5 Crushable Post-Season Libations
These canned concoctions are made for springtime sipping.
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The ski season is over, you’re getting your ski gear ready for a few months of storage and dusting off your mountain bike, roadie, golf clubs, or kayak for your off-season adventures. You know what goes well with all that manual labor? Canned beverages that bid a fond farewell to the winter months and usher in shoulder-season pursuits.
10 Barrel Crush Cucumber Sour
With a tagline of “Drink Beer Outside,” it’s not hard to see why we’d be drawn to this Oregon-based brewer. 10 Barrel makes great IPAs—we’re big fans of Snake Run and Profuse Juice—but they also make tasty sours that are light, tangy, and perfect for patio or deck sessions.
Our favorite: Cucumber Crush, as subtle and refreshing as cucumber-infused water but with a sour kick. Not a fan of cucumber, no matter how subtle? Try the raspberry, apricot or strawberry Crush instead—they’re all delightful.
- Beer Type: Sour
- ABV: 5%
- Availability: Year-round
New Holland Lightpoint
For a more traditional beer with light notes, try New Holland’s Lightpoint White Ale. New Holland, born and brewed in Holland, Michigan, strives to make beers that capture “a harvest, a season, or a moment in time,” and after tasting their Lightpoint, we say they’ve succeeded in their mission. Brewed with coconut water, raw honey, and orange peel, this functional white ale is a low-calorie, low-carb option (only 86 calories!) that tastes like sunshine in a can.
- Beer Type: White Ale
- ABV: 3.7%
- Availability: Year-round
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Nomikai California Rosé
No spring drink list is complete without a rosé. Enter the Nomikai California Rosé, a sparkling rosé boasting notes of grapefruit and cherries. Nomikai, an American brand with a Japanese name for drinking parties where friends come together, is the brainchild of Connor Drexler and the result of a collaboration with California’s Ryme Cellars. Drier than many other of its counterparts in the rosé department, this Nomikai varietal is for those who love cava but want it in pink. Not a “rosé all day” convert? Try Nomikai’s California Red.
- Wine Type: Fizzy Rosé
- ABV: 11.5%
- Availability: Year-round
Related: Best Portable Wines
10 Barrel Pineapple Serrano Margarita
Canned cocktails are a recent foray for 10 Barrel, but they’re disappearing from liquor store shelves before most even get a chance to lay eyeballs on the colorfully packaged cans. The brewery now makes seven different cocktails, including their Grey Hound, Bloody Mary, Moscow Mule, and three different margarita options. All are tasty, but our favorite is the Pineapple Serrano Margarita. While canned cocktails frequently miss the mark in recreating the freshness and correct notes of their originals, 10 Barrel’s Pineapple Serrano Margarita hits the bullseye thanks to tequila from Mexico and the perfect balance between pineapple and hot peppers.
- Beverage Type: Cocktail
- ABV: 10%
- Availability: Limited
Upslope Pomegranate & Acai Snowmelt
Boulder, Colo. based brewery Upslope didn’t waste any time hopping on the spiked seltzer bandwagon by launching Snowmelt, its own take on the category. The brand known for its traditional beers and hoppy IPAs defends its move into the spiked seltzer space as “in line with Upslope’s love for the outdoors and dedication to delivering palatable craft beverages perfectly suited for those après moments.” No need to defend anything to us—we’re Snowmelt converts thanks to Upslope’s Pomegranate & Acai flavor, wonderfully refreshing thanks to subtle flavors and natural ingredients.
- Booze Type: Spiked Seltzer
- ABV: 5%
- Availability: Year-round
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