We drink at work. Not for fun—it’s for our jobs. But sometimes it’s hard to just have a couple of sips for the sake of tasting. Sometimes the spirit or pre-made cocktail we’re trying is just so dang good, it’s tough to not just kick back and get happy hour started a few hours early. Out of all the bottled and premade cocktails we tasted in 2024, these are the ones we’re still breaking out when five o’clock rolls around.
Look, if you like Cherry Coke and you like whiskey, then you really can’t do better than this new canned cocktail collab from Jack Daniels and Coca-Cola. It’s a perfect balance of Cherry Coke and booze; there’s just enough of a whiskey flavor to let you know that you’re sipping on an adult beverage. I think this is better than the regular canned Jack Daniels Coca-Cola—and that was already on our list of the best canned whiskey cocktails you can buy. If you’re at all curious, please do yourself a favor and buy this extremely simple but extremely good canned cocktail.
This is why you should never judge a product by its name. Or its packaging. Or its ownership. The unelegantly named VMC line of canned tequila cocktails was launched by a professional Mexican boxer—who happens to have extremely good taste in cocktails. Every single one of the VMC canned tequila cocktails we tried was good, but the Jamaica Hibiscus Cocktail was the best. It’s so tangy and tart and floral, with a zesty tequila kick. It’s unlike any other canned cocktail I’ve had, and now you can buy them in tallboy cans. And that’s very bad news for my liver.
We ate our way through hundreds of products this year to find the best. Now it’s time to honor the best of the best.
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Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now).
Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test!
Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.
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Justine Sterling
Sporked Staff
Vinz Karl
