While I do enjoy a good drink (and try my best not to yuck anyones yums), I generally hate the taste of alcohol. I understand the appeal, but it’s an acquired taste I’ve never gotten used to. Before the lockdown, my go-to’s were fruity cocktails (like Annex House’s mango rum, which you can actually purchase online) or just plain old beer.
After over a year stuck inside with not a lot of mixology skills (or the budget to buy my favorite drinks), canned cocktails have been a revelation. They’re often inexpensive, widely available, and taste good (which is honestly a little dangerous).
If you’re looking to stock your liquor cabinet with a few easy reaches when you’re not in the mood to mix up your own drink, here are a few you should try.
Chuhai
If you’ve ever been to Japan, a night out wouldn’t be complete without heading to the closest combini and grabbing a can of canned cocktails to go. Tiam Lai stocks a wide variety of chuhai or canned flavored alcoholic drinks. You can find labels like Strong Zero, Suntory Wine Sour, Kirin Light and more in some pretty unique flavors.
Tiam Lai currently has a promo where you can get a pack of four or more for P130 per can (which is great if you want to try a bunch of flavors). Just remember, drink responsibly.
Rio Strong
Rio Strong is another canned flavored alcoholic drink that just launched locally. These vodka-based cocktails contain 8 percent alcohol (which is like two to three cans of beer) and come in lemon, calamansi, grapefruit, and peach flavors. It’s also low in sugar and contains no purine if you’re watching your sugar intake and uric acid levels. Each can sells for P88, and a limited edition four-pack with all the flavors costs P352.
Buzzballz
If you’re trying to get to your sweet spot fast, a can of Buzzballz is the way to go. A single 200ml can of this flavored cocktail drink contains 15 percent alcohol—which is a little crazy. So again, here’s your reminder to drink responsibly. It comes in four flavors: choc tease, tequila rita, watermelon smash, and forbidden apple.
These parties in a can are available on Boozy for P249 per can.
BONUS: Valdivieso Sparkling Brut Rosé
Whether you like the taste of alcohol or not, it’s always a good idea to keep a good bottle of wine at home. Rosé is a great choice for people who don’t really like the taste of alcohol because it usually has a lot of fruity notes to distract your tastebuds. The Valdivieso Sparkling Brut Rosé is a sparkling wine that has just those qualities.
Each bottle costs P3,190, but is currently on sale for P532 as a part of Winery.ph’s mid-year clearance sale. There are also 18 other wines that are on sale, which means it’s time to stock up on future birthday and Christmas gifts for friends and family.