Missing your favorite bartender? These are a delicious temporary fix.

BY TONY SACHS | APRIL 8, 2020

By now, for your virtual happy hours, you’ve either discovered your inner bartender or have found yourself sorely missing the professional ones you used to see regularly, back in the old normal. If you’ve always thought that a proper cocktail needs to be prepared in real time and served in the proper glassware, then the Covid-19 crisis, which has left so many of us bereft of our favorite bars, may have you humming a different tune. It might be time to try some of the more premium ready-to-drink cocktails.

Our selection of bottled and canned cocktails serves the same purpose as a virtual happy hour— it’s not quite like being at your favorite bar, but it’s the next best thing for sure. And even cocktail snobs will, if they deign to try them, admit that it’s indeed possible for a really good cocktail to come out of a can. Although we recommend using a nice glass—the right vessel elevates the whole experience, just like the friends on the other side of your screen.

NOVO FOGO SPARKLING CAIPIRINHA

Novo Fogo’s cachaças are wildly popular among the American bartending set and the small but passionate cachaça fan base. Their canned caipirinhas ($4) do the spirit justice; the tart lime juice, sugar and powerful, slightly funky cachaça are in perfect balance, and the sparkling element, which might seem superfluous, is actually a nice touch. They also make mango and passion fruit flavored caipirinhas, but the classic is the place to start.

10 Delicious Bottled Cocktails to Fuel Your Virtual Happy Hours
Robb Report, APRIL 8, 2020