20 cool canned beverages to try this summer

Photo: Cutwater Spirits unveils Cutwater Rayador Tequila Blanco.. Image Courtesy Cutwater Spirits
Photo: Cutwater Spirits unveils Cutwater Rayador Tequila Blanco.. Image Courtesy Cutwater Spirits /
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Photo: Cutwater Spirits unveils Cutwater Rayador Tequila Blanco.. Image Courtesy Cutwater Spirits /

Plenty of excellent summer-friendly beverages now come canned these days

The Summer 2020 season is now underway, even if the COVID-19 pandemic still has many people quarantined. However, with good health and appropriate social distancing intact, there are still plenty of ways that people can celebrate the Fourth of July and other summer-centric happenings in the near future.

Top beverage producers — of both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic sectors — are making drinks in canned form. Below is a mix of recommended drinks for you and yours to try when celebratory vibes are intact this summer.

Canned beverages to try: Stone Brewing’s Stone Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager

Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996, the groundbreaking San Diego-based Stone Brewing is the 9th largest craft brewer in the United States. Recognized as an award-winning industry leader, Stone has been listed on the “Fastest-Growing Private Companies” list of Inc. more than 10 times and has been called the “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate twice.

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Interestingly, the true story of Stone Brewing was recently documented in cinematic form. The 2020 documentary The Beer Jesus From America chronicles co-founder Koch’s tumultuous journey to becoming the first American to build, own and operate his own large-scale independent craft brewery in Europe. The Beer Jesus From America is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Also new-ish from Stone Brewing is its Stone Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager. Brewer Ben Sheehan created this beer while working down at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station. Stone Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager’s inspiration comes from Southern California, which is vibrantly-influenced by our neighbors to the South.

It’s a thrillingly-crisp, clean, refreshing Mexican-style lager that quenches thirsts, while gratifying taste buds via lime and sea salt.

Canned beverages to try: 21st Amendment Brewery’s SOMA Hard Seltzer

Exactly 20 years ago, Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan opened the doors to the 21st Amendment brewpub in San Francisco’s historic South Park neighborhood. In addition to quickly becoming one of the city’s favorite pubs, 21st Amendment began expanding beyond the Bay Area by helping to pioneer the movement to canned craft beer.

Sold in 28 states, plus Washington D.C., 21st Amendment produces beer in its state-of-the-art brewery headquarters in San Leandro, California and is among the top 50 craft beer brewers in America.

Masterminds of beloved fruit beers (i.e. Hell Or High Watermelon), 21st Amendment’s SOMA Hard Seltzer carries on the brand’s infatuation with watermelon via a clean, crisp all-natural seltzer. It also comes in Guava & Passion Fruit, Mango, and Black Cherry. SOMA Hard Seltzer is sold in 6-packs, each drink with a total of 100 calories, 2g carbs, 0g sugar).

Canned beverages to try: Cutwater Spirits

A leader in the canned cocktails space, Cutwater Spirits is one of the few distillers in San Diego to distill authentic tequila. And last year, Cutwater recently launched its first-ever tequila, Rayador Tequila Blanco. There are currently 16 Cutwater canned cocktails to choose from, including drinks with whiskey, vodka, gin and rum. Notably, its Vodka Soda offering includes the award-winning Fugu Vodka, 6 times distilled and lightly-flavored with cucumber, grapefruit and lime soda water.

Canned beverages to try: Bravus Brewing Company’s Non-Alcoholic Beer

The Bravus Brewing Company is North America’s first brewery dedicated to non-alcoholic craft beer. Thanks to a proprietary brewing process, Bravis is able to produce craft beer styles that taste exactly like their alcoholic counterparts. Crafted in Southern California, Bravus is a healthier, delicious alternative offering a wide variety of flavors and bold tastes to satisfy every beer lover.

Its IPA smacks of fresh hops. Its Stout reveals hints of coffee, chocolate, and caramel. And its Amber Ale is malty with a touch of bitterness. Looking for something fresh and light for the warmer weather? Try it wheaty, citrus White Ale or their tart Raspberry Gose with hints of lemon? Or, try its newest style Cerveza, its take on a Mexican lager. Only 100 calories for a 12-ounce bottle, Bravus is available in Amber Ale, IPA, Oatmeal Stout, White Ale, Raspberry Gose, Cerveza, and custom variety packs.

Canned beverages to try: Spa Girl Cocktails

Ready-to-drink Spa Girl Cocktails makes 100 percent plant-based, better-for-you, ultra-premium vodka cocktail offering, and the brand recently unveiled new single-serve cocktails in 200ml cans. Available in peach, pear, and cucumber, these delicious “pop and pour” cocktails are crafted with clean ingredients, innovative flavors, and natural infusions.

Made from ultra-premium vodka distilled 6 times, Spa Girl Cocktails has the lowest calorie count I’ve heard of for a canned cocktail — only 48 calories per serving — especially when considering these drinks to have a high proof of 33.  Beyond that, Spa Girl’s cans include no artificial sweeteners or colors, and are also gluten-free and vegan.