Colorado companies crafting a wide range of mixed drinks ready for adventures

By Kristen Kuchar

For years, there has been a stigma connected to canned cocktails because they were too sweet and odd tasting, says Lee Wood, co-owner of Wood’s High Mountain Distillery. But that’s all changing with a growing demand for well-made, ready-to-drink cocktails with quality ingredients, he says.

That’s exactly why Wood tasked his long-time employee and talented “cocktail chemist” to create recipes for canned concoctions that would reflect the same superb drinks offered in the Salida tasting room. For Gingi’s gin-based cocktail, the distillery sources black tea from The Tea Spot in Louisville, and adds cardamon, dried lemon peel and cane sugar. Other Wood’s options include a cocktail made with potato vodka (locally farmed potatoes), ginger bitters, cane sugar and lemon peel, as well as a classic gin and tonic that weighs in at 11 percent ABV.

A big benefit is the convenience, Wood says. Who needs to stock a full bar at home when you can crack open a can instead? Wood’s, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last November, plans to triple its whiskey production over the next two years.

Zach Weakland, head distiller at The Heart Distillery in Windsor, says part of the inspiration for making canned cocktails was introducing people to their award-winning spirits. The ready-to-drink cocktails showcase what people can do when they buy a bottle at the distillery, he explains. Weakland says besides the simplicity of a cocktail in a can, part of the popularity comes from consumers who are always looking for something fun, exciting and new in the beverage world. With spring upon us, the timing is perfect for filling a cooler with canned drinks.

The Heart Distillery has a handful of options: a lavender and lemon Bee’s Knees with gin, Orange Dreamsicle made with vodka, Green Fairy Rootbeer and a Gin and Tonic.

Following are some other ready-to-drink cocktails made in Colorado:

Curation

Curation’s canned libations use a variety of spirits, including tequila, bourbon, wine and vodka. The bourbon-based Sweet Tea Old-Fashioned has pure honey, black tea and grapefruit juice, while the tequila-based Salt and Smoke Margarita is made with fresh hibiscus and a hint of jalapeno.

Abbott & Wallace

Longmont’s Abbott & Wallace is creating award-winning canned concoctions inspired by classic cocktails: Gina Tonic, Longtucky Julep, Miss Collins and the Italian-inspired Amaro Spritz. La Chupacabra is made with Cobañero Whiskey, apple, ginger and lime juice, and the Caribbean Queen is spiced rum, ginger beer, lemon and elderflower.

Candid Cocktails

Fresh ingredients are utilized throughout Candid Cocktail’s line-up. Two vodka cocktails include one with cucumber, mint, lime and elderflower, and one with lemonade, black tea and thyme. There’s also a gin drink with mint and citrus, and a bourbon whiskey with apple juice, ginger, honey and lemon.

Lifted Libations

Lifted Libations produces organic vodka sodas and small-batch, golf-inspired “course-ready” cocktails. The Caddy Pack has golf-themed options, such as the Tee Time vodka tea and lemonade, Swing Juice with sparkling vodka fruit punch, and a Mile High Mule.

Slalom Fox Cocktails

Geared towards those with an active outdoor lifestyle, Slalom Fox Cocktails uses real juice. There are four varieties – Vodka Collins with lemon juice and a hint of thyme, Gin Spritz with citrus juice and rosemary, Whiskey Mule with ginger and lime, and Bourbon Revival with lemon juice and black currant.

Kure’s Craft Beverage Co.

Kure’s makes a popular non-alcoholic Ginger Beer with real ginger juice and lime. That same Ginger Beer is then used in the alcoholic Colorado Mule blended vodka. There’s also a Strawberry Vodka Lemonade, Raspberry Cream Vodka Pop with house-made vanilla extract, and Orange Cream Vodka Pop.

Cocktail Squad

Boulder-based Cocktail Squad has a variety of adult favorites in a can – Gin and Tonic, Margarita, Whiskey Sour, Vodka Lemon Soda and Bourbon Smash. These flavors come in a four-pack or a Squad Sampler six-pack.

Mad Lemon

The creators of Mad Lemon took their family’s lemonade recipe made with maple syrup and clean ingredients and added vodka to it. Flavors include Classic Lemonade, Raspberry Key Lime, Ginger Pear and Pineapple Jalapeno.

Docktails by Dry Dock Brewing

Docktails start with a fermented corn sugar base instead of spirits. These cocktail-inspired beverages are made with real fruit juice and natural flavorings as well. New flavor Blackberry Mule, for example, is made with ginger and blackberry juice.

Snowmelt Hard Sipper by Upslope Brewing

Upslope Brewing released two cocktail-inspired options: House Punch is inspired by a Caribbean “Rum” Punch and Lavender Lemon Flora. Both options are made with Upslope’s Snowmelt base.

Wild Nectar Hard Juice by New Belgium Brewing

New Belgium Brewing is launching their own version of ready-to-drink cocktails made with real fruit juice and other natural flavors. Fruit-forward varieties include Passionfruit Orange Mango, Strawberry Guava and Passionfruit Lime.

Stirlini Martini

The Stirlini Coffee Company was a community gathering place in Firestone that developed a signature coffee martini. The drinks were so popular that the owners sold the coffee shop to focus on a canned martini line, made with locally sourced ingredients and spirits.

Bonus Entry: VAQIT Vodka Sodas

VAQIT (pronounced vock-it) was launched in Los Angeles but hit the Denver market last year with a low-cal, low-alcohol, vodka-based soda. Flavors in the 4.0 ABV beverage lineup include Strawberry Guava, Clementine Pineapple and White Peach Ginger.