69ELECTION HANGOVER SPECIAL Bloomberg Pursuits November 9, 2020caipirinhas,andbloodymarys,oranAmericano2.0(amaro,
vermouth,bitters,sodawater;9.5%ABV),fromthereign-
ingWorld’sBestBarat$14fora four-pack.Manhattan’s
DanteunveileditscannedlineofaperitiviinSeptember,in
a partnershipwithFiveDrinksCo.,co-foundedinpartby
formerAnheuser-BuschInBevSAexecutives.
Technical advances have broadened viability—and
ambition.AcclaimedbicoastalbarmanAaronPolskyworked
witha flavorchemisttodevelopLiveWireDrinks,which
madeitsdebutinMarch.“Ratherthanpurportingtouse
freshjuice,whichtastesoffaftera fewdays,weuseorganic
acidstobalancetheprofilewithoutflavordegradation,”he
says.“Weuseextractstoreallycapturethetasteofthefruit.
Andit doesn’trequirerefrigeration,whichalsohelpsinthe
supplychain.”
Polsky’sinitialrelease,Heartbreaker,combinesa gluten-
free vodka with oroblanco grapefruit, jasmine, ginger, and
kumquat flavors. In the next six months, other colleagues
in the New York bar industry, including Masahiro Urushido
from Katana Kitten and Christine Wiseman from Broken
Shaker, will conceive releases and earn residuals on sales
of their respective drinks.
“We are big believers in cans,” says Bathtub Gin’s headbartender,BrendanBartley,who’sreliedonto-goand
delivery drinks to stay afloat the past few months. “They
represent the ultimate container for keeping out air and
light, the primary culprits in spoilage.”
Bartley designed the Algonquin—a tart yet spirit-forward
combo of genever, pineapple, and vermouth—specifically for
the can. To package it he enlisted the aptly named Canned
Cocktail Co., a one-stop mobile shop that arrives with a por-
table canning machine and label maker in tow. He simply
pours in his batch, and out come 8-ounce cans, ready for
delivery. Canned Cocktail has signed up dozens of the five
boroughs’ highest-profile bars, such as Little Branch and
the Up & Up, signaling an industrywide canning revolution.
Last year the Long Drink Co. expanded the reach of the
eponymous thirst-quenchers from Finland, where they exist
as an entire subcategory of canned cocktail. Around the
same time, AB InBev—the world’s largest brewer—entered
the fray with its purchase of San Diego’s Cutwater Spirits.
The brand offers the widest array of canned craft cocktails
on the market, with 19 products in total, including a danger-
ously palatable Long Island Iced Tea (13.2% ABV) that went
on sale in August.
The best part? No one but your fridge can judge. <BW>...and this classic version adds
jasmine and kumquat
t
Earthy genever zips through the
tropics in this canned martini
tA combo of gin and grapefruit soda
with an ABV similar to beer
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