5 Cracking Canned Drinks for the Summer

Words by Helena (@Helenasips)

There is a drinks trend sweeping the US that is now also hitting home shores in the UK: Canned drinks. Cocktails! Hard Seltzers! Usually low calorie, low alcohol, pretty natural, affordable and easily recyclable, it’s easy to see why this is a trend that is going to be here to stay. It’s buzzing but a lighter way and after trying lots recently, I am a convert. Here are some new drinks that I have  particularly enjoyed. I suggest you all seek them out! 

Dona Sofia CBD infused G&T

Just launched in the UK, I really love this drink. The tonic isn’t as bitter as some and has riper citrusy flavours - not unlike a decent lemonade. It’s exceptionally drinkable, with just the right level of buzz and bitter. CBD with a small amount of alcohol is an intriguing combination; it’s like the booze jump starts the relaxing properties of the CBD. Exceptional value too currently at £2 a tin when you buy in 6, 12 or 24. Look out for their Rum & Cola and Vodka & Lime launching next month! NOTE: CBD is the health giving part of Cannabis, not the psychoactive part, which is THC. This is why it’s ok to blend it with alcohol. 

ABV: 5%
CBD: 10mg
Find it here. RRP £12 for 6 cans.

Session Sake - Yuzu & Cucumber, by Kanpai, London

Made by the first London Sake brewery Kanpai, this delicious, modern take on Sake is a great way to start with the drink if you’re not familiar with it. This naturally fermented junmai sake (brewed from rice) is blended with Japanese yuzu and British cucumber to create a seriously refreshing, light and sparkling drink that’s perfect for picnics, barbecues and long evenings in the garden. Lovers of sake should check out the rest of their shop too and visit them in person for tastings again very soon.  

ABV: 5.5%
Find it here. RRP £4.50

58 Gin Hard Seltzer

Just launched, these premium gin hard seltzers come from the people who create the well loved 58 Gin and use only natural ingredients. Currently available in Raspberry or Grapefruit in beautiful looking, fully recyclable tins, they are super fresh and fruity without being cloying in any way. Lovely, natural fruit flavours and that characteristic kick from the juniper.  It’s low calorie (67 cals per can), vegan and gluten free so suitable for just about anyone. Yum!

ABV: 4% abv
Find them here at Master of Malt for £2.50 amongst other retailers.

Smirnoff Seltzers

The world’s No. 1 vodka has been quick to answer the demand for hard seltzers in the UK and are now launching here with two incredibly moreish drinks made with vodka and naturally flavoured water. Raspberry & Rhubarb is subtle on the sweetness with a lovely tang that keeps you coming back for more. The Orange & Grapefruit has more zip and a bitter kick that complements the vodka. Inexpensive and easy to drink, these are perfect for hot summer days.

ABV: 4.7% abv
Find them in supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s for £1.55 a can. 

Bodega Bay Hard Seltzer

Pure, filtered alcohol and soft water are blended with a splash of natural flavours to create these ultra refreshing drinks. Using more unusual ingredients try the Apple, ginger and acai or the Elderflower, lemon and mint, these are a more savoury, quirky choice and they absolutely deliver. Brilliant value too at £2 a can, you can buy them in packs of 8 or 12.

ABV: 4% abv
Find them here.

For other great drinks in a can check out Mad Bean Vanilla Iced Coffee and for something a bit different take a look at The World’s First Peated Tomato Juice

The World’s First Grenache Gin Just Launched

Words by Aidy (@sypped) 

Fresh out from McLaren Vales’ Chalk Hill Wines is this rather curiosity-piquing new gin. Having tasted Chapel Down’s Bacchus Gin before, which was absolutely lovely and made a mean martini, this new release is all rather exciting. Before you get too excited, I don’t want to disappoint you – it has all sold out. So, this is really more of a ‘discovery’ article. (There’s nothing worse than reading the whole thing with intent to purchase then being bitterly disappointed). 

Named ‘Ginache’, because, well, yes. The grenache grapes were picked from Chalk Hill’s Slate Creek vineyards in a plot planted by the family in 1897. Considering they’ve been growing this grape variety for generations, I’m willing to assume its pretty good quality.

Never Never Distilling are their partners in crime who are taking the spirit from grape to gin and they are no stranger to this particular category either. Priding themselves with their ‘Triple Juniper’ method. Like me you may be thinking ‘erm, okay, what is Triple Juniper?’. Well, thankfully I can tell you. They steep juniper for 24 hours, then add it to the still with MORE fresh juniper prior to pot distillation. Finally, as if there wasn’t enough juniper, more is added to the vapour basket to capture the fresh and floral characteristics. There you go. Juniper, juniper, juniper.

Cherry red in colour, Ginache is bursting with red meadow fruits, rose petals and cinnamon. A sip offers both a sweet and spicy combination with coriander, juniper and sour cherry jumping out from the grenache element. Apparently your favourite rich tonic and a slice of orange will get the most out of it.

Since the harvest was so small less than 2,500 bottles were created with only 150 bottles sold online (what a tease!). Most of these have sold out, but a few will be sold at the distillery when it re-opens in the coming months. So yeh, you can still get one – you just have to go to Australia. Don’t forget your facemask.

Size: 500ml
ABV: 38%
Price: $80 AUS
Buy from the Never Never Distillery

The Queen Just Launched A Gin!

Words by Aidy (@sypped)

Add a little royalty to your spirits cabinet this Summer, with good ol’ Elizabeth’s very own gin. Well, kind of. 

Turns out that during the reign of James I, Mulberry trees became quite a popular thing to plant. This tradition has even held up today, where they are still seen throughout the country – not to mention throughout the grounds of the palace.

Mulberry leaves, along with 11 other botanicals including lemon verbena, hawthorn berries and bay leaves are used to produce this one of a kind gin, with each and every element taken from the ground of Buckingham Palace itself.

With the palace gardens home to over 30 species of birds, 250 species of wildflowers and 40 different trees there’s a lot to play with so who knows what surprises wait in store for future batches?!

This London dry gin has been produced as a small batch premium spirit and is currently sold through the Royal Collection Trust shops for £40 a bottle. If you’re lucky enough to be invited as a guest to the palace (I’m there most weekends these days), the gin will soon be served at official events. I’ve been told the queen likes to drink hers as a traditional G&T with a slice of lemon and although she didn’t share her favourite tonic water with me, I recommend London Essence or Franklin & Sons. 

All profits go straight back to The Royal Collection Trust, maintaining the incredibly historic and invaluable Royal Collection. Few know this, but it’s actually one of the most important art collections in the world and one of the last great European royal collections to remain intact. 

See, you get to drink well and help preserve the queen’s paintings. Win/Win, squire.

Producer: The Queen (kind of)
Size: 70cl
ABV: 42%
Price: £40
Buy it from Royal Collection Trust Stores

If you enjoyed this then make sure to check out Two Wine Stories you Never Knew about the Royal Family

5 Weird Yet Wonderful Bottles For Your Alcohol Cabinet

Don’t get us wrong, we are firm believers that what goes into a bottle is much more important than how it looks. There are however, some really fun, creative bottles out there that you will just want to buy for the bottle alone! Here are some of our favourites…

Medea Vodka

Have you ever been in that situation where you’ve got your friend a beautiful bottle for their birthday, you’re all ready to send it to them and then you realise you forgot to get them a card? Well, panic not as Medea has your back with their patented LED programmable bottle! Just programme in your message and you’re good to go. As a bonus, Medea vodka is actually really delicious so not only does your friend get to add a high-tech bottle to their collection, they can make a serious Martini too!

Check them out here

Bong Vodka

A second favourite has to be Bong Vodka. Created according to a hundred and fifty-year-old recipe in, you guessed it, Holland, it is distilled six times and filtered four times, leading to the creation of a wonderfully smooth vodka. Oh, and just in case the name wasn’t a giveaway, it’s shaped like a bong too. Bonus!

Find it here

Deadhead 6-year-old Rum

Another unique bottle, this six-year-old rum is placed in a bottle resembling a tsantsa, or a shrunken head, and pays tribute to the Shuar indigenous people who collected tsantsa as trophies when defeating their enemies. The rum itself has a rich, spicy flavour profile and makes for an excellent sipping rum.

Find it here

Il Gusto Pink Gin Gold

Because who doesn’t want a shoe on display in their drinks cabinet? This gimmicky shoe contains edible 22 carat gold flakes and can also be bought in a vodka version. Both are described on the website as bringing ‘a unique taste and a subtle sweetness matched with elegance to special moments’. Interesting… Let us know what you thought if you’ve tried it! 

Get your new shoes here

Khukri Rum

Finally, check out Coronation ‘Khukri’ rum. The bottle is hand crafted into the shape of a traditional Nepalese dagger known as a ‘Khukri’ and the drink was first produced in 1974 to mark the coronation of His Royal Highness Bir Bikram Shah Dev. This award-winning rum is smooth and balanced with a complex range of flavours that grow stronger with each sip. Nom nom.

Find out more about getting your taste of the Himalayas here

If you know of any other bottles that should be on this list send us an email to sophie@thethreedrinkers.com and if you liked this make sure you check out Whisky Infused with a Severed Human Toe, Anyone? and 12 Hilariously Unfortunate (and Downright Naughty) Drinks Names.

One Drink, Three Ways: Don Papa Rum

One Drink, Three Ways is the signature feature by The Three Drinkers. Join The Three Drinkers’ Helena, Aidy and Colin as they take one bottle and create a trio of phenomenal serves which you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. From rums and whiskies to gins and wine styles, the three help you get the most out of your glass. It’s time to get liquid on lips.

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Don Papa Rum: A premium, small batch, single-island, aged rum from Negros in the Philippines, known locally as Sugarlandia. This, their flagship rum, is aged for seven years to produced a light and fruity, amber coloured rum at 40% abv that is perfect for sipping alone or as the key ingredient in epic cocktails.

The Three Drinkers each share their favourite ways to taste it….

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Helena’s Choice: Manila Made

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A summery twist on the ‘made cocktail’, created by Sam Ross at Attaboy in New York, this is a smooth and mellow cocktail with gentle spice that wakes up on the finish thanks to the tabasco and freshness from the cucumber and mint. A delightful combination of flavours, it’s the kind of taste that can transport you back to far away shores.

Method: Combine the ingredients minus the cucumber and mint into a shaker and gently muddle, before adding ice and shaking vigorously for around 10 seconds. Strain and pour into a tumbler, then garnish with a sprig of mint and a cucumber ribbon. Tip: You can make honey syrup by using 1:1 simple syrup and any honey.

The ‘Manila Made’

Recipe

50ml Don Papa Rum

25ml Fresh Lemon Juice

20ml Honey Syrup

4 Cucumber Slices

Handful of Mint

2 Dashes Tabasco Sauce

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Aidy’s Choice: Papa Pearfection

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Don Papa rum has a special place in my heart since I visited the distillery a couple of years ago. One sniff of this cocktail and I’m right back in the Philippines sipping a cool drink as the sun goes down. With its relaxed vibe and sweet spice, it’s so simple to make and offers something totally unique at a party.

Method: Combine all ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake hard for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into a high ball glass and garnish with a couple of pear slices. Wonderful! Tip: make elderflower syrup by using 1:1 elderflower cordial with simple syrup.

Papa Pearfection

Recipe

45ml Don Papa Rum

25ml Lemon Juice

20ml Elderflower Syrup

45ml Fresh Pear Juice

Fresh pear slices to garnish

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Colin’s Choice: Don Detox

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I like this cocktail because it sounds like it’s good for you and I guess compared to some others, it is! Well, there is fresh apple and fresh lemon in it, so that’s vitamin C and other goodness. What’s a tot of rum between friends?

Method: Very simple and incredibly refreshing, pour the Don Papa rum straight into a highball glass with ice, add the apple juice, lemon juice and stir. Garnish with two fresh apples slices.

The Don Detox

Recipe

30ml Don Papa Rum

15ml Lemon Juice

Juice of 2 Green Apples

Green Apple Slices to Garnish

Like this? Check our our other One Drink, Three Ways pieces: Noilly Prat Vermouth, Tanqueray Gin and The Macallan 12.

The 7 Tequilas You Need in Your Life Right Now

Tequila is a drink for all times of the year and all drinking occasions. Gone are the days of shotting it with salt and lime (bleurgh!). Whether you like it neat to sip, with a simple mixer or as something more sophisticated like your own version of a margarita, you can’t go wrong with these wonders below. In my opinion, they are the best 7 tequilas you need in your life right now.

Casamigos Añejo

It used to be owned by George Clooney and let’s not beat around the agave bush, that’s reason enough to give it a go. Seriously though, this is an outstanding tequila. It may be widely available but their master distiller (who’s never actually been named) is working wonders. It’s a strong game. They use 100% Blue Weber agave with an age of 7-9 years, slow cooking the piñas for 72 hours in their traditional brick ovens. The 80-hour fermentation process coupled alongside a signature yeast blend give this tequila its refined flavour. The Añejo (which means aged or similar to ‘vintage’), then sits in American white oak casks for 14 months to elevate its game even further. Pure agave, soft caramel, gentle vanilla and a sweet spiced oak fill your mouth with joy. Sip this one neat before attempting to mix it as it’s glorious just by itself.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £54.90 // US $62.99

Vivir Blanco

One of the best Blanco’s on the market right now. This 100% agave beauty is produced from 9-year-old Weber Blue Agave on their estate. One smell gives you fresh clean agave with a floral burst. Super easy drinking and premium in nature you can sip or turn into one of the best margaritas you’ll ever have. Just avoid the salt-rim, this is a tequila you WANT to taste.

 Size: 700ml
ABV: 40% ABV
Find here: £35.90

Pancho Datos Reposado Tequila

Don’t you love it when people do something and do it really bloody well. Enter, Pancho Datos with their Reposado. We’re talking 100% Blue Weber Agave aged in American white oak barrels which had previously held mature bourbon whisky. The result is an ultra-smooth sip-worthy tequila with a pure agave, vanilla-caramel flavour. Perfect either by itself or enjoyed in the form of cocktail creativity such a Tequila Old Fashioned.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40% ABV
Find here: £49.50 

Tequila Dobel Diamante

This complex spirit is made with 100% pure blue agave, using a blend of Extra-Añejo, Añejo and Reposado tequilas. It is then filtered to remove the colour leaving you with a a mix of sweet flavours – caramel, honey and maple alongside a nutty, creamy vanilla finish. It is a beauty and will certainly leave you wanting more.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £54.90

Don Fulano Imperial

This particular expression is an absolute treat and a fantastic example of an aged expression. Each batch is aged between 5-12 years and finished Oloroso sherry casks giving it an incredibly smooth and rich texture. Dark rich and fruity flavours of coffee, agave spice, cinnamon and nutmeg jump from the glass. Taking a sip gives you a sticky maraschino cherry with dark chocolate, spice and vanilla. A beautifully long finish is what I love most about the Imperial, reminiscent of dark cocoa and stewed meadow fruits. Nom.

 Size: 700ml
ABV: 40% ABV
Find here: €157 // US $197.99

Casa Dragones Blanco

These guys create another one of the ultimate sipping tequilas and arguably one of the ‘purest’ looking bottles I’ve seen too. I love to use these as water bottles once I’ve finished the nectar inside. Small batch, 100% blue agave which has been around for 7-9 years ripened to perfection in the rich lands of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The water is pretty neat too, beneath the earth’s surface in hundreds of 70-meter natural aquifers straight from the Volcano of Tequila! Perhaps that what gives it such a pure and distinct taste…

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £88.95 // US $78.52

Gran Patrón Platinum Tequila

I love a good tequila, it seems to be one of the spirits I’ve really found an appreciation for over the last few years. If I was to name one house that consistently delivers quality across its whole portfolio, my mind takes me straight to Patrón. It seems there’s a little something for everyone and while I’ll happily get my hands on a Reposado for my margarita needs (quick tip, avoid the salt rim, it ruins the drink), I love nothing more than to sip on something of premium quality. That brings me to Gran Patrón Platinum, arguably the world’s first ulta-premium tequila. With each bottle taking around 30 people to create, quality is of the utmost level. Agave is individually sourced for its rich sugar content before being harvested, triple distilled and left for 30 days in oak tanks to create pure elegance. The result is a smooth and seductive nectar of agave, orange, vanilla, lime and white peppercorns. Pure bliss if you ask me and don’t even get me started on a Mexican Martini (google it, you won’t be disappointed).

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £209.65 // US $199.99

For more tequila fun why not check out The World’s Best Sipping Tequilas or check out these 3 Delicious Tequila Cocktails

The Best Value Fruity Scotch Whisky

The showstoppers of Scotch whisky tend to be either powerful smoky whiskies or big rich sherry bomb whiskies. These extremes have their dedicated followers and certain cultures around the world have a preference for them. For example smoky whisky is particularly loved in Germany, and sherry cask matured whisky is loved in Hong Kong and China. However most whisky falls outside of these two styles, and it is fruit flavours which give them their popularity. Here are eight fruity whiskies which have great quality and are also fabulous value for money. They just happen to all begin with “Glen”.

Glen Moray Classic

This "Classic" expression is the entry level bottling from the Glen Moray distillery. It has made one of our top lists in the past and is probably the best value single malt Scotch whisky today. It is distilled in Speyside which is known for sherry cask matured whiskies, but like most of this list, although they are distilled in Speyside, they are still part of the highland region which has a fruity character at its core.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £21.90

Glenmorangie Original

The Original is the flagship single malt Scotch whisky from the Glemorangie Distillery in the Highlands. Matured in a combination of first-and-second-fill American white oak casks for 10 years, the expression is a benchmark for creamy, approachable fruity single malt. A long-running go-to dram for many whisky enthusiasts (including us here at The Three Drinkers), this stuff is brilliant as an aperitif, though more than suitable for enjoying on a cooler evening.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £32.95

Glen Grant 10 year old

A great beginner's whisky right here from the Glen Grant Distillery, produced in tall pot stills. This 10 year old Speyside single malt, having spent a decade in bourbon casks, boasts oodles of light, malty notes. A top dram for warmer weather, and full of lovely fruity orchard flavours with a little toffee and a touch of peat. It’s like eating a toffee apple at a summer BBQ.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £29.90

Glengoyne 10 year old

Completely unpeated which is unusual in the highlands, this Glengoyne is soft, fruity and very quaffable. A fine single malt! Not known to many, but Ian MacLeod, the owners of Glengoyne are creating great whisky and are beginning to really shout about it. It’s going to be found in more and more shops and I’m sure it’s going to be loved.

ABV: 43%
Buy it now for £37.39

Glenfiddich 12 year old

This classic Speyside from Glenfiddich was the Winner of a Gold Medal at the 2007 International Wine and Spirit Competition and has been the best selling single malt in the world for several years. Aged for 12 years in American and European Oak casks this whisky has classic fruity apples and touches of honey. Macallan might be known as the king of Speyside, but this whisky should be an emperor.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £31.95

Glen Keith Distillery Edition

This Fairly unknown whisky is the first permanent no age statement single malt from Glen Keith that the distillery in Speyside has released. Matured in ‘traditional’ American oak casks and bottled at 40% ABV, the release of this laid-back malt is very welcome indeed. The distillery had a complete refurbishment a few years ago and now the liquid from the distillery is being bottled. Once a cult fruity Speyside whisky, it’s sure to regain that status.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £29.75

Glenlivet 12 year old

Excellent 12 year old single malt from the Glenlivet Distillery in Speyside, which enjoys its maturation in both European and American oak casks. It's an immensely popular expression which disappeared from shelves in 2015, but has since returned! A great example of the character of Glenlivet's whisky, boasting a bounty of orchard fruit, fragrant florals and honeyed malt notes carried on a creamy mouth feel.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £36.25

Glen Elgin 12 year old

A very soft and fruity 12 year old Speyside dram, distilled at the Glen Elgin distillery. Glen Elgin is very well known for having a very fruity palate, mixing orchard fruits with tropical fruits. It might be soft on the palate making it very easy to drink, but it is full of flavour and, although owned by Diageo, it’s not that well known. A little secret for those of us who love fruity whisky.

ABV: 43%
Buy it now for £41.45

To continue your exploration of whisky why not check out Sherry Bombs: The Best Sherry Matured Whiskies In The World or Wine Finished Whiskies: Where To Start

Best Rums to Elevate your Cocktails

Leith Rum

The Leith Spirits range grows once again with the addition of Leith Rum! Inspired by the maritime history of Edinburgh, this expression features a blend of tasty rum and Madagascan vanilla, which has helped to round out the spirits flavour profile and bolster its creamy, honeyed notes. Ought to go well in all sorts of cocktails and with a medley of mixers - particularly cola.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £39.95

Sailor Jerry

A spiced rum created by the famed tattoo artist 'Sailor Jerry' Collins. This is perhaps our favourite spiced rum and it makes an incredible spiced mojito! The recipe was recently changed, and made slightly less sweet, but spicier.

We know that some of you out there aren't so keen on the new recipe so here’s a tip, you can correct the flavour of the new version very easily by adding some dark sugar and vanilla essence to the bottle and giving it a good shake - it really does work!

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £19.99

Lamb’s Navy Rum

Lamb's rum is a very good value for money Navy rum made with rums from Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. This dark rum covers all the bases. It’s got plenty of complexity from the blend of rums, which makes it stand out in a cocktail. It is smooth so it can be drunk over ice if need be, and the price versus quality ratio is brilliant. Drink up!

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £17.54

Appleton Estate Classic White

I am bias towards rums made in Jamaica, as you will see from my last selection here, but for now here is one made in Kingston, Jamaica, Appleton Estate Classic White rum and it is exactly that; a classic white rum. Perfect for mixing, it wouldn't go amiss in a Yellow Submarine or a traditional mojito.

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £17.83

Havana Club Añejo 7 Year Old

Feast your eyes upon Havana Club Añejo 7 Year Old, a wonderfully flavoursome Cuban rum that is no stranger to awards. Back when it was created, this was the first Havana Club expression that was intended for sipping neat rather than for using in cocktails and mixed drinks. Though saying that, if you think your cocktails could use an upgrade of rich, aged rum tastiness, this stuff is ace. We've been particular impressed when using it in place of a whiskey for Old Fashioned and Manhattan cocktails...

ABV: 40%
Buy it now for £25.84

Rumbullion!

A sure-fire hit from Ableforth's, Rumbullion! is a warming spiced rum, based on the kind of rich, full-bodied rums the seafaring fraternity would have enjoyed centuries ago.

At its core lies a blend of the very finest high proof Caribbean rum, to which was added Madagascan vanilla and a generous helping of zesty orange peel and it is finished with a handful of cassia and cloves and just a hint of cardamom.

Rumbullion! proudly flaunts its maritime inspiration with a label that bears a hand-drawn illustration of a Navy grog tub, emblazoned with the words: “The Queen, God Bless Her”, each bottle is wrapped in crinkled brown paper, wound with twine and sealed with black wax. You can enjoy it neat, or with ice and a squeeze of fresh lime, but it makes amazing cocktails too.

ABV: 42.6%
Buy it now for £34.90

Hampden Estate Rum

I’ve not just chosen this rum because of the name! The Hampden Estate in Jamaica has long produced excellent aged rum, much of which goes into blends, making it a bit hard to come by (independent bottlers do sometimes get their hands on a few casks, mind). However, the time has come for the distillery to release some of its aged rum itself! This edition is made using pot still rum, is matured in Jamaica and bottled at 46% ABV - and it's excellent. It is a high ester rum with a blast of fruity tropical fruits which really stand out in a cocktail. It might be the most expensive rum on this list, but it’s definitely worth it.

ABV: 46%
Buy it now for £54.95

Stroh Inländer 80

Yes, the 80 does mean 80% ABV. For those of you who like to have a lot of punch to a cocktail, and not just in the flavour department, Stroh 80 is an intense, fiery spiced rum from Austria, made with all kinds of spice extracts and essences. It is worth trying in warming hot chocolates, or in spicy cocktails such as the Jagertee. Drink it responsibly.

ABV: 80%
Buy it now for £29.20

If you’d like to explore some more from the world of rum, why not try 7 Rums that Scream Luxury or Brilliant Rums under £30