Do's and Dont's of Bottled Cocktails

They're tempting in their own way - they're easy, they promise great taste and they usually have elaborate labels that jump out in the liquor aisle - but when we start talking about ready to drink cocktails there are only a few winners and a lot of losers. While they are designed for convenience and eliminate the need to stock 2-5 individual bottles to make one drink (and taking most of the fun out of mixology), more often than not these bottled cocktails require something added to them to make them palatable or the strength we're used to getting in drinks mixed from scratch.

There are a few very good pre-mixed drinks, you just have to seek them out and spend a little more money. Charbay's Aperitifs and Sake2Me are two great examples of this genre and use quality ingredients and clean tastes. The flavors of these upscale ready to drinks are often more exotic, fresh and unique (compared to other ready to drinks) like yuzu, green tea, pomegranate, Asian pear and ginger with mango. You can't go wrong with quality or making your own bottled cocktails.

Most popular in the bottled mixed drinks are the Margarita and Daiquiri. Often these are too syrupy, even after shaking or blending, and not even close to the original fresh Margaritas and Daiquiris, but they're everywhere. While typically disappointing, one that I actually like is the 1800 Ultimate Margarita - it's good for cookouts, camping, tailgating, and other outings. Other popular mixes include copycats of the Mudslide and Cosmopolitan and these two can be drinkable (try Kahlua's Mudslide) but if you choose the wrong bottle, you're at the mercy of the mix. The same can be said about copycats of drinks that simply require fresh ingredients like the Mojito, which Bacardi just bottled this last year. They certainly lack the freshness the drink is designed to impart.

Shooters are always a popular "drink in a bottle" and appeal to the party crowd but if it's a shot that gets you and your friends plastered that you're looking for you'd be better off mixing your own. The recent release of DeKuyper Burst Bar Shots is a great example. While the taste isn't half bad, they're only 40 proof and when you compare that to the 80 proof bases of the Kamikaze, Redheaded Slut and Washington Apple which they're flavored after, you can tell the difference. This is where, if you want that extra punch, you'll still need to have a bottle of vodka, whiskey or rum around to kick it up a notch.

This brings me to my three cardinal rules of buying mixed drinks in a bottle...

• Don't Be Cheap - It's tempting, and that's part of the appeal of these drinks, however if it's a $5 difference, fork it over and thank yourself for caring about quality.
• Check the Label for Alcohol - Some of the bottles are very deceiving about if they do or do not contain liquor. Some are just the mix and you will need to add the base spirit yourself. Often, if they do contain liquor they'll say it loud and clear - "Tequila's Already Inside!" - but nothing is more disappointing than finding out there's none there when you get home and your liquor cabinet is otherwise bear.
• Avoid the Creamy Mixes - Seriously, I can't stress this enough - with the exception that Kahlua Mudslide - these are almost guaranteed disasters in a bottle. I recall this one I saw at a party that was pale pink and the consistency of Pepto Bismol (it had to be some take on the Pink Squirrel or something similar) and it was not good for anyone who took a drink and had anything else that night. There are many good times to say "no" and that is one of them.