Craft Cocktail CPGs: Canned and Delivered

Dante

New York

Dante first launched its three flavored CPGs in partnership with F!ve Drinks in September 2020. It recently expanded its collection to include Spicy Fresca, a mezcal-based concoction using grapefruit soda, vanilla-saffron syrup and lime. It’s a little spicy, a little smokey and a little refreshing. “It’s our most popular drink at Dante West Village, so we’re happy it translates well in canned form,” says founder Linden Pride, who recommends drinking them “straight out of the can!”

Native

Singapore

This innovative bar’s line of bottled drinks transports you to far-flung locales via recipes “inspired by specific cultures and cuisines,” says owner Vijay Mudaliar. The Pineapple Arrack is a fruit-forward cocktail made bolder with spices from Sri Lanka and Ceylon Arrack, a spirit distilled from the coconut flower sap. The Peranakan is cleverly modeled after kueh salat, a Malaysian aromatic custardy dessert, using jackfruit rum (mixed with pandan and candlenuts) that is fat-washed with goat milk to mimic the treat’s creaminess. “The shaking, stirring and even the types of ice available to the average home drinker can be very different,” says Mudaliar, who tinkered with the formulas to make them as close to bar[1]perfect as possible. “These are drinks that are just as tasty poured over ice in your old coffee mug as they are on Raffles’ rooftop.”

Maybe Sammy

Sydney

Already ranked high among the world’s best bars, this stylish Sydney watering hole has released seven elegantly packaged cocktails to further expand its reach. The locavore approach behind the bar has been adopted for its on-the[1]go beverages, but co-founder Martin Hudak says they focus on classics with a Maybe Sammy twist. The Jasmine Negroni is elevated with Australian botanicals and a house-made white jasmine tea dilution. “It’s perfect for afternoons in the sun,” says Hudak, who adds that the growth of bottled cocktails could potentially match wine for consumption on special occasions.

Superfrico

Las Vegas

Legendary bartender Leo Robitschek’s (of Eleven Madison Park and NoMad) hotspot opened inside The Cosmopolitan in September 2021, and did so ready to jump on the CPG movement with Bottle-O, a line of eight bottled cocktails. According to Robitschek, the process hinged on countless taste tests to ensure recipes come with a long-lasting shelf life. There’s a potent coffee-spiked, tequila-based take on the negroni as well as something called Might I Have Another?, which mixes a blend of different rums with lime, orgeat and velvet falernum. Pro tip from Robitschek: “All of our canned cocktails are ready to drink, but I would recommend giving it a shake before pouring over ice. And, with any of the cocktails that contain citrus, it’s nice to put it in a JUSTUS MENKE, SPIEGELWORLD shaker to aerate and reactivate the drink.”

Death & Co

East Village

An iconic New York City bar that has since expanded with operations in Los Angeles and Denver, Death & Co launched three canned cocktails in November 2021 in collaboration with The Craft Spirits Cooperative. All three are signature drinks that devoted customers have enjoyed for years. “The opportunity to bring our cocktails to folks who aren’t able to visit our bars is a really exciting prospect for us,” says Devon Tarby, co-owner of Death & Co. The Moonsail Fizz, which mixes gin and red bitter liqueur with passion fruit, vanilla syrup and lime is especially holiday-ready. “Consider it your escape without the plane ticket,” adds Tarby.