Cans for a Crowd How to stock your cooler to please even the pickiest partygoer

"NOTHING WILL RUIN A WELL-PLANNED GOOD TIME like a cooler full of crappy things to drink," says Derek Correia, president of Reserve Bar and the recently launched GetStocked, a site specifically for canned and bottled drinks.

- Lucy Simon

Correia knows a thing or two about how to curate drinks for a crowd. "What's in your cooler now depends on who you're serving," he says. "Years ago, it was easy-you'd fill it with beer, and if someone didn't like that, then tough noogies." Noogies aside, the man is right. Canned drinks have entered a new era, as increased interest and investment have spurred the development of much higher-quality options-and lots of them. What's more, the "I'll just drink whatever" attitude of the past doesn't seem to exist anymore. (It died along with "I'll just eat what everyone else is having.") Curating a cooler to please everyone-the wine and beer aficionados, the cocktail lovers, the spritz and seltzer fans, and those who aren't drinking, too-can be tough. But with new options hitting stores daily, the canned-drinks aisle has something for everyone. To make provisioning your next meet-up easier, our editors tasted just about every canned drink we could get our hands on to determine what to put in your ice chest this summer.

CANNED COCKTAILS

SAGAMORE SPIRIT CANNED COCKTAILS
($16 FOR 4)

These rye-based cocktails are made with Sagamore American Whiskey, from the Baltimore waterfront. Sagamore's Honey Paloma cocktail pairs aged rye with fresh grapefruit and lime; the company also makes a darn good Ginger and Rye.

DEVIL'S BACKBONE DISTILLING CO. KEY LIME 
SMASH ($16 FOR 4) 

This Virginia-based distillery pairs vodka with tart and tangy Key lime juice for a canned cocktail that captures the unique flavor and aroma of the distinctive citrus. Give the can a light shake before opening to recombine the fruit juices.

SUNTIDE MIMOSA
($12 FOR 4)