6 Simple Ways To Upgrade Your Store-Bought Canned Cocktails

Canned cocktails were the alcohol industry's next big swing at opening new markets after the enormous success of hard seltzers. But, let's be honest. The best thing about the majority of these canned cocktails is the marketing. We've found some popular store-bought canned cocktails that we enjoyed but not all of us are so inclined to do an afternoon's worth of research before grabbing a pack of something refreshing to drink.

If you're in the unfortunate situation where you have some canned cocktails that aren't all that great on their own, don't stress. Take back control of your life and turn these fake lemon cocktails into deliciously boozy lemonade. Of course, if you don't mind doing some prep work there are ways to identify what the best canned cocktail options are but don't toss out a perfectly good drink just because it's not perfect just yet.

The first two tips are more aesthetic than functional, so feel free to skip ahead if you are trying to improve the flavor. But don't underestimate the power of a good garnish. Even the best canned cocktails can use a little something extra to spruce them up for special occasions.

Let's start with the very last step — garnishes. It's not a secret that something is lost in the transition from cocktail to can. The presentation of a good cocktail matters almost as much as the cocktail itself and a stiff mold of metal entirely obscuring your view of the drink is about as visually appealing as a concrete wall. That's probably why these companies have put so much money and effort into designing some of the most colorful cans around, but we can do better.

Obviously, the garnish you choose is going to depend on what cocktail you're drinking. If you don't already have a good sense of what kinds of garnishes go where, there are some easy tricks of the trade that can help you decipher the puzzle. For citrus drinks, cut a wedge of citrus that corresponds with the ingredients. If you're drinking a canned daiquiri, for example, that means there's lime juice in the drink so go for a lime wedge. If the drink has lemon juice opt for a lemon wedge. Not all cocktails contain citrus, though. The best fresh garnishes for whiskey cocktails are either an orange peel or a cherry (preferably a quality maraschino and not a neon red cherry like they put on milkshakes).

If you're having trouble adding a garnish to the can that's because there's not a whole lot of surface area to work with. You could pop the lime wedge down into the can like we do with Mexican lagers, but that sort of defeats the purpose of a garnish since you can't see it anymore. So you're getting a two-for-one benefit with this upgrade. Crack open your canned cocktail and pour it into a cocktail glass. Not only do you get all the visual benefits of a regular cocktail, you'll also have an easier time garnishing the drink.

There are a lot of different types of cocktail glasses and keeping track of which drink goes in what type can be tricky. The first thing to keep in mind is whether it's served up or down. A cocktail that's served up is served without ice, while a cocktail that's served down is served with ice. In general, cocktails served up go in a martini glass while cocktails served down go in a rocks glass but a rocks glass may not be able to hold a full 12-ounces. A Collins glass is another good option but, again, it's on the smaller side. If you want to pour the whole thing out at once, a wine glass or a pint glass are viable options but they don't quite have the same flair as typical cocktail glasses so consider pouring it out a little bit at a time.

Enough with the aesthetics, though. For bartenders, making the cocktail look good is unbelievably important, but most people drinking canned cocktails aren't overly concerned with the visuals. Here, improving on subpar flavor is probably more important to you. Unfortunately, there isn't going to be a universal fix for every type of drink out there. How you improve a canned margarita is going to look different from how you improve a canned whiskey cocktail.

Fruity and citrus-forward drinks are going to be the easiest to work with. Margaritas, flavored vodka sodas, and sangria-style drinks will all respond well to juice. Even if you like the flavor of the canned cocktail, adding a splash of pomegranate juice or orange juice can breathe new life into it. The fun part is how creative you get to be with your drinks. If something sounds like it would be tasty, odds are you're onto something. Trust your gut and you'll be fine.

The only caveat we have is for cocktails that don't have a strong fruit or citrus flavor profile. An Old Fashioned, for example, is unlikely to benefit from the addition of orange juice even though an orange expression is perfect. If the drink doesn't already contain juice or citrus, better try a different upgrade.

Let's face it, some of these canned cocktails are much too sweet. Balancing flavors is the primary responsibility of good bartending and not all of these canned cocktail manufacturers are taking that to heart. That usually translates into thick, syrupy drinks that are just as likely to give you a headache as they are a buzz. If you've had the misfortune of buying a case of cocktails with this problem, seltzer or soda could be a good fix.

Club soda and its kind are also carbonated, so this is a good way to bring a bit of bubbly to the party if that's what you're looking for. If you want to keep it in the can, simply take a swig off the top until there's room for the soda and pour some in until you're satisfied with the balance. It will likely want to float at the top of the drink so consider finding a way to mix it such as a long spoon or a straw. If that sounds annoying, you can always transfer it to a glass.

The main players in this arena are club soda and tonic water. Because club soda has zero sugar and tonic water has a lot, we prefer club soda both in general and especially for this specific use case. If you're worried about ruining it, add a small amount at a time. Just make sure it's mixed in.

If you're the kind of person that likes ordering doubles but doesn't like paying extra for it, now's your chance to try it out on the cheap. If you've got a whiskey drink, add more whiskey. Same goes for any of the other liquors. If you want to add some bubbly like we did with club soda but don't want to water the drink down, add a splash of prosecco to concoct a DIY spritz.

There's really no downside here because unless you simply overpower the drink with too much booze, you're not really adding any new flavors so long as you're sticking to what's already inside. We wouldn't recommend mixing liquors unless you know for certain that it works, though. Putting tequila in a whiskey drink is a general no-go, but adding vodka to a margarita could be okay in a pinch since vodka's flavor is so neutral.

You can also try adding liqueurs like Campari or vermouth if you like, but be careful. Liqueurs are often quite flavorful, which is great until that big flavor starts clashing with what's already going on in the drink. We don't want to scare you away from the idea, we just want to be clear that you'll want to be more confident in your choice of liqueur than you need to be with, say, juice unless you're willing to accidentally push the canned cocktail into undrinkable territory.

Another major reason that traditional cocktails are superior to canned cocktails is that they almost always include fresh ingredients when properly made. A mojito is a great example. Made with rum, lime juice, and mint, bartenders will muddle the mint to bring out its bright herbal notes. Canned versions can't hold a candle to a freshly made mojito. If you find yourself with some canned mojitos and aren't a fan of the flavor, all you have to do is muddle fresh mint into the drink and you're back in action.

To muddle herbs, you'll need to pour the drink over the herbs in something like a pint glass and then use a muddler to crush them like you would with a pestle and mortar. But don't stop there, you can muddle a slice of orange into your Old Fashioned or strawberries into your paloma. And muddling isn't the only option, either. You can easily add rosemary to gin cocktails for a boost of herbaceous flavor.

The important part is that you're using fresh herbs and fruit for this upgrade. We didn't mention it earlier, but the same goes for adding citrus. Artificial lemon and lime juice are okay in some culinary situations, but they really don't work in cocktails. The point of adding these upgrades is to improve the flavor and artificial flavorings are not going to help with that.