Ready-To-Drink Cocktails Part 2
 

Ready-to-Drink Cocktails Part 2

 

The Fifty Best Ready-to-Drink Cocktail Tasting 2023


The Tasting:
The Fifty Best held a "blind" tasting of 54 Ready-to-Drink (RTD) cocktails with twelve members of our spirits judging panel. The order of service was established beforehand by lottery. Strict tasting rules were applied. The RTD cocktails were poured into fresh glasses from sealed cans and bottles, and served well-chilled. Additional ice cubes were made available to the judges to add at their discretion. Only ice water, unflavored unsalted crackers and chips were available to cleanse the palate.

The judges were informed of the “type of cocktail” they were tasting, and wrote down their impressions of each product on score sheets. The scoring was done on a 5-point system, with 5 as the highest. Double-Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze medals were awarded according to a set range of final point scores received from the judges. Medals are provided based entirely on merit and only to products judged worthy of such award. The tasting notes that follow are summaries of the judges’ opinions, with all replicated commentary eliminated. The ABVs are identified for each brand. Clicking on the brands' names will link to their websites.

SILVER MEDAL WINNERS

CÎROC Sunset Citrus Vodka Spritz
(CA)  7% ABV

Palate: Tangerine, orange soda, nice blend of citrus flavors, Seven Up, controlled sugars, straight forward, well balanced, nicely crafted, pleasant.


Silver Medal
Silver medal



CÎROC Sunset Citrus Vodka Spritz



Beach Juice Vodka Lemonade
(CA)  5% ABV

Palate: Lemony, unsweetened lemonade, lemon peel, vodka, tart, bitter notes, super subtle woody note, complex blend of flavors, nice cocktail finish, great for girls’ night.


Silver Medal
Silver medal



Beach Juice Vodka Lemonade



Spirited Hive Vodka Cranberry Lime
(PA)  7% ABV

Palate: Lime forward, lemon/lime, citrus, hint of cranberry, mint, great balance of cranberry & lime, interesting, very original taste, crisp, refreshing, tasty.


Silver Medal
Silver medal



Spirited Hive Vodka Cranberry Lime



Zing Zang Mango Margarita
(IL)  9% ABV

Palate: Coconut, mango, honey, cotton candy, cinnamon, sweet, tropical, very rich, tasty, nice over rocks, well represented, mango margarita indeed.


Silver Medal
Silver medal



Zing Zang Mango Margarita



Beach Whiskey Mango Lemonade
(ID)  5% ABV

Palate: Pleasant mango, melon, seltzer, moonshine, well balanced, nice & tart, interesting, funky, mango & lemonade go nicely together, really decent RTD for mango fans, a great cocktail.


Silver Medal
Silver medal



Beach Whiskey Mango Lemonade



Heritage Distilling Co. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy
(WA)
6.9% ABV

Palate: Bright lemon, lemon squeeze, lemon drop, honey, creamy, caramel, cinnamon, red pepper, spices, very sweet, interesting flavor profile, full bodied, nicely balanced, has a kick, rich, nice finish.


Silver Medal
Silver medal



Heritage Distilling Co. Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy



Zing Zang Margarita
(IL)  9% ABV

Palate: Lemon, lime, citrus, sweet & sour mix, tequila, on the sweet side, smooth, pleasant, fiesta.


Silver Medal
Silver medal



Zing Zang Margarita



Wigle Manhattan with Amaro
(Pittsburgh Distilling Co., PA)  34% ABV

Palate: Vanilla, caramel, black tea, wormwood, bitter, woody, wood barrel, super oaky whiskey, slightly spicy version of the classic, wonderful.


Silver Medal
Silver medal



Wigle Manhattan with Amaro



Kō Hana Mai Tai
(Manulele Distillers, HI)  22% ABV

Palate: Lemon, lime, sour pineapple, very tropical, balanced, spot on for this cocktail, nice version of a classic, fabulous.


Silver Medal
Silver medal



Kō Hana Mai Tai



CÎROC Colada Vodka Spritz
(CA)  7% ABV

Palate: Lime margarita, sweet margarita, bitter-sweet lime, concentrated lime, lemon, triple sec, salt, balanced, tangy.


Silver Medal
Silver medal



CÎROC Colada Vodka Spritz



Beach Whiskey Pineapple Coconut
(ID)  5% ABV

Palate: Pineapple, coconut pie, tropical fruit, honey, agave syrup, flowery, buttered popcorn, great balance of coconut & pineapple, finishes off with whiskey, great for dessert.


Silver Medal
Silver medal



Beach Whiskey Pineapple Coconut



BRONZE MEDAL WINNERS

Spirited Hive Gin Lemon
(PA)  7% ABV

Palate: Lemon, lime, 7-UP, honey up front, lemon & honey nicely enhanced by gin, graham crackers, ginger, well balanced, clean, effective, a nice cocktail, delicious.


Bronze Medal
Bronze medal



Spirited Hive Gin Lemon



Viva Grapefruit Tequila Seltzer
(WI)  4.5% ABV

Palate: White grapefruit, smoky grapefruit, strong grapefruit, lemon/lime, agave, tequila, seltzer, smoky, clean, crisp, soft & easy.

Bronze Medal
Bronze medal



Viva Grapefruit Tequila Seltzer



Viva Elderberry Tequila Seltzer
(WI)  4.5% ABV

Palate: Smoky roasted agave, smoky tequila notes, tree bark, melon, sparkling water, refreshing.

Bronze Medal
Bronze medal



Viva Elderberry Tequila Seltzer



Viva Huckleberry Tequila Seltzer
(WI)  4.5% ABV

Palate: Tart huckleberry, berries, floral notes, faint underlying notes of tequila, super seltzer, natural flavors, super light flavor, interesting blend, crisp, refreshing.

Bronze Medal
Bronze medal



Viva Huckleberry Tequila Seltzer



Spirited Hive Tequila Ginger
(PA)  7% ABV

Palate: Ginger, tequila, honey, dried daffodils, floral note, citrus, soda water, well balanced.

Bronze Medal
Bronze medal



Spirited Hive Tequila Ginger



Beach Juice Vodka Lemonade Fruit Punch
(CA)  5% ABV

Palate: Tropical juice, fruit juice, Hawaiian Punch, seltzer, tart.

Bronze Medal
Bronze medal



Beach Juice Vodka Lemonade Fruit Punch



Viva Watermelon Tequila Seltzer
(WI)  4.5% ABV

Palate: Watermelon, mint, hint of agave, tequila, powdery, almost creamy, nice balance of flavors, easy going, crisp, refreshing, take this with you on your walk at the beach.

Bronze Medal
Bronze medal



Viva Watermelon Tequila Seltzer



MARGS Sparkling Mango Margarita
(PA)  5% ABV

Palate: Mango, tangerine, orange, tart, seltzer-like, very bright, nice sparkle.

Bronze Medal
Bronze medal



MARGS Sparkling Mango Margarita

 

 



Best RTD Cocktails Part 1
Best RTD Cocktails- Part 1

 

 

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