Best And Worst Nostalgic Pre-Mixed Cocktails, From SunnyD Vodka Seltzer To Rocket Pop Twisted Tea

This article is a part of Canned Cocktail Week, a week of content celebrating ready to drink (RTD) cocktails, from seltzers to premium ready-to-serve cocktails and beyond. Click here to check out the rest of our Canned Cocktail Week content.

In an era of remakes, sequels, fan service and gratuitous callbacks, it was only a matter of time before the alcohol industry found a way to cash in on nostalgia.

The genre is pre-mixed cocktails, and the category is household brand names. The fast-growing RTD (ready-to-drink) market has given birth to a new kind of product, one that combines beloved, family-friendly recipes with a splash of spirits or malt-based alcohol. The possibilities are virtually limitless. Coca-Cola has dived headfirst into the trend with spiked twists on Simply Lemonade, Fresca, Topo Chico and Minute Maid, while PepsiCo has done much the same with brands like Mountain Dew and Lipton Tea. Dunkin’ Spiked? Why not. Jarritos Hard Soda? But of course! Never in a million years would we have guessed that Rocket Pop and Twisted Tea would join forces for an official release, yet, lo and behold, here we are.

The concept has not been without its critics. Consumer advocacy groups, particularly those representing parents, have argued that these products hit a little too close to home for kids. Regulators in several states have begun implementing measures to dissuade accidental purchases, prohibiting the drinks’ proximity to soft drinks, fruit juices, candy or snacks that feature cartoon characters or youth-oriented images.

So let’s say you’ve wandered to the corner of the store where co-branded, nostalgia-inspired alcohol is totally legal. Which brands are worth a six-pack, and which belong in the dustbin of distant history?

Worth it – Jack Daniel’s & Coke

(Photo: Brown-Forman)

If ever there was a collaboration between a soda and liquor brand, it was going to be Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola. This reimagining of the classic recipe arrives at 7% ABV minus the caffeine, and is otherwise indistinguishable from what you’d stir up in a pinch at home. The soft vanilla sweetness of Old No. 7 pairs as well as ever with the carbonation and classic cola flavors that Coke delivers in droves. Nothing here that reinvents the wheel, and that’s definitely for the best. The drinks have been rolled out to just about every liquor store nationwide, where they can now be found in Cherry and Vanilla varieties as well. Haven’t tried those yet, but we’ve heard good things.tn

Click here to find it at a Total Wine near you.

Pass – SunnyD Vodka Seltzer

(Photo: SunnyD)

No ready-to-drink cocktail is quite as infamous among parent groups as SunnyD Vodka Seltzer. The name alone sounds like something that never should’ve made it beyond the planning stage. In place of the plastic, almost toy-like SunnyD bottles of childhood, these vodka seltzers arrive in 95-calorie servings canned at 4.5% ABV. Unfortunately, the drinks commit the ultimate sin for this kind of product: The SunnyD flavor is barely noticeable. There was an effort made to tone down the orange creamsicle-ness of the brand, likely in an attempt to appeal to the palates of adults. What’s left is a watered-down, supposedly zero-sugar drink that tastes and looks like a pale imitation of a nostalgic favorite. To quote “Jurassic Park”: Scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.

If you want to try it anyway, click here to find it at a Total Wine near you.

Worth It – Welch’s Vodka Transfusion

(Photo: Welch’s)

Fruit snacks have never tasted this good. Welch’s unexpected riff on the canned cocktail format arrived last year in Vodka Transfusion, Vodka Cranberry, Watermelon Mule and Passion Fruit Mojito varieties. By far the standout of the pack is the Vodka Transfusion, which tastes exactly like a bottle of Welch’s grape juice dialed up to either 5.9% or 7.5% ABV (depending on whether you opt for the “Ready-to-Drink” or “Craft Cocktail” labeling). Sure, it’s potently sweet in a high-fructose corn syrup kind of way, but we’d rather that than something that barely resembles its inspiration. Beyond the Vodka Transfusion, however, results vary. Cranberry hits the spot, Watermelon Mule is iffy, and Passion Fruit is not our jam. If you’re going for Welch’s, we’d suggest sticking with the purple or red.

Click here to find it at a Total Wine near you.

Pass – Rocket Pop Twisted Tea

(Photo: Twisted Tea)

On paper, a collaboration between Twisted Tea and Rocket Pop sounds like chaotic, bargain bin nonsense. In practice, it doesn’t taste much better. The issue is simple: Rocket Pop is a three-tiered popsicle separated into cherry, lemon-lime and blue raspberry flavors. When you melt all those colors down inside the same can and combine them with a malt-based sweet tea, it’s an unrecognizable mess. There’s just not a lot to chew on here other than in-your-face artificial flavor. It hits an odd balance between saccharine sweetness and a malty finish that feels non-nostalgic in all the wrong ways. Though this wasn’t our cup of (twisted) tea, results may vary if you know what you’re getting into.

If you want to try it anyway, click here to find it at a Total Wine near you.

Worth it – Topo Chico Spirited

(Photo: Topo Chico)

Cult-favorite sparkling mineral water Topo Chico debuted this tasty trio of canned cocktails dialed up with tequila and vodka in early 2023. These are not to be confused with Topo Chico Hard Seltzers or Topo Chico Margaritas, which are malt-based beverages that, frankly, taste nothing like their namesake brand, and would receive a resounding “meh” if we reviewed them separately in this roundup. No, Topo Chico Spirited is the real thing. The lineup is available in Ranch Water, Paloma and Chilton varieties, all of which combine a tart citrus bite with the astringent, slightly salty finish that fans know and love in Topo Chico. It’s a shame these can’t be found at more liquor stores, because each of the 5.9% highballs is a darn delicious treat if there ever was one. Find our full review of Topo Chico Spirited here.

Click here to find it at a Total Wine near you.

Worth it – Simply Spiked Lemonade

(Photo: Simply Spiked Lemonade)

Simply Lemonade is one of several Coca-Cola-owned properties to get the boozy shakeup. And it sure doesn’t lack in variety. There’s Simply Spiked Lemonade in Classic, Blueberry, Watermelon and Blueberry flavors; Simply Spiked Peach in Classic, Kiwi, Strawberry and Mango; Simply Spiked Limeade in Classic, Blackberry, Passion Fruit and Cherry; Simply Spiked Cranberry; Simply Spiked Bold … the list goes on and on. No doubt these malt-based drinks have been a breakout success for their parent company, and it’s easy to understand why. The recipe faithfully recreates the bright, sugary flavor of Simply Lemonade. It’s not fresh-squeezed, per se, but more like what’s sold in oversized cups at the boardwalk. This is an easy brand to buy by the dozen for any game day, barbecue or tailgate occasion.

Click here to find it at a Total Wine near you.

Worth It – Hard MTN Dew

(Photo: Hard MTN Dew)

Mountain Dew was invented in the 1940s as a slapdash mixer for Tennessee moonshine. Nearly a century later, the brand returned to its roots with a malty twist. Produced at the same facility as Sam Adams and Truly Hard Seltzer, Hard MTN Dew clocks in at a modest 5% ABV and is available in all the classic neon-coded flavors: Baja Blast, Code Red, LiveWire, etc. If those names conjure up fond memories from the convenience store, then Hard MTN Dew will probably be right up your alley. The taste and smell do an admirable job at replicating the real thing, loaded with just enough sticky-sweet fizz to disguise the presence of alcohol within. Even the color is spot on in that deliciously putrid hue that Dew does best.

Click here to find it at a Total Wine near you.