This holiday season you can enjoy ready-made cocktails, like old fashioneds, cosmos, and mojitos from a can.
Whether you want your favorite cocktail without the fuss or the right tools to make one yourself, Consumer Reports said you have lots of options.
The easy breezy option - a canned cocktail.
“One of the better things about canned cocktails is that they allow you to focus on your guests and not on preparing your cocktails yourself,” Angela Lashbrook with CR said.
But how does canning something that’s meant to be served fresh from the bar really taste?
“A lot of cocktails work really well in cans but one thing you have to look out for is that it’s very hard to “Can” fresh citrus or fresh fruit juice. They’re gonna be their own thing,” Lashbrook said.
For example, CR said the Bacardi mojito doesn’t taste exactly like a mojito but it was still a surprise hit ... think spiked sprite - refreshing and sweet.
For less of a sweet hit, tasters said a Cutwater Tequila Paloma is also refreshing, slightly citrusy, and reasonably priced.
If you’d rather save some money and play bartender, CR also took a look at several cocktail shakers.
Beginners tend to gravitate towards cobbler-style shakers which come in three parts: a shaker, a strainer, and a cap that doubles as a one-ounce measuring cup.
However, pros prefer Boston-style shakers for their simplicity – two parts that fit together and come apart relatively easily.
CR said this stainless steel one from Crate & Barrel is easy to use, dishwasher safe, and costs just twenty dollars. Just note you’ll need to buy what’s called a Hawthorne strainer separately.