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three sheets’ french 75

Per my regular media diet, I’ve recently learned that alcohol sales are up 23% during the pandemic. No small wonder, as cocktail hour is one way to mark the passage of time (and dull the stress of surviving another day of “what’s next?”). Though I usually celebrate by having one glass of red wine, any of these pretty pre-packaged cocktails would be a fun way to introduce a bit of fancy into the monotony.

London’s Three Sheets bar (let’s start by acknowledging that they have the best bar name) offers a plethora of gorgeous drinks, with an Instagram account to back it up. Although I’d love ANY of their cocktails, preferably served table-side in London, I am quite eager to try their twist on the French 75, conveniently packaged in a minimalist-design 750ml bottle (enough to share), sold through sister shop Cuvée.

eugene and elizabeth’s fresh margarita mix

Based in Atlanta and part of the Hopkins and Co restaurant group, Eugene and Elizabeth‘s Fresh Margarita Mix features a whimsically illustrated label, and for those of you are trying to reduce — not increase — your pandemic drinking, I would venture that this would also serve as a fantastic marinade for chicken.

st. agrestis’ negroni

Two things to know about Negronis: 1. They’re delicious 2. Their bitterness allows you to sip instead of swig, allowing for a slower enjoyment of cocktail hour. Brooklyn’s St. Agrestis has a traditional version for sale by the bottle, and all of the ingredients are Brooklyn-made. (I discovered St. Agrestis while perusing the options available at Hi-Lo Liquor Market in Culver City (CA) after a friend posted a photo at the shop on Instagram.)

ramen-san whisky bar cocktails

As a Chicago(area)an, I feel compelled to include a local option, and Ramen-San Whisky bar, part of the Lettuce Entertain You enterprise, has some very apothecary-esque labeled cocktails available to take away. Each label in the range touts the promise of “Increased ability to work from home”.

virtual happy hour cocktail kit

W and P Design has long sold Carry-on Cocktail Kits designed to help you recreate your favorite cocktail in the air by assembling the components (save the alcohol) in a nifty travel tin. As non-essential air-travel is on hold, they’ve cleverly pivoted to Virtual Happy Hours. Buy two: one to give, one to save, and add a festive internet get-together to the calendar.

pimm’s cup in a can

And finally, I’m tagging Pimm’s in a can as the finale to this lineup because it’s not available in the US, and I wish it were, so I could escape a cold but sunny winter day by cracking open a can and pretending it was summer.

image credits: french 75/shopcuvee.com, margarita/butteryatl.com, ramen-san/leye.com, old-fashioned/wandpdesign.com, pimm’s/tesco.com