. It’s got a really complex flavour profile that balances sweet peach with a little heat, giving it a slight edge over its (also amazing) canned NA Espresso Martini and Gin & Tonic.
Ever think of spiking one of those Italian orange sodas with a little vodka? Well, that’s pretty much exactly what this drink tastes like—lightly sweet, bright and in no danger whatsoever of taking itself too seriously.
The best canned cocktails from Collective Arts just might be the non-alcoholic ones, but we can also totally get behind this dry, lower-alcohol and refreshing citrus-forward fizz.
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A National Magazine Award-winning writer, Christine Sismondo has been writing about spirits, cocktails, bars, and history for publications including Chatelaine, Sharp and the LCBO's Food & Drink for over twenty years. She’s also the Academy Chair for Canada East for World’s 50 Best Bars, author of America Walks into a Bar (2011), Prohibition, a six-part podcast series for Wondery’s American History Tellers and, most recently, Cocktails, A Still Life.