These Cocktails Travel, So Pack a Few for Your Day on the River

As the weather heats up and activities head outdoors, do yourself a favor and pack up some canned beverages to enjoy.

Sure, many of our favorite Michigan beers are canned and available for travel, but cider and cocktail makers in the area are getting into the canning game, too. Here are some of the most recent drinks from West Michigan beverage companies for you to enjoy at the beach, on the river, or at the campsite. (Psst, while there’s plenty of canned wines on the market, it seems we’re still waiting on some of the great Michigan wineries to get into aluminum.)

Ridge Cider

Michigan cider makers have been in cans for a while — looking at you Vander Mill, Farmhaus and Sietsema — and now Ridge Cider is branching out from its bottles. The Grant-based cidery launched its cans at Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Frederik Meijer Gardens this month, and they’ll soon be available at retailers.

At Meijer Gardens, cider fans can try Ridge’s Berries, made with loads of locally grown strawberries and blueberries. Also in the canned lineup for Ridge is Porch Sittin’, a cider with cinnamon and vanilla, and Raspberry.

Vander Mill

While Vander Mill has been in cans for a long time, a new offering is set to take the summer by storm. A “session cider,” Vandy comes in at 4.3 percent ABV and is light and crisp just like an apple — because, well, it’s made from apples.

Previously, Vander Mill was in pint cans and bottles, but with the Vandy launch, six packs of 12-ounce cans are available — also in the classic Hard Apple and Totally Roasted flavors.

New Holland Cocktails

Canned cocktails are picking up steam in the national marketplace, so it was only a matter of time before some of Michigan’s distilleries got in on the action. Ready-to-drink cocktails from the Holland-based New Holland distillery hit shelves this month, including Bourbon and Cola, Blueberry Gin Lemonade, and Holland Mule, a Moscow Mule made with the company’s Knickerbocker Gin.

Coppercraft Distillery

Another Holland distillery also decided spring 2018 was the perfect time to launch canned options. Coppercraft Distillery recently launched ready-to-drink cocktail cans, including a Moscow Mule made vodka, ginger hard cider and lime. In April, Coppercraft launched its first canned cocktail, Gin & Tonic.