18 pre-mixed cocktails to try this festive season

What's your go-to cocktail? Perhaps a fun and zesty Margarita or a rich and warming Old Fashioned? If you're like us, you may only treat yourself to your favourite tipple on special occasions or nights out, but what if we told you you could pour yourself a delicious pre made cocktail from the comfort of your own home?

Home bars have seen a big increase in popularity over the last couple of years, but if you don't have the time or budget to invest in one, a yummy selection of pre-mixed cocktails in the cupboard might be the perfect alternative. With pre-mixed cocktails, you don't need a shaker, cocktail muddler or even a jug, you just need some ice cubes and a glass.

The YourHomeStyle team taste-tested bottled cocktails and cocktails in a can to suss out the best products on the market right now. We poured a total of 18 drinks and spent several evenings putting them to the test to find the very best flavour from each brand (it's a hard life, eh?).

Best pre-mixed cocktails at a glance

• Best pre-mixed cocktails in a can: MOTH:, from £3.75 for a 125ml can
• Best pre-mixed cocktails in a bottle: kocktail, £25 for a 500ml bottle
• Best letterbox pre-mixed cocktails: NIO, from £19.50 for a box of three
• Best travel-size pre-mixed cocktails: Not Another Bill, £6 for a 100ml bottle

Best pre-mixed cocktails 2022

MOTH:

Best pre-mixed cocktails in a can

• Buy now from Waitrose (£3.99), Tesco (£3.90) & Sainsbury's (£3.75)

• Price From £3.75 for 125ml can or £20 for a pack of 6
• Alcohol volume 10% - 20%
• Packaging Can
• Size 125 - 200ml

Cocktails in a can are already one of the most popular way of drinking ready-made beverages, but we're not talking about your standard supermarket range of tinnies here. London-based brand MOTH:'s bold, contemporary cans are designed to be on display. Lightweight and fully recyclable, these cans are perfect for grabbing on the go and taking to a picnic or party.

On the back of the cans are simple, helpful serving instructions, with advice on what type of glass to use and whether to serve over ice and with a garnish.

We taste-tested the brand's full range of cocktails: Mojito, Margarita, Negroni, Espresso Martini and Old Fashioned. Here's what we thought...

Cinead, YourHomeStyle's senior digital editor, and Katie, YourHomeStyle's staff writer, found the Mojito (10% alc volume) amazingly fresh and citrusy. We served it straight up over ice and found it as flavour packed as a homemade concoction. It tasted like an authentic Mojito – and we've tasted a fair few – a refreshing sweetness with enough lime to cut through so it doesn’t feel sickly.

Also fresh and citrusy but with more of a kick was the Margarita (14.9% alc volume). Rebecca, YourHomeStyle's digital editor, thought it packed a punch straight out of the can, but the citrussy flavour did slightly overwhelm the tequila. She suggests serving it in a salt-rimmed glass to help balance out the tartness.

She was more of a fan of the Espresso Martini (14.9% alc volume). 'Combining the double-punch of cold-brew coffee and artisan vodka, with a hint of coffee liqueur for sweetness, this would make a fantastic pick-me-up for that post-Christmas dinner slump.'

Katie initially thought the Negroni (14.9% alco volume) a little bitter at first when sipped straight from the can, but when she poured it over a glass full of ice and a slice of orange, she found it much more pleasing. 'The taste transported me to a balmy, Sorento villa, which is saying something as I drank this on a cold and grey English evening in October.'

If you like your cocktails a little richer, the Old Fashioned (20% alc volume) might be for you. Cinead found it on the stronger side, so she suggests a dash of soda as accompaniment. The brand also recommends trying it with a squeeze of lemon or a slice of orange which might help to add a sweet touch.

YourHomeStyle team pick: Mojito. We were amazed by how fresh and juicy this Mojito in a can was. It was as delicious straight out of a can as it was in a glass of ice.

Buy MOTH: pre-mixed cocktails from Waitrose (£3.99), Tesco (£3.90) & Sainsbury's (£3.75)

kocktail

Best pre-mixed cocktails in a bottle

• Buy now from John Lewis & Partners (from £22), Not On The High Street (from £9) & Amazon (£25)

• Price £25 for a 500ml bottle or £22 for a gift set
• Alcohol volume 20% - 29%
• Packaging Glass bottles
• Size 100 - 500ml

Co-created by the former senior bartender of the Savoy Hotel and Michelin-starred House of Tides, it's safe to say kocktail's pre-mixed concoctions mean business. They have a huge range of flavours and put a creative twist on classic recipes (chocolate Negroni anyone?). They also have a subscription offering, making them a great choice for gifts as well as treats for yourself.

Each drink comes with a little card with ingredient info and serving instructions.

We tried the brand's limited edition festive range as well as the autumnal Pumpkin Spiced Espresso Martini. Here's what we thought...

One of our favourites was the Pumpkin Spiced Espresso Martini (20% alc volume). The brand won a Great Taste Award for their classic Espresso Martini so it's perhaps not a surprise that their autumnal edition is just as delicious. It uses the same recipe as the classic but with the addition of pumpkin spice syrup - yum! Serve it straight up with crumbled coffee beans on top for an extra kick.

The festive Spiced Orange and Cranberry Spritz (18% alc volume) was another fave. It's made up of white wine, cranberry & honey syrup, amaretto and bitter orange liqueur. Katie thought it had just the right amount of sweetness and tartness. 'It reminded me of an Aperol Spritz but with a more wintry, warming note to it.' It's delicious straight up over ice with a slice of orange, or if you want to dial down the sweetness a little, add a splash of tonic water.

Rebecca thought the flavours of pear and cognac were a great pairing in the Christmas Tree Fizz (18% alc volume), but she did find it quite sweet. 'Adding a few glugs of Prosecco turned it into a more refreshing spritz, though.'

Cinead thought the Mincepie Old Fashioned (25% alc volume) would be too sickly sweet, but it turned out more warming than sugary. In fact, she could only detect the flavour of mince pie as an aftertaste, and it was subtle, 'because let's face it, it’s pretty hard to overpower the flavour of a Kentucky bourbon.'

YourHomeStyle team pick: Spiced Orange & Cranberry Spritz. Like its summery sister Aperol Spritz, this festive twist on a classic was an all-round fave with us.

Buy kocktail pre-mixed cocktails from John Lewis & Partners (from £22), Not On The High Street (from £9) & Amazon (£25)

NIO Cocktails

Best letterbox pre-mixed cocktails

• Buy now from NIO (£19.50 for a box of 3)

• Price £19.50 for a box of 3
• Alcohol volume 20% - 29.3% (also offer alcohol-free cocktails)
• Packaging Flat cardboard box
• Size 100ml

If James Bond had a cocktail subscription, it would be with NIO Cocktails. The brand was co-founded by a master mixologist and owner of one of the top 20 bars in the world. Plus, all the recipes are blended in Italy, home to some of our all-time favourite cocktail creations. They sell all of the classic cocktails, Manhattan, Cosmopolitan, Negroni, and Margarita, and they also offer non-alcoholic options.

What makes NIO unique is its innovative packaging. Each pre-mixed cocktail comes in a compact cardboard box (designed to fit through your letterbox) which you are then instructed to 'shake, pinch and tear to open'. You can then pour the contents directly into your glass. This packaging may seem a bit fiddly at first, but the design is convenient for transporting without risk of smashing bottles. This makes them a great choice for drinks at a picnic, on the beach or camping.

We tried five of the brand's staple cocktails: Negroni, Tommy's Margarita, Manhattan, Daquiri and Cosmopolitan. Here are our verdicts...

Katie loved the Negroni (22% alc volume), which she served over ice with a splash of soda water and a slice and squeeze of orange. 'It tasted as good as the negronis I had on holiday in Italy back in the summer. I'm tempted to try another one with some prosecco and turn it into a Sbagliato.'

Rebecca was singing the praises of Tommy's Margarita (20% alc volume). She thought it was a well-balanced cocktail packed with all the powerful flavours you’d expect from a freshly-mixed margarita. 'From the golden hue of the tequila to the punchy zing of lime, this is definitely the real deal!'

Cinead enjoyed the Manhattan (24.2% alc volume), finding it lovely and rich. 'The orange really helped give depth to the flavour and keep it on the refreshing side of heavy.'

The Daiquiri (23.2% alc volume), which includes only rum, citrus and sugar syrup, might not be for everyone, but Rebecca found this really allowed the premium quality ingredients to shine. She served it chilled in a martini glass (the traditional serving vessel) and you could also run a slice of lime around the rim then dip in salt. If you’re used to daiquiris of the fruity variety, blend up with frozen fruit of choice for a tropical treat.

The team thought the Cosmopolitan (22% alc volume) was a bit over-sweet as opposed to sharp and refreshing, but you may enjoy if you like sugary cocktails.

YourHomeStyle team pick: Margarita. Out of the all cocktail brands we tried, NIO's margarita was hands down the best. It was fresh and zingy, and it was so good out of the box it needed no accompaniments.

Buy NIO pre-mixed cocktails from NIO (£19.50 for a box of 3)

Not Another Bill

Best travel-size pre-mixed cocktails

• Buy now from Not Another Bill (from £6)

• Price £6
• Alcohol volume 15%
• Packaging Glass bottle
• Size 100ml

Online gift company Not Another Bill specialises in unique items that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. They stock every kind of gift you could wish for; luxe food hampers, lust-worthy homewares, old-school boardgames, sophisticated stationery and of lucky for us, scrumptious cocktails.

The range of cocktails comes in a full-size 500ml bottle or a mini, travel-size 100ml bottle (the perfect size tipple to take in your carry-on if you so wish...). We tried all four of the brand's cocktail flavours, and here's what we had to say about them...

Cinead's favourite by far was the Espresso Martini (15% alc volume). 'This one was so good, skip the 100ml and go straight for the 500ml bottle because you’ll want to have a couple. I love black coffee, so I admit I’m rather biased, but this is deep, rich with a sweetness that makes you come back for more. Totally delicious.' You can buy the espresso-strength Kuka Cold Brew Coffee as a mixer, so she's going to try that next in a Black Russian.

Rebecca was impressed by the Negroni (15% alc volume), 'I’ve had worse negronis at an expensive cocktail bar! My only regret is that there wasn’t more in the bottle.' Simply pour over ice, and garnish with a slice of orange if you have it.

Cinead thought the Margarita (15% alc volume) was quite heavy on the lime, so it’s a matter of whether that tingles your taste buds or not. 'I like to sip my Margaritas from a glass with a rim of good salt flakes, which makes all the difference to the flavour. Surprisingly, they don’t suggest this, which I think is missing a trick as it contrasts nicely with the lime.'

Katie was excited to try the White Peach Mojito (15% alc volume) but found it lacking in peach flavour. 'I served it with ice and soda water and it was lovely and fresh, definitely a summery taste, but it tasted more like a traditional lime Mojito than a peachy version.'

YourHomeStyle team pick: Espresso Martini. For coffee heads, this Espresso Martini is the one to try. In fact, we liked it even more than the award-winning kocktail version.

Buy Not Another Bill pre-mixed cocktails from Not Another Bill (£6)

How long do pre-mixed cocktails last?

It's always best to refer to the individual brand's instructions for storage and usage but for bottled cocktails, you should generally consume within one to three months once opened, and you'll want to consume a cocktail in a can, unsurprisingly, within a day to avoid a sad, flat beverage.

Prefer to mix up your own cocktails? Check out our festive cocktail recipes tutorial and 19 of the best festive cocktail recipes for some flavour inspiration.