It’s summer, which mean it’s time to get outside. And, of course, you want an adult beverage to round out your days of easy living at the shore. You don’t want to bring glass, because if it breaks, you’ll ruin yours or someone else’s day (or maybe both). And don’t bring plastic because, you know, plastic garbage islands in the oceans (warning: total buzzkill ). That leaves cans, and I’ve selected five of my favorite canned sips perfect for the waterside.
This is an exciting drink – a lovely light refreshing mix between a hard cider and a hard seltzer, crafted completely with real ingredients, listed right on the can. No “natural flavors” or artificial sugar or anything else you don't especially want to drink. This is a big step, since alcohol brands don’t actually have to disclose ingredients at all (I’ve been wondering for a while now where Campari gets that vibrant color …) Nico Enriquez, founder and CEO of Willie’s, started making alcoholic ginger beer in his Cape Cod kitchen 10 years ago, becoming a local legend in the process. In the past three years, he’s managed to vault off the Cape into a few hundred bars, restaurants and packies throughout Massachusetts, and introduced new flavors this spring. Oh I know it’s unfair to you readers outside the Bay State, but this is such a good drink I’m hoping it catches on. There are just four ingredients in the new Sparkling Pomegranate & Acai Superbrew (4.5% ABV)– pomegranate, acai, lemon juice and cane sugar, while the Ginger & Lemon uses actual fresh-pressed ginger, lemon, brown sugar and turmeric. Both are under 120 calories. Available within reasonable distance of anyplace east of Worcester for about $8 a six-pack.
Sofia Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine
Rosé sparklers are one of my favorite drinks, no matter what the season. This one, from Francis Ford Coppola Winery, is the only rosé sparkler I’ve come across in cans, but it isn’t the reason I recommend it. A lot of wine in cans are ok, mind you, but I usually find myself judging them with a qualifier … “it’s good for wine in a can.” Sofia is the one wine that comes in a can I love and suspect I’d feel much the same if it came in a traditional 750-ml bottle (Sofia does produce a brut rosé sparkler in a bottle that differs slightly in acid, residual sugar and alcohol level.) The Sofia brut rosé comes in a cute 187 milliliter can -- the only thing I don't like is the straw that comes tacked to each can (And I'm not alone. Even McDonald's is considering eliminating plastic straws). It’s light on alcohol for a Californian wine, at 11.5 percent, which is perfect for hot days. It’s an effervescent wine that I get some light red fruit flavors from, strawberry and pomegranate. Available in four packs for about $15 to $20 nationally.
Let’s get this out of the way: I’m not a big fan of IPAs generally. The West Coast style that has dominated the industry emphasizes bitterness, which overwhelms the flavor to my palate. In fact, so dominant is it that it wasn’t until recently that I learned that IPA doesn’t have to smack you with bitterness. Craft beer pioneer Jim Koch and the brewers at Sam Adams have rolled out a “New England” IPA nationally (the beer used to only be available on tap at the Sam Adams brewery in Boston and a few bars a round Beantown.) This hazy, juicy version has a lot of bright fruit – subtle grapefruit and a hint of some tropical flavors – and avoids overdoing the bitterness that makes me stop halfway through my first sip of other IPAs. Available across the country on draft and in four packs of cans for your cooler at the lake for around $10.
Narragansett, or ‘Gansett for short, has longstanding cachet to New Englanders. The original lager, first introduced in 1890, was a cheap beer that fell on hard times in the 80s and 90s. A Rhode Island investor-led group bought Narragansett last decade, reviving the brand that had been in decline. The lager is still an affordable beer that has its adherents -- my craft IPA-loving husband still turns to it both for enjoyment and for sheer value, as you often can get a tall boy for small change.
I prefer Narragansett brewery’s more elegant beers, which cost a little more the original but deliver far more flavor. This summer the company has rolled out Fresh Catch, a crisp, blonde beer with a light, grapefruit-y flavor that would go nicely with lobster or white fish from the grill. Available along the East Coast, as far south as Washington, D.C..
One of my favorite drinks at any location – beach or otherwise - is the cocktail-in-a-can from Pennsylvania distiller Cooper Spirits. The Slow & Low Rock & Rye uses Philadelphia-produced aged rye whiskey and mixes it with a host of other ingredients including dried navel oranges from Florida, 100 percent raw honey from western Pennsylvania, Angostura bitters and a small dose of rock candy. The cocktail isn’t sweet – it’s a fine, dry drink that is well balanced and has a relatively low sugar level, about 5 to 6 percent according to the company. The 100-ml Rock & Rye Slow & Low can sells for $4.99 and is widely available nationally.
