8 top cans to pick for a picnic

Hard seltzers, pre-mixed cocktails and canned wines are where it’s at

With the boom in canned drinks, pulling the tab on a tinnie has never been so satisfying – and eco-friendly.

Easy to recycle, chill and carry, cute single-serve RMDs (readymade drinks) have taken our summer cooler bags by storm.

And with premiumisation paving the way for higher quality ingredients and all the hard work done for you, those mini moments have never looked or tasted so good.

Cans are practical too

(no need to bother with barware) and much easier to pack. But what to pick?

With the panache of a proper drink, these A-list options do exactly what they say on the tin…

1. Three Fold Hard Seltzer Mixed Six Pack, 4% abv, £12 (6 x 33cl), Three Fold

Hard seltzer soared in popularity last summer. A lowcalorie alternative to wine, beer and spirits, the craze for spiked sparkling water started across the pond, with rising demand for lower abv drinks with fewer calories – and we couldn’t be thirstier for its ‘can culture’.

Built on the classic seltzer foundations of fewer than 100 calories and no artificial sweetness, Three Fold refers to the mix of three simple ingredients (natural fruit flavour, sparkling water and alcohol), and this tasty trio is livened by fresh bursts of tropical fruits, red berries and citrusy flavours.

2. White Claw Hard Seltzer Variety Pack, 4.5% abv, £13 (8 x 33cl), Tesco

A major league player in the US seltzer market, White Claw’s new variety pack features firm favourites Black Cherry and Natural Lime among the line-up, as well as its recently launched Mango. Fragrant and tantalisingly fresh, these are the seltzers to slip in a picnic basket, to quench your thirst with a subtle touch of fruity sweetness.

3. Dalston’s Vodka Rhubarb & Grapefruit, 4% abv, £26 (12 x 33cl), Dalston’s

Unlike many hard seltzers, Dalston’s uses real fruit and these Insta-friendly cans come in two variants, with the natural fruit flavour enhancing the refreshing fizzy nature of the vodka-laced drink, rather than drowning the bubbles with fruit flavouring. Crisp and creamy (especially the rhubarb) in a good way, think drink-menow freshness on the go.

4. Wild Spring Rock Hard Seltzer, 5% abv, £20.99 (6 x 33cl), Selfridges (available late June)

A new release to chime with your summer playlist, Wild Spring Rock Hard Seltzer packs a fruity punch at 5% abv, with premium vodka aligned with the zingy, uplifting flavours of juicy white Peach, zesty Lemon/Lime and sweet ‘n’ tart Raspberry. Intended to be an alternative to vodka and soda and made with the highest quality ingredients, each glutenfree can sings from the first sip.

5. Beefeater London Gin & Tonic Blood Orange, 4.9%, £1.80 (25cl), Asda

Shiny, slimline and ready when you are, serve Beefeater’s new Blood Orange & Tonic over ice and you’d be hard pushed to know it’s not the real deal – especially with so many fruity variations on their iconic London Dry. A twist on their classic G&T recipe, this combines bittersweet blood orange for a citrusy character and first-class pick-me-up for the park. Also available in Dry Gin & Tonic and Pink Strawberry Gin & Tonic.

6. Coupette Apples, 8% abv, £4.99 (25cl), Coupette

Award-winning bar Coupette and Maison Sassy (famous for its Normandy cider) are the brains behind this calvados-based cocktail, crafted with the same expertise as their signature ‘Apples’ cocktail. French brandy meets five varieties of apple in this effervescent tipple, with notes of caramel, nutmeg and toffee. Clocking in at 8% abv, it could be one for savouring

after sundown.

7. Kiss of Wine 6 Can Spring Taster Pack, 11.5% abv to 12.5% abv, £24.99 (6 x 25cl), Kiss of Wine

Can culture has also filtered down the wine aisle, with taster packs leading the charge – and with all our favourite grape varieties in the mix, what’s not to love about Kiss of Wine’s offering? There’s a crisp sauvignon blanc and rounded chardonnay from the Loire Valley, a still and sparkling rosé from Provence, a German riesling and smooth Italian nebbiolo – each with handy tasting notes, food pairings and fun facts.

8. Amfora Mixed Small Box, 9.5% to 13% abv, £45 (9 x 25cl), Amfora

Another contender for your ‘must-try wines by the can’ list, Amfora specialise in a range of premium wines from northern Italy and America’s west coast. Available in pre-selected combinations or a mixed box showcasing the entire range, who needs a corkscrew when you have top drops like these? Whether it’s a sparkling lambrusco (perfect for summertime sipping), a peachy chenin blanc from Washington State or a plush Californian pinot noir, Amfora have you covered. Cheers!