Ready-to-shake cocktails

It’s not the first time I’m talking about bottled cocktails. In the past we tested similar good quality drinks (e.g. Belroy’s bottled cocktails) and each year for Negroniweek, I try to find a good quality bottled Negroni.

Bacardi-Martini is a pretty large company with a large brand-portfolio. This summer they really put their cards on the table and use that portfolio to the max. This summer Bacardi-Martini launches a range of “ready-to-shake” cocktails, available at your local supermarket. Let me explain what this means. We’re talking about bottled cocktails. You just pour the drink into a shaker (or any other closed jar or container) with lots of ice. Give it a good shake for about 15 seconds and strain it into your glass of choice. Garnish if you like. Enjoy in good company. 

Each bottle has a QR-code on the label that will take you to a video, showing how to do a perfect serve for the cocktail. I also recorded my own reel/video which I already shared on Instagram and Facebook.

In Belgium I discovered this range of “Tails Cocktails” at Delhaize. These 500 ml bottles hold four big (125 ml) or five moderate (100 ml) drinks. Tails Cocktails was originally started in 2010 by Nick Wall in London. 

These are the drinks: 

• Whisky Sour (Dewar’s Scotch whisky, lemon juice, simple syrup)
• Rum Daiquiri (Bacardi Rum, Simple Syrup, lime juice)
• Gin Gimlet (Bombay Sapphire Gin, Elderflower liqueur, lime juice)
• Passion Fruit Martini (42Below vodka, vanilla syrup, passion fruit puree, lime juice)
• Espresso Martini (42Below Vodka, Coffee liqueur, Premium espresso coffee)

You’re allowed to giggle, we all know the Passion Fruit Martini really has another name, and no, “Maverick Martini” is also NOT what you’ll find on the menu in most cocktail bars 😉 

I suspect they are not releasing all their secrets on the label, because the Whisky Sour and Espresso Martini come with a very nice foam layer, which doesn’t appear out of thin air. 

I enjoyed some of these drinks while I was getting some fresh air at Roompot Beach Resort in Zeeland. In local supermarkets I discovered another premium range of Bacardi cocktails. The bottles were half the size (200 ml, good for two drinks) and indicated that you could cool-and-serve them over fresh ice, I guess we’re talking about more of less the same concept. 

The cocktails I discovered in the Netherlands were different, more tiki style. The range is called “Bacardi Aged Rum Cocktails” with recipes created by three top-bartenders: Chelsie Bailey, Georgie Radev and Belgium’s own Ran Van Ongevalle. You will find this range of bottled cocktails in larger supermarkets like Albert Heijn and Jumbo

These are the drinks:  

• Caribbean Espresso Rumtini
• Roasted Pineapple Rum Punch
• Toasted Coconut Colada

And now, the big question: Are they any good? 

These drinks are extremely easy to serve and they are a very handy solution that will slip into many suitcases on their way to a holiday. To my surprise the quality was indeed bar-quality. And by that I mean “decent cocktail bar” quality. So yes, I’m very happy that these drinks are available and I really enjoyed them. Cheers!

Tip: We discovered that the Gin Gimlet pairs very well with fresh oysters.

Disclaimer: All pictures and texts are copyrighted by Geert Conard and Esito Management & Communications unless stated otherwise in the article. While some items might have been gifted by the producer or distributor, these are in no way paid promotions or recommendations.