"The industry is absolutely booming, but the buzz has recently shifted toward a slightly different kind of product: cocktail-inspired canned drinks. Store shelves are now lined with products from brands-turned-mixologists, shaking things up with margaritas, mojitos, mules, and more. Equally prominent is the growing no- and low-sugar subset of this category, aimed at health-conscious consumers who still want to enjoy a well-crafted libation."
"White Claw veered off the hard seltzer path in April 2025 when it launched its cocktail-inspired ClawTails line. With flavors like Mango Margarita and Blackberry Mojito, it was a big swing for the brand. However, for me, the Tropical Mai Tai variant was a big miss. It's supposed to offer bright sunshine flavors of pineapple and passionfruit, and you do get a hint of those in the aroma and when that first splash hits your tongue."
The ready-to-drink market has expanded beyond hard seltzers into cocktail-inspired canned beverages, offered in both traditional spirit-based and malt-based formats and including a growing no- and low-sugar segment for health-conscious consumers. A large assortment of low-sugar, cocktail-inspired canned drinks was sampled, selecting two flavors from each multi-flavor variety pack across brands such as High Noon, Mike's Hard Lemonade, JuneShine, and Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop. Evaluation prioritized balanced, authentic flavor profiles to identify go-to or party-worthy options. Some recommendations relied on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and manufacturer-provided products. White Claw's Tropical Mai Tai delivered initial pineapple and passionfruit notes but ultimately failed to sustain satisfying flavor.
Read at Tasting Table
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]