Though they've long been a staple on the continent, we Americans haven't been able to buy ready-to-drink cocktails in convenient single serving sizes. Sure, we’ve seen some one off products like Kahlua's Mudslides, and Jack Daniel's Country Cocktails, but there hasn't been much in the way of beverages that professional drinkers enjoy. Diageo is using Tampa, FL as the test market for twelve ounce cocktails in traditional aluminum cans.

The goal is to offer convenient cans of premixed cocktails to compete with the beer market, and to boost liquor sales and brand recognition. The initial offerings are familiar names likes Captain Morgan, Smirnoff, George Dickel, and Seagram's 7. Expansion plans call for a Crown Royal offering in the upcoming months.

The liquors are packaged with lemon-lime or cola flavored sodas, and the twelve ounce can (if my math is correct) contains approximately 25 mL of 80 proof spirit. The tinned cocktails are only 5% alcohol by volume, so they come in as alcoholic as a can of Budweiser.

Reports from the Tampa area have shown sales to be brisk, and I’m predicting that these will be very well received. The Coppola family’s single serving sparkling wine has done remarkably well solely on the novelty of a shiny pink can with a straw. Keep an eye on the airlines as I suspect that they will soon be picking these up as a replacement for the traditional, flammable, 50mL liquor bottle.