The 16 Best Large-Format Bottled Cocktails

Hosting a gathering for the holidays usually ends up being a lot of work, no matter how low key or laid back you plan for it to be. And while stirring up cocktails to order can sound like the perfect plan, you will almost certainly spend your entire night jiggering and mixing rather than enjoying the company of your guests. Luckily, there are a whole host of bottled cocktails on the market that take all the work out of preparation, without sacrificing a drop of quality.

While the RTS or “ready to serve” category was once dominated by straightforward classics like the Old Fashioned and the Cosmopolitan, it has since swelled to include more innovative offerings, like ginger-spiced Mezcal Margaritas, coffee-soaked Negronis, and many more. In short, there’s a good bottled version of pretty much every cocktail out there, making it easier than ever before to satisfy your guests in record time.

If you’re looking to streamline your drink service this season, keep reading to discover the best large-format bottled cocktails for holiday hosting.

The Best Gin-Based Bottled Cocktails

Wandering Barman White Negroni

Founded in 2016 by three Brooklyn-based bartenders, Wandering Barman currently offers an eight-bottle lineup of unique cocktails ranging from pineapple and grapefruit Slings to smoked Old Fashioneds and souped-up Daiquiris. While all are delicious in their own right, the White Negroni was a clear standout, offering an intensely aromatic profile that beckons for sip after sip. Made with gin, house-made bianco vermouth, bianco amaro, and Wandering Barman’s signature juniper tincture, the cocktail is floral and herbaceous, delivering notes of gentian root, juniper, and citrus zest, with a pleasant vermouth sweetness on the finish. If Negronis aren’t your thing, we still recommend giving this one a try — its subtle bitterness is the perfect option for those who tend to steer clear of red amari. Bottle Size: 750 ml / Average Price: $23.

Campari Negroni Ready to Enjoy

The Negroni is undeniably the most famous Campari cocktail in the world, with drinkers globally acquainted with the three-part concoction. But if you don’t have the time — or the supplies — to craft one from scratch, you can serve your guests the world’s most popular cocktail straight from the makers of the beloved liqueur. Bursting with red and dark fruit, clove spice, bitter citrus peel, and a bouquet of botanicals, if you blinded us with this cocktail, we’d think it was freshly stirred up. Bottled at 26 percent ABV, it’s designed to be poured over ice and garnished with an orange, but if you don’t have any fresh fruit on hand, going sans citrus peel is perfectly fine. Bottle Size: 375 ml / Average Price: $29.

Bully Boy Distillers Negroni

For the amaro lovers who might not be crazy about Campari, look no further than Bully Boy Distillers’ Negroni. The Boston-based distilling operation produces a lineup of whiskeys, rums, gins, vodkas, and amari, many of which are on display in this offering. Made using the brand’s Estate Gin, two different types of sweet vermouth, and two types of bitter liqueur, the Negroni explodes with wood bark and orange peel on the nose that continue on the palate. Accented by coriander, lemon, juniper, and pink peppercorn in the gin, the cocktail is a harmony of bitter botanicals that make for a complex and enticing drinking experience. Bottle Size: 750 ml / Average Price: $30.

The Best Mezcal-Based Bottled Cocktails

Wandering Barman Ginger Mezcal Margarita

Another spectacular offering from Wandering Barman is the Ginger Mezcal Margarita, a cocktail that’s sure to convince all the mezcal skeptics in your life to hop on the bandwagon. Rather than taking center stage, the spirit’s signature smokiness takes a backseat, seductively floating across the palate on the finish. Instead, the spotlight is shared by ginger and lime, the former of which provides a pleasant warmth while the latter offers a lingering acidity that entangles with the smoky agave. Bottle Size: 750 ml / Average Price: $28.

The Best Rum-Based Bottled Cocktails

The New York Cocktail Co. Espresso Negroni

Launched in 2020 amid Covid-19 lockdowns, New York Cocktail Co. was founded by the team at Dante as a means of providing their customers with a way to enjoy high-quality cocktails from home. And if there’s one thing they know at Dante better than the back of their hand, it’s a Negroni — we know ’cause we’ve tried it. Of the four Negronis the brand offers, we immediately took to the Espresso Negroni, which is rich, decadent, and ideal for those who are looking for something more complex than the classic coffee cocktail. The coffee essence is powerful but not overwhelming, working in tandem with the amaro to create a subtle bitterness rich with chocolaty notes. The rum dials up the indulgence, washing the palate with vanilla, caramel, and baking spice that mellow out anything too harsh. Be sure to serve this one as an after-dinner sipper. Bottle Size: 375 ml / Average Price: $27.

The Best Tequila-Based Bottled Cocktails

On The Rocks Margarita

If you’re looking for a bottled cocktail to get the party started, On The Rocks’ Margarita should be your pick. Made with Hornitos Plata, triple sec, and lime, this Margarita is brimming with zippy citrus aromas that transfer onto the palate with mouthwatering acidity. While the lime flavor is strong and pronounced, it does not prevent grassy agave notes from shining through, supported by an underlying sweetness. With a hint of salt coming through on the finish, be sure to serve this one in glasses rimmed with the stuff. Bottle Size: 375 ml / Average Price: $12.

The Best Vodka-Based Bottled Cocktails

Ketel One Espresso Martini

Launched by Diageo in 2023 as a part of The Cocktail Collection, the Ketel One Espresso Martini may require a bit more preparation than other bottled cocktails, but it’s well worth the added steps. While others can simply be poured over ice, this Espresso Martini should be shaken with ice for at least 15 seconds to create the drink’s signature foamy head. But it doesn’t just mimic the look of a freshly made tipple. Striking the ideal balance between sweet and bitter, the coffee is well-integrated and tastes surprisingly fresh. Intended for Espresso Martini purists, the cocktail combines vodka, coffee liqueur, and simple syrup, so you won’t find any added creaminess here. Bottle Size: 375 ml / Average Price: $14, Bottle Size: 750 ml / Average Price: $26.

Ready To Serve Grey Goose Classic Martini Cocktail

Serving top-tier Martinis just got a whole lot easier. Truly classic in flavor profile, this Martini is essentially chilled Grey Goose vodka with an undercurrent of floral vermouth and lemon rind. For the best texture, we recommend storing this bottle in your freezer which allows it to develop a viscous mouthfeel. While the brand recommends stirring each serving with ice for 30 seconds before serving, we don’t mind it pulled right from the freezer door and poured into our favorite Nick & Nora. Bottle Size: 750 ml / Average Price: $24.

XXI Martinis Chocolate Peppermint

Available every year from October through December, XXI Martinis vodka-spiked Chocolate Peppermint takes the work out of preparing an after-dinner drink for your holiday festivities. While the flavor combination may sound overwhelmingly saccharine, the peppermint essence prevents the sweeter chocolate from dominating the palate, providing a refreshing twist. With a slight creaminess, the texture is lush and rich with a flavor profile akin to Ghirardelli peppermint bark squares. Bottle Size: 750 ml / Average Price: $35.

The Best Whiskey-Based Bottled Cocktails

Crown Royal Whisky Sour with Black Cherry

This Crown Royal offering is made with the Canadian whisky brand’s signature blended whisky, known for its vanilla, butterscotch, and baking spice flavors. Combined with lemon, black cherry, and bitters, the cocktail is on the sweeter side — but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Together, the ingredients fuse to create a flavor reminiscent of fresh-baked cherry crumble with the lemon working to keep things light and refreshing. Bottle Size: 375 ml / Average Price: $14, Bottle Size: 750 ml / Average Price: $26.

Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Rock and Rye Old Fashioned

Made with 100 percent rye whiskey crafted from a high-rye mash bill, this Hochstadter’s Rock and Rye is made by blending the spirit with rock candy — but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s overly sweet. There are only about 3 grams of sugar per serving, which is just enough to mellow out the punchy rye spice. Further accented by raw honey, aromatic bitters, and navel oranges, the cocktail is floral, spicy, and complex with lingering orange blossom, caramel, and honey notes. Just be sure to proceed with caution — bottled at 42 percent ABV, this is a cocktail that should be served over ice to achieve the proper dilution. Bottle Size: 750 ml / Average Price: $30.

Via Carota Old Fashioned

Tucked away in the West Village, Via Carota is one of the most difficult reservations to score in NYC. Thankfully, you can enjoy the restaurant’s bar program at home with its line of bottled classics. Impressing us the most was the Old Fashioned, which features rye in place of the standard bourbon. The whiskey lends a spicier element to the cocktail, which oozes with toasted grain, caramel, and orange zest. Bottled at 28 percent ABV, it might not be as full-bodied as some of the other Old Fashioneds on this list, but it’s a great option for gatherings on the smaller side — each bottle serves about four cocktails. Bottle Size: 375 ml / Average Price: $39.

High West Manhattan Barrel Finished Cocktail

Based in Park City, Utah, High West was founded in 2006 as the first distillery to open in the state following the repeal of Prohibition. Fourteen years after launching, the brand added two bottled cocktails — a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned — to its repertoire using the knowledge gained from producing whiskey. Both cocktails are mixed up in large batches before they’re rested in used rye barrels for a minimum of 30 days. While both options are great for serving guests, for us, the Manhattan narrowly edged out the Old Fashioned. Made with a combination of the brand’s bourbon and rye whiskey, a medley of baking spices wash across the taste buds, supported by a juicy cherry note and a bitter, floral twist on the finish. Bottle Size: 375 ml / Average Price: $39.

Handy & Schiller Barreled Manhattan

Another great Manhattan to pour at holiday gatherings is Sazerac’s Handy & Schiller Barreled Manhattan. Produced with Sazerac Rye Whiskey, vermouth, and Peychaud’s Bitters, all ingredients are combined before being aged in hand-selected barrels. The cocktail opens with a bouquet of cereal aromas with a perfumed undertone, likely from the vermouth. The palate exudes pleasant rye spice and a caramel sweetness with a viscous texture that lingers on the taste buds. For the best results, we recommend stirring this one with a few ice cubes before serving and garnishing with a cocktail cherry. If Manhattans aren’t for you, Handy & Schiller also produces a bottled Old Fashioned made with Buffalo Trace that’s worth checking out. Bottle Size: 750 ml / Average Price: $40.

The Family Jones Smoked Old Fashioned

If you like smoked Old Fashioneds but don’t want to go through the rigmarole of smoking one — or dozens — yourself, The Family Jones has you covered. The Johnstown, Colo.-based brand crafts several bottled cocktails, with the Smoked Old Fashioned being a certified standout, introducing a campfire-like essence to the bourbon’s charred oak, orange, and vanilla notes. With Lapsang tea added to the mix, the cocktail has some lingering  tannins that perfectly complement the slightly sweet, smoky concoction. Bottle Size: 750 ml / Average Price: $45.

Hoste Gold Fashioned

Launched in 2021, Hoste made a splash with its impressive lineup of bottled cocktails, though perhaps none has been as highly sought after as its flagship, the Gold Fashioned. A take on the whiskey-based classic, the Gold Fashioned is released in limited quantities every autumn, with a recipe that is slightly different each year. The 2024 bottling features 9-year-old hazmat-proof bourbon finished in oloroso sherry casks and a blend of 10-year and 6-year 95/5 High Rye Whiskey from MGP as the cocktail’s base. Together, the spirits provide a medley of caramel, vanilla, and cereal notes along with robust rye spice sweetened slightly with Demerara sugar. Interestingly, the cocktail includes Hoste’s own saffron bitters, which provide a floral and earthy backbone to the spiritous concoction. While the cocktail tastes fantastic poured over a large ice cube, the orange zest aromatizer pushes things to new heights, mimicking the taste of a freshly expressed citrus peel. Bottle Size: 750 ml / Average Price: $150.

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