Dogfish Head’s canned cocktails pass the lake day taste test

Dogfish Head is venturing into the portable cocktail realm and they didn’t go seltzer! These are elevated mixed drinks in a can and they’re coming to Pennsylvania.

Dogfish Head’s Bar Cart Vodka Mix Pack is the ideal lake day companion with a little something for every palette. This smart collection is reminiscent of the drink menu at a waterfront bar or oceanside cabana. Each recipe makes for a boat-worthy tag-along. As an added bonus, they’re also gluten-free.

“We are super excited to be sharing our spirits-based RTD cocktails with our neighbors in the great state of Pennsylvania. It’s been a long time coming, and we can’t wait to start building long-lasting relationships with the area’s cocktail drinkers,” said Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Founder & Brewer.

In addition to their well-known, well-respected brewery, Dogfish Head has operated their own craft distillery since 2002. Their headquarters is located in Milton, Delaware and their recipes are available across the Mid-Atlantic region. Adults 21+ can now on the lookout for Dogfish Head’s Bar Cart Vodka Mix Pack at your state liquor store in NEPA. The canned drinks feature real fruit juice as well as real spirits, made at their own distillery.

But, as adventurous Pennsylvanian drinkers well know, no canned drink is sufficient until it survives the lake test — so I took this fun-pack out on the dock for a swim to see if it holds up to expectations!

The Passion Fruit Citrus Vodka Mule boasts that real mule taste! The lime citrus is the ideal pairing for any mule and the added real passion fruit juice gives it that extra fruitiness without any overpowering sweetness. I really enjoyed this crisp taste, perfect for a professional cocktail by the water without all the hassle.

I’m not usually a huge lemonade fan, but the Strawberry Honeyberry Vodka Lemonade might be my favorite of the Bar Cart pack! My best friend, who I suckered into the taste test, agreed this was her favorite too! Nice and tart with a hint of sweetness from the strawberries and “honeyberry,” (whatever that is). The can says Dogfish Head sources the honeyberries from a farm in coastal Maine — and I Googled it to discover these nutrient-rich, oblong berries grow native in North America. Whatever it is, I like it! It dangerously doesn’t even taste like there’s vodka in this!

The Blood Orange Mango Vodka Crush has that fresh squeezed taste you expect from a good vodka crush! The mango juice is a subtle yet welcomed addition over-top the citrus-forward drink. Although it may not be quite as good as an authentic Orange Crush from Six String Saloon or McGrath’s Bar and Grill, this has a great, refreshing flavor that pairs perfectly with sunshine.

Finally, the Grapefruit Pomegranate Vodka Crush was my least favorite of the pack, but my fellow taste tester said she enjoyed it! She said it didn’t exhibit that usual grapefruit aftertaste and even reminded her of cherry hard candy. So, maybe I’m just not crazy about grapefruit. Hit either these Vodka Crushes with a little club soda to turn them into a spritzer!

These were delicious and the colder they’re kept, the better they are! deI appreciated these Dogfish Head Cocktails far more than any hard seltzer I’ve tried recently. Also, at 7.0% ABV a pop and a promise of two shots in each, mama was feeling this taste test. Floating my whole life away in my pink donut rainbow float, Vodka Lemonade in hand, soaking up the last lake days of summer 2024.

The Bar Cart Vodka Mix Pack is an eight can variety pack highlighting four different vodka-based recipes and two cans of each flavor. Keep an eye out for these delightful lake buddies coming to a store near you! Other variety packs are now available, as well as plenty of other recipes from the innovative alcohol experts at Dogfish Head.