18 Low-Sugar Canned Cocktails And Malt Beverages, Ranked

It's not 2016 anymore, and White Claw and Truly are no longer the only big names in the world of ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages. The industry is absolutely booming, but the buzz has recently shifted toward a slightly different kind of product: cocktail-inspired canned drinks. Store shelves are now lined with products from brands-turned-mixologists, shaking things up with margaritas, mojitos, mules, and more. Equally prominent is the growing no- and low-sugar subset of this category, aimed at health-conscious consumers who still want to enjoy a well-crafted libation.

Some of these ready-to-drink cans are traditional spirit-based concoctions, while others use a malt beverage base that's been spun up to taste just like a bar-served cocktail. Personally, I can get on board with either kind, as long as it tastes great. To see which brands achieve this, I recently sampled a large assortment of low-sugar, cocktail-inspired canned drinks. My goal was to assess which had balanced, authentic flavor profiles, making them worthy of becoming a go-to beverage or making a cameo at your next get-together. All of the brands I tried — from High Noon and Mike's Hard Lemonade to JuneShine and Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop — came in multi-flavor variety packs, so I chose two from each to sample. After a somewhat boozy evening, here is how each one fared.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

White Claw veered off the hard seltzer path in April 2025 when it launched its cocktail-inspired ClawTails line. With flavors like Mango Margarita and Blackberry Mojito, it was a big swing for the brand. However, for me, the Tropical Mai Tai variant was a big miss.

It's supposed to offer bright sunshine flavors of pineapple and passionfruit, and you do get a hint of those in the aroma and when that first splash hits your tongue. But that soon gives way to the almond-like taste of orgeat syrup, which quickly dissolves into a bitterness that lingers on the palate and at the back of your throat. The clash of fermented fruit and pungent black licorice notes failed to transport me to a tropical paradise, and I quickly exiled it to last place in these rankings.

Lone River made a name for itself with its ranch water variety packs, and in the summer of 2025, it expanded its reach with the introduction of the Lemonade Splash line. The sweet (yet still low-sugar) spinoff comes in flavors of classic agave, blueberry, prickly pear, and hot honey. The latter intrigued me the most, and seeing as I'm a big fan of hot honey when it comes to food, I was excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, I was let down by the flavor.

Unlike the brand's ranch water, which does have a bit of heat to it, this one doesn't hit you with any kind of spice — not even the lightest of tongue tingles. The honey is hard to detect as well, leaving a bland taste of agave and the faintest hint of citrus to do most of the heavy lifting. I actually found it to be inferior to the classic agave lemonade flavor, which is why it only managed to jump the Mai Tai ClawTails in the rankings.

This pre-mixed strawberry margarita from Cayman Jack proudly boasts its zero-sugar status, though you'd never be able to tell it was sugar-free. This was by far the sweetest canned beverages I sampled, leading me to believe that it must be loaded with agave nectar.

The candy-like flavor of the strawberry juice really pops — it tastes a bit like someone melted down a handful of Strawberry Puffs or Strawberry Starburst and served them as a drink. Since it's a malt beverage and not made with real tequila, the base is more subdued and syrupy, lacking the earthy undertones you'd find in a premium margarita. While Cayman Jack's other flavors, like mango and passionfruit, offer more of the same, I did find the classic marg flavor to be more palatable, but we'll get to that later.

Lone River's Classic Agave Lemonade Splash is an improvement compared to the Hot Honey flavor. While the taste actually lives up to the name this time, it still didn't knock my socks off. 

Although this certainly fits the bill of a not-too-sweet adult beverage, something about the combination of agave and citrusy lemon doesn't jive well in the can. It leans closer to sour than tangy or tart, and doesn't fully achieve the refreshing, balanced profile you want in a hard lemonade. So, while it beats out the ultra-sweet strawberry margarita, I'd be more inclined to reach for something with a cleaner taste.

I love the fact that JuneShine is transparent with its ingredients, conveniently listing them all on the side of its cans. For example, when it comes to its Tequila Paloma pre-mixed cocktail, I know that it's made with one and a half shots of "premium" tequila, sparkling water, grapefruit, lime, and sea salt. 

The result is a fresh, smooth sip with just a touch of salt and citrus. My main issue with it — and the only reason it didn't make it further up the rankings — is that it's missing the essence of a genuine Paloma cocktail. The grapefruit and tequila notes are so light that they get lost in the shuffle, so you don't get to experience the tart and earthy flavor combination that makes the Paloma so iconic.

It's hard to go wrong with a simple lime-based margarita, and Cayman Jack's zero-sugar version is certainly more satisfying than its cloying, strawberry-packed offering. The approachably sweet drink mixes real lime juice with agave nectar for a more straightforward libation, but the agave tends to overpower the taste of citrus in most swigs.

However, the synthetic aftertaste was where things went astray, a reminder that it's an artificially sweetened beverage. While it's subtle, there's still a trace of that chemically, diet soda tang which dulls the finish. Overlook the aftertaste, though, and it's actually not too shabby — something akin to a margarita you'd get at an all-inclusive resort, hastily stirred with bottom-shelf tequila.

In most cases, if Snoop Dogg's on board, I'm on board too. It seems that everything the legendary rapper touches turns to gold, which is why I was hoping for just a bit more from his and Dre's Gin & Juice cocktail range. 

The classic citrus flavor isn't unpleasant by any means, and it clearly outshines other canned cocktails which taste too sweet, too artificial, or just miss the mark. Yet, the word "lifeless" came to mind as I indulged. Light whispers of grapefruit and lime are the first flavors to take hold of your taste buds, followed by an unexceptional swallow of gin. The base spirit has a floral profile, but don't expect any of those signature gin notes — piney juniper is completely missing from the equation. So, while it's easy going down, I don't think it would necessarily become a favorite amongst gin drinkers, or convert any gin skeptics.

The Tropical Mai Tai ClawTails pales in comparison to White Claw's Strawberry Cosmo variant. There's no bitterness or any hidden ingredients (like orgeat) that hijack the experience. Instead, what you see is what you get — ripe strawberry is front and center from the very beginning, while the cranberry plays a supporting role. 

I'm not even a big fan of cranberry juice, but I appreciate how it offsets some of the berry sweetness here with a touch of acidity. Even at 7% ABV, the malt flavor isn't too strong, so it reminded me ever so slightly of a flatter, watered-down strawberry and lemon Poppi soda. It's palatable enough, but for me, it was more of a one-and-done beverage, falling behind a number of more sessionable options.

Mike's Hard Lemonade is not as flashy or hype-heavy as some of these more recent ready-to-drink beverages, but I don't think I've ever had a bad time with one of its bottles or cans in my hand. Even this zero-sugar mango flavor managed to hold its own. It's full-flavored, yet surprisingly not saccharine, syrupy, or bogged down with that infamous stevia flavor.

The can specifies that Mike's uses "natural flavors," so it may not contain splashes of real tropical fruit juice, but the flavor has an authenticity that separates it from other, more synthetic-tasting mango products. I should note that you really can't detect any sort of alcoholic bite behind the sweet fruit flavor, so you'll want to make sure you drink this one responsibly.

While I'm pretty loyal to High Noon's Vodka & Soda hard seltzers, I have to admit that a few of the brand's tequila options really hit the spot — the prickly pear edition is one of them. It's a touch floral on the nose, while the taste marries a citrus tang to a low-sweetness cider. The tequila lies low underneath the pear flavor, but its presence is still felt in every quaff.

What's more, despite the drink's seltzer classification, it shows no signs of that metallic, battery acid-like flavor, and the carbonation only adds to its crispness. The natural taste of High Noon automatically trumps the likes of Mike's Hard Mango and the Strawberry Cosmo ClawTails. That said, there was another High Noon Tequila Seltzer variation that I liked even more, and a few other brands stood out for their quality, consistency, and inventive flavor combinations.

Mike's Hard Lemonade is a beloved classic, and no matter how many renditions the brand comes up with, the standard lemonade version will always stand as the superior flavor in my opinion. The great news is that the zero-sugar version isn't all that different from the original. If anything, it's zippier than its predecessor, and doesn't sit quite as heavily on your taste buds or as weighty in your stomach. 

At the same time, Mike's Zero Sugar Hard Lemonade retains that genuine lemon flavor. If I had to draw a comparison, I would say that it's similar to a cup of lemonade you would buy at the fair. The kind that uses freshly squeezed lemons and contains sugar that doesn't quite dissolve properly, so it's zesty but pleasantly diluted.

High Noon's Tequila Seltzers don't get much better than the blood orange flavor. Does it have that rich, raspberry-like tang of fresh, authentic blood oranges? No, it defaults to the familiar citrusy taste of navel oranges. But I didn't hold that against this seltzer. Instead, I focused on the fact that it doesn't suffer from a fake, malty taste. It also blends the tangy orange flavor with the vegetal essence of agave-infused tequila, creating a smooth yet bubbly mouthfeel. 

I would compare the experience to taking a glass of diet orange soda — perhaps even a prebiotic option, like orange-flavored Poppi — and fortifying it with a shot of malt liquor. Better yet, it's similar to a weak tequila sunrise, just without the pop of color and extra sweetness from the grenadine.

Just a spritz of apricot, and suddenly Snoop and Dr. Dre have a significantly more enticing product. Apricot is not a flavor you see all too often in canned cocktails and seltzers, and it's overlooked by some of the most prominent players in the ready-to-drink space. However, whoever concocts Dre and Snoop's drinks clearly saw its potential, and they've done a very respectable job of replicating the stone fruit's unique flavor. 

There's a honeyed ripeness that's easily discernible from peach, nicely coupled with a hint of floral bergamot. The gin is more subdued, but there's definitely something botanical hiding beneath the fruit, adding a splash of complexity to the mix. It ranks high in terms of drinkability, and the creative flavor combination puts it above the more one-dimensional options, like Mike's Hard Lemonade or High Noon's blood orange seltzer.

Based in Ventura, California, Flying Embers was founded in 2017, shortly after the massive Thomas wildfire tore through the area. In honor of the brave people who fought the fire, the brand now donates part of its sales to firefighters and first responders. So, this lime mojito is not only a cocktail with a cause, but a tasty one at that. 

It's technically a "fermented alcoholic beverage," but there's something about it that makes it taste spirit-based. Free from sugars, sweeteners, and syrups, it leads mostly with fizz and the bright taste of lime, finishing with a minty crescendo. I really enjoyed it, and found it to be a refreshing low-sugar replacement for a classic mojito. The only reason it didn't rank higher was that the mint does come on a little too strong. For anyone who doesn't love the fragrant herb, it may be a harder sell.

The fact that Lucky One has an adorable canine mascot, and that part of the proceeds go toward helping rescue dogs, is reason enough to pick up a pack of its hard lemonade. Fortunately, it also happens to taste extra fresh, lightly citrusy, and clean on the palate — the kind of drink that makes you want to keep coming back for more. 

I think much of this product's success is down to the fact that it's a genuine lemonade that contains real vodka. Brands like Mike's Hard Lemonade, which are classified as malt beverages, simply can't compete. The resulting flavor is ultra smooth in terms of taste and consistency, and it keeps the sweetness to a palatable level. It's a high-quality beverage no matter how you slice it, and only a few of the other drinks I sampled surpassed it in flavor.

In addition to the classic lemon edition, Lucky One also comes in peach, raspberry, and blueberry flavors. After trying them all, I have to say that the blueberry flavor wins out by a hair — you just need to get past the aroma.

Upon first whiff, you expect it to taste like Cap'n Crunch Berries, because the blueberry scent is that overpowering. Fortunately, upon tasting, the flavor is far more subdued. It goes down as easily as the classic lemonade version, only with the extra flavor of juicy blueberries to give the citrus notes some "oomph." It was comfortably a top-three pick, edged out only by two canned cocktails that impressed me more from a mixology standpoint.

JuneShine's Tequila Paloma was a bit of an unbalanced mess that quite literally left a bad taste in my mouth. However, the brand redeemed itself with the Vodka Mule. As before, every ingredient is listed right on the outside of the can — one and a half shots of vodka, sparkling water, ginger, lime, and agave.

The ginger comes off strong in the bouquet, but lands easily on the taste buds. Because of the agave used in place of sugar, the flavor isn't as aggressive as other pre-mix Moscow Mule variants. Instead, it layers the taste of pure vodka with zesty lime, crisp bubbles, and a hint of sweetness. Every sip finishes with the tingly kick of spicy ginger. With these subtle nuances, JuneShine's Vodka Mule stands above even the Lucky One lemonades, in my opinion. It's a can I would certainly reach for again.

If this libation was served to me at a bar — or better yet, a swim-up pool bar on a tropical island — I would have been delighted, which is how I knew it was a winning recipe. It takes everything that's great about Flying Embers' classic mojito flavor, and then throws in the distinct taste of real watermelon juice. 

You still get the fresh effervescence, light sweetness, and warming alcohol in the background, but the addition of watermelon creates a more vibrant taste overall. At the same time, the fruit notes help temper the mint, so it's not as overpowering. With a harmony of flavor that makes it seem more like a made-to-order beverage than something that was poured from a can, it easily rose to the top of my taste test.

I received all of these cocktails in shareable variety packs, and each included three to four flavors. I made sure to sample each brand's classic or original flavor if they had one, and also did some digging online to find out which other variant flavors were the most popular or most talked about. I scoured customer reviews on the brands' websites to see which flavors had the highest ratings, and even took into account comments on social media sites or platforms such as Reddit. If there was a lack of information online, I chose the variants that intrigued me the most, and I was eventually able to settle on two flavors from each pack to sample.

As I sipped, I looked at each product's ingredients to see whether it was made with real spirits and fruit juices and, since these are low-sugar beverages, to determine what kind of sweeteners were used. I gave preference to those that lacked artificiality in both their ingredients and flavor profiles, and docked points for cans that featured a prominent stevia or "diet" taste. Ultimately, the best pre-mixed cocktails were clean, smooth, and sippable — drinks that met the low-sugar requirement while still enticing you with innovative flavors, and just enough sweetness to keep you coming back for more.