While it can be really fun – not to mention satisfying – to make your own cocktails from scratch at home, it can require a lot of resources.
It's not just the cocktail shaker, strainer, various spoons, muddlers and the ice you might need, it’s also the many bottles of booze. Buying all of this can get expensive, not to mention the amount of space needed to keep it in – sadly, we don't all have room for a bar at home!
It’s no real surprise, then, that premixed, bottled cocktails are becoming so popular. You can now find plenty of ready-made cocktails on the market, which have been mixed and bottled by experts – you can enjoy your favourite tipple at home, without the hassle!
The Good Food reviews team sampled bottled negronis, manhattans, espresso martinis, a selection of gin cocktails and some 'wildcard' entries to find our favourite ready-made cocktails on the market right now.
Read on to discover the best bottled cocktails to buy. For more like this, visit our reviews section to find over 500+ round-ups of the best spirits, canned cocktails, rosé and much more.
Best bottled cocktails at a glance
- Best light negroni: Bottle Bar and Shop negroni, £33.10
- Best bottled paloma: Black Lines paloma, £20
- Best bottled old fashioned: MAP Lab bourbon old fashioned, £40
- Best bottled passion fruit martini: Black Lines passion fruit martini, £22
- Best unique bottled cocktail: Bottle Bar and Shop Remedy, £27
- Best budget bottled old fashioned: Johnny Walker Old Fashioned, £12.50
Best bottled cocktails to buy 2025
Bottle Bar and Shop negroni
Latest Deals
Best light negroni
Handcrafted at Bottle Bar and Shop in London’s Catford, this is a lighter, drier-tasting and more gin-forward negroni than some of the others we tried. Fans of manhattans and martinis might prefer this for that reason, as the emphasis is shifted more towards the gin and vermouth.
Alongside notes of citrus zest, thanks to 8 weeks of infusion with pink grapefruit and orange zest, this has a pleasant flavour of warming spices, particularly clove, making it taste almost festive. To serve, pour over ice with a slice of orange.
Available from:
Bottle Bar and Shop (£26)
Not on the High Street (£30)
Black Lines paloma
- Available from Black Lines (£20), Selfridges (£22.99)
If a paloma is your cocktail order of choice when you're out, this bottled version is for you, managing to stick closely to a freshly shaken serve. This four-ingredient interpretation of the classic combines unaged blanco tequila with fresh citrus, grapefruit soda made in-house and the key touch of Maldon salt. The result is a satisfying mix of sharp, sour and strong with a gentle fizz – the ultimate in summer refreshment.
The capped 750ml bottle is made for sharing in a group for a chic start to a dinner party – the smart illustrated bottle makes it ideal for gifting too. Chill the bottle well before serving, then serve over plenty of ice and with a garnish of fresh grapefruit, if you fancy.
Available from:
Black Lines (£20)
Selfridges (£22.99)
Map Lab MAP bourbon old fashioned
- Available from MAP Lab (£40)
Best bottled old fashioned
This simple but effective old fashioned comprised of Kentucky bourbon, Angostura bitters and brown sugar really lets the taste of the whisky sing. The use of brown sugar (in place of traditional sugar syrup) provides a rich, caramelised sugar flavour, a little like crème brulée, but without being overly sweet.
At 37% ABV, it’s a punchy glassful, but has an elegant flavour profile combining deep, earthy whisky notes, a touch of citrus and molasses-like sweetness. To serve, stir and pour over ice, then garnish with a twist of orange.
Available from:
MAP Lab (£40)
Black Lines passion fruit martini
- Available from Black Lines (£22)
A passion fruit martini is an enduring cocktail bar classic. For those with a sweeter tooth, the tropical passionfruit and touch of fragrant vanilla is sure to always appeal.
The smart packaging of Black Lines cocktails makes it perfect for gifting. The passion fruit martini is an expertly blended classic: made using East London vodka mixed with the usual passion fruit and vanilla, but also pineapple and lime to add extra juicy fruit flavour and cut through the sweetness. Black Lines recommend serving by shaking with ice in a cocktail shaker, and garnish with sliced fresh passion fruit. If tropical cocktails aren't your bag, we also rate their espresso martini.
Available from:
Black Lines (£22)
Bottle Bar and Shop Remedy cocktail
- Available from Bottle Bar and Shop (£27)
Best unique bottled cocktail
Bottle Bar and Shop’s remedy cocktail is a blend of Fernet-Branca (an Italian amaro), brandy, orange liqueur, bitters and honey.
The result is a complex cocktail with plenty of zesty, fragrant orange flavour and warm honey sweetness, balanced by bitterness. It’s very slightly medicinal (perhaps the reason for its name), but smooth and satisfying.
A fantastic aperitif, simply serve chilled, neat or pour over ice and garnish with a slice of orange.
Available from:
Bottle Bar and Shop (£27)
Johnny Walker old fashioned
- Available from Amazon (£10)
Best budget bottled old fashioned
Ingredients: blended Scotch whisky and orange
The old fashioned is an elegant cocktail that oozes sophistication, and one you’ll find bartenders around the world putting their own twist on – some will swear it's necessary to blowtorch the orange twist, while some even swap in mango. But, the Johnny Walker old fashioned packs in everything you'd want from the traditional drink into a half-litre bottle: subtle orange and a shroud of peat that mingle in a sweet and smoky sip.
Available from:
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This review was last updated in June 2025. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
source https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/best-ready-made-cocktails
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