There are times when you fancy a nice cocktail but don’t really feel like going out to a bar. Sure, you can mix something up at home or just buy pre-made cocktails - since the pandemic forced us to stay home during lockdowns, there has been a rapid rise in the popularity of RTD cocktails to be enjoyed at home. There is so much choice, and you can get them literally anywhere - online or in your nearest supermarket.
However, no matter how high the quality of the liquid inside your canned or bottled cocktail is, it’s still not quite the same as going out to a cocktail bar. Because it’s not just about the drinks. It’s the whole experience and atmosphere including lights, scents, music, garnish, and the stories that bring those cocktails to life. And that’s why Canvas was created, to bring the experience of a cocktail bar to the comfort of your own home.
How is Canvas changing the RTD drinks industry?
Canvas was created in 2021 by Jonny Shields and Jess Morgan. Having worked on both sides of the bar throughout their careers, they came up with the idea of Canvas cocktails to fill in the gap in the RTD drinks industry by creating experience-led cocktail delivery. In May 2022 they launched their first signature menu: Moments by Canvas.
‘The idea behind the menu is to look at those moments at home that we felt could be perfectly accented by the right cocktail. Those moments where if you had magic powers, you could close your eyes, open up your hand and that perfect cocktail would appear.’
These cocktails arrive fully ready-to-serve and are mixed by drinks experts. Jonny and Jess really took care of it all - including scents, music, and top quality garnish. Just add some clear ice and feel like you're in the world's best cocktail bar without leaving your house!
Let’s see what’s inside
We’ve had the pleasure of trying Canvas cocktails pre-launch and it was a truly magical experience. Firstly, the cocktails arrived in a slim package that was posted through the letterbox - super convenient. We also received a separate box with 2 cans of soda water, so we had all the ingredients ready to serve.
Inside the package there were 3 cocktail pouches, a premium transparent paper card, a cocktail menu book, and to our surprise, a branded scent stick! Everything was packed beautifully with strong attention to detail. Now that the unpacking has been done, we couldn’t wait to immerse ourselves in the experience of a cocktail bar at home.
Experience-led cocktails at home
So, what do they actually mean by experience-led cocktails? Well, Canvas cocktails are meant to engage all your senses and resemble an evening at your favourite bar - but at home. Each cocktail on this menu is meant to enhance a particular moment at home.
For the bar ambience, Canvas included a branded wooden scent stick, which we lit up straight away. The scent was divine and immediately transported us from our kitchen to a luxury cocktail bar.
And if that wasn't enough to create the right ambience, Canvas also took care of the soundtrack to our evening - they've included a QR code on the back of the menu linking to the playlist. In the little book we also found the description of each cocktail with a QR code linking to a video of the bartender talking us through their cocktail creations, and giving us ideas on how to make the most of the experience, including the glassware, and the right type of ice to use with each cocktail.
Just add ice
Canvas cocktails are best served on clear ice. Supersized, crystal clear, hand-cut ice will allow you to enjoy the drinks for longer - you can sip your Canvas cocktails without worrying about the dilution. Not only will they taste better, but you will also be able to achieve the full cocktail bar experience.
Luckily, our Ice Club freezer is always full of clear ice so we took it out to sit in room temperature until the freezer frost disappeared. In the meantime, we prepared the glassware while watching the videos of each cocktail. We’ve used the Big Rocks for The Strawberry Negroni (obvious choice!), the High Cubes for The Ronan Collins, and the Cool Balls for the Piña Banada Spritz.
Now that we had the right mood and our ice tempered enough to pour the liquid over it, we were finally ready to try the first cocktail.
The Ronan Collins
Named after its creator, an Irish whiskey and cocktail consultant Ronan Collins. See how he describes his signature highball cocktail:
'What is the Ronan Collins cocktail? Well it's just an effervescent, citrussy Irish cocktail of delight. One of those drinks you can have whenever, wherever. Bad day at work? Make yourself a Ronan Collins cocktail, cause that wee disco Pineapple garnish - that'll cheer ya up. All in all, it's a tasty, flavourful, citrus highball but I think we all know more than anything, it's just a way of life - y'know?'
With only four simple ingredients, this long drink is perfect for sipping slowly on a hot summer day. Inside our pouch we can find Irish Whiskey, Super lemon, and Sugar. It’s all ready to serve, so just take out one High Cube from your freezer, place it in a highball glass, and wait for the freezer frost to disappear for a few minutes. Now open the pouch and pour over the High Cube. Top with soda water, and then garnish with a Pineapple leaf - all delivered by Canvas. The pineapple leaf gave it a tropical twist, and as Ronan describes it himself, you can have this drink whenever, wherever - it is guaranteed to cheer you up.
The Strawberry Negroni
Next we have our Strawberry Negroni, a summer twist on the classic we all know and love. The Strawberry Negroni is made of 5 ingredients: Sipsmith Strawberry Smash Gin, Campari, Belsazar Rose, Strawberry Syrup, and water.
As any Negroni, is meant to be enjoyed slowly over a large cube of clear ice. So we took our Big Rocks from the freezer, placed it in a rocks glass, and turned on the scented stick once again to create the perfect ambience. After a couple minutes, we cut the corner of the bag and poured the contents of it over our Big Rock ice cube. We then garnished it with a freeze-dried strawberry, also included in the package by Canvas.
It’s lighter than the classic Negroni, but don’t expect a sweet fruity drink - it’s rather bold and bittersweet. As Jonny, the co-founder of Canvas, says: It’s inspired by perusing the recipe books for dinner inspiration before making that classic Spag Bol you always make. So pour yourself a Strawberry Negroni by Canvas next time you’re looking for dinner inspiration - it will definitely brighten up your mood and give you some fresh ideas!
The Piña Banada Spritz
The last cocktail we tried was the Piña Banada Spritz. And if you’re looking for the perfect summer cocktail, this must be the winner. Made with Discarded Grape Skin Vodka, Banana liqueur, Pineapple cordial, Lem Marrakech bitters & Soda, Canvas created the perfect tropical drink that is not too sweet but has strong notes of pineapple and banana that just scream ‘Holiday Vibes’.
Canvas recommends using a wine glass and filling it up with ice cubes. However, we found that our Cool Ball works perfectly in this drink. The shape of an ice sphere is playful so it matches the mood well, and it’s slow-melting so you can enjoy the rich flavours of Piña Banada Spritz from the first sip to the last. After waiting for the ice ball to temper, we poured the contents of the pouch into a large cocktail glass, and topped with with soda water. This time Canvas included a small Banana leaf coin for garnish, so we placed it on top of the Cool Ball, which looked really good as the shapes were matching!
This drink was our personal favourite. Maybe it’s because we really need a holiday (who doesn’t?) so it matched our mood well. The Piña Banada Spritz was inspired by sitting back, relaxing in the garden and looking up to see a plane go by thinking 'Man, I wish I was on holiday right now', says Jonny. But trust us, you will feel like you’re on that beach in Mallorca while having this cocktail. It is guaranteed to lift your mood and make you feel relaxed and carefree.
After all, just like with music or art, cocktails are supposed to make you feel something. If you associate a cocktail with a positive feeling or memory of the perfect moment, it will keep you coming back for more. And we are sure that Canvas Cocktails will do just that for you.
Where to buy Canvas Cocktails?
You can buy Canvas Cocktails through their website, as a bundle of two, four, or six cocktails. They offer free UK shipping and you can get 10% off your first order when you sign up to the mailing list. The cocktails will be with you within 2-4 days and can be posted through the letterbox so you don’t need to be home to wait for delivery.
Where to buy Clear Ice?
Have you been to those fancy cocktail bars where they serve Negronis on one large clear ice cube? Well, we have good news, now you can get them delivered to your home. Stock up your freezer with some Big Rocks, High Cubes, and Cool Balls by trying our Clear Ice Discovery Pack. Then order some Canvas cocktails, and transport yourself to London’s fanciest cocktail bar, from the comfort of your own home.
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