Introducing: Social Hour Cocktails
I’m excited to share that I launched my very own line of canned cocktails! Meet Social Hour, shop here! Long time readers of the site will recognize this as the site’s old name. I first had this idea back in 2013 when I was making Gin & Tonics for my wife and me. I wondered: "why can't I get this perfectly pre-mixed in a can and thoroughly carbonated?"
Creating the Recipes
I created all the recipes myself by hand in my basement lab. They were subjected to the same meticulous scrutiny and obsession as all these recipes on this site. My goal was for them to taste as good as, or better than, a cocktail made from scratch, and I believe I achieved that. They also have an 18+ month self-life. I'm extremely proud of them.
Behind the Name
The name is inspired by my Grandparents' ritual of having a cocktail at the end of the day, which they called 'social hour'. I've written about this on the site before. For the canned cocktails, I focused on bubbly refreshing styles of cocktails - collins, fizzes, spritzes, and highballs - which are perfect for social gatherings.
Where to Buy
We to ship to about 40 states, there are links to order below! We are currently on shelves in New York, New Jersey (every Total Wine!), as well as Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando! Soon we are expanding to Connecticut and Pennsylvania. If you know of any stores in those states please let me know. More in 2025!
It's been a wild ride so far (some pictures below), and we're just getting started. I'll continue to post updates as they occur. Feel free to contact me for more at tom@socialhourcocktails.com. Cheers all!
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CODE: TMCOCKTAILS
Black Pepper Paloma
11.2% ABV
Tequila, pink grapefruit soda, black pepper, lime, salt
Yuzu Sunset Fizz
11.3% ABV
Vodka, yuzu, peach, key lime, jasmine
The newest addition to the lineup! This spicy riff on the traditional Paloma draws on black pepper as the heat source (readers of the site know I love pairing black pepper and tequila). The result is a spice that's less penetrating than jalapeño, it has a more warming and complex profile that pairs beautifully with the tequila and salt. I developed a pink grapefruit soda to match so the cocktail hits the notes of sweet, tangy, savory, and spicy equally. I've been wanting to do a tequila cocktail for awhile. Sourcing tequila in a timely and affordable way is a challenge, but I finally figured it out. This one is fire (so to speak) when poured over ice and sprinkled with a little more salt.
Whiskey Mule
10.5% ABV
Whiskey with ginger beer
Our #1 seller! This vibrant vodka cocktail is rooted in the Tom Collins family. The blend of tangy yuzu, ripe peach, tart key lime, and floral whisper of jasmine make for an irresistibly delicious cocktail that tastes like a sunlit evening in a can. Sometimes I describe this as a grown-up Orangina (despite containing no orange!). It's nostalgic but still sophisticated. It is perfectly balanced, irresistibly delicious, and endlessly refreshing. Fun fact, this used to be called the Sunkissed Fizz, but Sunkist Soda got made at me - the overlap honestly never occurred to me! But I think having Yuzu in the name is better anyway. Yuzu is all the rage, but we did it back in 2021!
Navy Strength
Gin & Tonic
11.5% ABV
Navy strength gin and tonic water
A classic Moscow Mule with whiskey, aka A Dark & Stormy with Whiskey, aka a Whiskey Ginger. Whatever you call it, this combo cocktail may sound simple but it delivers on every level and is deeply satisfying. It's got plenty of full-bodied whiskey character which is matched with a citrus-forward ginger beer that I created specifically for this cocktail. It has a perfect gingery bite that's not too sweet, complete with a nice spicy kick on the finish.
This is the one that inspired it all. I first dreamed of having a premixed G&T back in 2013! I know there are plenty of canned Gin & Tonic out there, but humbly, none of them beat Social Hour's. I've partnered with the New York Distilling Company and am using their Navy Strength Perry's Tot Gin. To pair with it, I created a tonic water that lends perfect harmony of sweetness, acidity, and bitterness. It's made with my ideal 1:3 ratio of gin to tonic giving us a proper G&T ABV of 11.5%. In addition to juniper, there are a ton of fresh citrus notes and some subtle floral ones, all coming from botanicals in the gin. Peak G&T!
Pacific Spritz
8% ABV
Sparkling rosé, aperivito, passionfruit,, grapefruit
This is a love letter to the timeless Aperitivo Spritz (think Aperol Spritz). that weaves tropical passionfruit and tangy grapefruit in with our signature aperitivo and crisp rosé wine. The result is a bright, breezy, bubbly cocktail with a hint of bitterness and subtle complexity.
