BEFORE YOU SIP

MOTH is a UK-based ready-to-drink cocktail brand that’s expanding into the U.S. with seven flavors, including Piña Colada, Spicy Margarita, and Espresso Martini.
Each sleek black can has an ABV of 14.9% and is made with premium spirits and real fruit juice.
I taste-tested six of the seven flavors and ranked them from least favorite to an absolute summer must-have.

At this point in life, I kinda consider myself a canned cocktail connoisseur. So whenever I’m introduced to a new cocktail brand, I’m always curious to see how it stacks up against my faves.

With that being said, let me introduce you to MOTH (Mix of Total Happiness), a UK-based ready-to-drink cocktail brand that’s growing here in the U.S. The collection of ready-to-drink sips from MOTH includes:

Piña Colada
Mojito
Margarita
Spicy Margarita
Espresso Martini
Passionfruit Martini
Cosmopolitan

They all flaunt a 14.9% ABV and they’re served in these super chic, little black cans. Each flavor is made with premium spirits and real fruit juice. You can purchase a 4-pack for $19.99.

I had the chance to try six out of seven of the available flavors, and I of course had to report back to share my thoughts. To mix things up a bit, I’ve decided to provide a ranking of the flavors, starting with my least favorite and ending with the one I’d happily keep stocked in my fridge all summer long (and beyond).

#6 - Piña Colada

Piña Coladas are a pretty hard drink to translate into cocktail form, because it’s the creaminess and iciness that really make for a stellar drink. This canned cocktail from MOTH was very much on the sweet side. Although the drink is described as being tropical and creamy, I didn’t find it to be all that creamy. And it was a little more artificial tasting than the other canned cocktails.

#5 - Passionfruit Martini

With notes of vanilla and passionfruit, I had really high hopes for the Passionfruit Martini, but it was another one that was just too sweet for me. I do think serving this particular cocktail on ice—I sampled every drink straight from the can—would have cut down on the sweetness. I did enjoy the subtle kick of vanilla though.

#4 - Margarita

MOTH’s Margarita had all the characteristics of a good marg, but at the same time I found that there was something missing. The Margarita is probably the most popular canned cocktail out there, so I feel like you really have to come hard with this flavor. I’d absolutely love it if they introduced a Margarita made with mezcal for a nice little smoky kick.

#3 - Spicy Margarita

And here we have that extra “oomf” the MOTH Margarita needed. Thanks to the fiery addition of two chilies, this version brings a bold kick of heat that makes the regular Margarita pale in comparison.

#2 - Cosmopolitan

I was feeling very Carrie Bradshaw with this one. I found it to be a pretty straight-forward sip that had all the elements of a good Cosmo: boozy, fruity and heavy on the citrus. I truly have no notes for this flavor.

#1 - Espresso Martini

Who knew an Espresso Martini in canned cocktail form could taste this good?? The Espresso Martini was the first MOTH canned cocktail I sampled, so it’s kind of ironic that it ended up being my favorite. Not only was it delicious, but it seemed to pack more of a boozy punch than the other sips (despite having the same ABV).

With both cold brew and coffee liqueur, it didn’t skimp on the espresso, but still remained balanced thanks to the addition of premium vodka. I definitely recommend giving it a good shake before opening it, and serving the cocktail in a martini glass to take advantage of the froth.

You can find the collection of MOTH cocktails at Whole Foods, Target and select bottle shops across Chicago. You can also use MOTH’s Store Locator.

I Tried Every MOTH Canned Cocktail—And There’s One Flavor That Blew My Mind