I’ve written about many premade cocktails on Boozist, and the number one reason is that they make my life easier. When I’m hosting a party, the last thing I want to do is stand behind the bar all night. This peacock’s gotta fly! Diageo has answered my birdcall with their Cocktail Collection of ready-to-drink cocktails.
If you frequent the liquor store, you’ve probably seen Bulleit Manhattan and Bulleit Old Fashioned bottles on the shelves. Now, three more cocktails will be joining them. Ketel One Vodka Espresso Martini, Ketel One Vodka Cosmopolitan, and Tanqueray Gin Negroni are new kids on the block.
The Ketel One Cosmo doesn’t do much for me because I’m not a big fan of cranberry in cocktails, except when I’m A) fighting a UTI or B) drinking something seasonal. And while there are lots of the latter to come, hopefully, the former is never an issue. That’s not to say others won’t love the drink. Who am I to tell legions of Sex and the City fans that they’re wrong?
The Ketel One Espresso Martini is a brilliant addition to The Cocktail Collection because, let’s be honest, they’re about as trendy as it gets. The degenerates that drank double Redbull & Vodkas and pounded Jager Bombs have all grown up, but they still need that caffeine and alcohol combo. It’s also the one you’re least likely to make at home. I don’t see many people pulling a shot of espresso for a cocktail at home.
The Tanqueray Gin Negroni offers the smallest delta between making the drink yourself and pouring it out of the bottle. A negroni has only three ingredients, and it’s stirred. You can even find people pouring all three ingredients at once. That said, the version in The Cocktail Collection is spot on. It tastes like a fresh, homemade drink, only you don’t have to worry about wasting the remaining 90% of the bottle of vermouth you bought just to make your Negroni.
Each premade cocktail option comes in 375ml and 750ml bottles, four and eight drinks, respectively. For canned cocktails, or bottled in this case, about $3.50/drink feels pretty on par. And they’re an average of 20% ABV, so rest assured you’re getting a real deal cocktail, not a gussied-up malt beverage.
The Cocktail Collection – $14/$26
