We’re calling it: Archie Rose Vodka Mango Spritz is one of the most delicious canned cocktails we’ve ever tasted.

The Sydney distiller unveiled its first range of canned cocktails in November 2020, with the aim of providing bar-quality spritz drinks in the convenience of cans. And somehow Drinks Digest didn’t get around to tasting them until last weekend. One word: wow.

The range is the handiwork of Archie Rose’s Creative Drinks Manager Rachelle “Rocky” Hair.

Admittedly, we haven’t tried the rest of the range yet, which includes:

• Gin & Tonic with Lemon & Pepperberry
• Gin Blackberry Spritz with Lemon Myrtle & Juniper
• Vodka & Soda with Native Blood Lime

But they’ve been instantly added to our bucket list.

The Vodka Mango Spritz contains carbonated water, mango, lime and chilli, which gives it the nostalgic flavour of Australian summers. 

Many spritzes are artificially sweetened, but Archie Rose decided to buck the no-sugar trend and add a dash of the sweet stuff, together with other natural flavours.

Archie Rose Distilling Co’s head of hospitality, Harriet Leigh explained: “When we sat down to approach this project, we did so the same way we do all projects at Archie Rose – in the pursuit of the best possible flavour. Where most canned drinks feature sugar modifiers and flavourings, our Canned Cocktails are the real deal. Made with botanical distillates just like our gins and vodkas, these drinks are real flavours encapsulated.”

Each 200ml can has 6% ABV, slightly higher than some RTD cocktails on the market, which are generally around 3.5 to 4%. But the vodka is incredibly well integrated in the drink. We find some spritzes can be a little lacking in oomph.

The range is also a little pricier than your average RTD, with an RRP of $25 for a 4-pack. We think the flavour totally justifies the price tag.  

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