Craftwell Cocktails added to its lineup of ready-to-drink cocktails this year with a “Top Shelf” collection of flavors, all featuring cocktails with 20.5% ABV, nearly twice that of its canned lineup. A division of 2 Towns Ciderhouse, all of the Craftwell cocktails have a base of apple wine rather than distilled spirits. The new Top Shelf collection comes in bottles, contrasting with the standard cans.

Craftwell sent me a bottle of each of the flavors to try out; the press release suggests they are best served over ice, but I took my notes based on drinking them neat (although I did try ice in them later). My notes here aren’t in the format of my usual beer tasting notes, but a more free-form version of impressions as I tried each flavor.

Old Fashioned

Smells like sweet maraschino cherry and a touch of chocolate, with some alcohol (booziness), light oak, vanilla. Not sure I get bourbon per se. Flavor hits these notes, with less cherry, some orange peel, light bourbon character, and a bit of heat. It’s sweet with chocolate undertones, slight bitterness and oakiness. I enjoyed it.

Classic Cosmo

Aroma is mellower than the Old Fashioned, with some floral lime and berry notes. The flavor leans heavily into cranberry, giving tart earthiness of juice and dried cranberry skins. There’s a key lime sharp citrus note and while not as boozy as the Old Fashioned, the alcohol heat it still present. Some sweetness but it finishes more tart.

Signature Margarita

Smells margarita-ish with a bit of windshield wiper fluid. Definitely some lime but it’s almost an artificial candy lime character. The flavor is much closer to what I’m looking for, sweet with lime and a bit of orange and alcohol, but (so far) the least boozy of the group. Lime is still a bit saccharine/artificial tasting, but I’m enjoying the cocktail overall. The alcohol is neutral. Limey.

Chocolate Espresso Martini

Espresso (almost more like instant coffee powder) with a touch of chocolate for the aroma, which goes a little in a chocolate milk direction. The flavor is a punch of coffee (instant espresso powder) with cocoa and a Nestle Quik sweetness. With ice, it mellows out to be almost chocolate bar/dessert-like. Sweet, almost no boozy alcohol heat. Sweetest of the group.

Overall, I enjoyed these offerings in the lineup, and for the most part I think they hit the marks for what each was going for; these are ones you’d keep on hand in the fridge and aren’t necessarily as portable as the canned lineup, but would be nice to have on hand in a pinch.

2 Towns’ online store lists these at $12.99 per bottle (375ml), which honestly seems like a pretty good deal. They are worth checking out if you get the chance.