Ready to Drink Cocktails – Cocktails Made Easy with NIO

Commissioned post in collaboration with NIO (Needs Ice Only). 

I love a good cocktail, who doesn’t? Just imagine how easy it would be if your cocktail could be delivered right to your doorstep. Well, Luca Quagliano & Alessandro Palmarinwho, founders of Needs Ice Only (NIO) Cocktails had exactly that great idea - slim CD case (remember those?) sized cardboard sleeves that contain a pouch (100ml) of ready to drink cocktails that can be ordered online with ease.

So, how does it work? NIO Cocktails works by allowing you to build your own box of 3, 6, or 9 drinks which then gets delivered through your letterbox. With a range of 15 cocktails online, from classics to signature house mixes, there’s easily something for everyone! You can also buy curated ready to drink cocktail boxes created by NIO’s talented mixologist if you’re indecisive or buying it as a gift for someone.

There are 15 cocktails to choose from and each comes packaged individually, in their own little sleeve (mostly recyclable packaging) and all you need to do is tear open the corner and pour it in a glass, filled with ice, natch.

NIO Ready to Drink Cocktails

I was gifted a box of 6 cocktails and whilst I wanted to go for a variety of flavours, whiskey is my favourite spirit so you’ll see that influenced me a small bit. 

1. Negroni - A dry, sweet-sour balance of bitters, Cocchi Vermouth and Tanqueray Gin.

2. Old Fashioned - Bulleit Bourbon whiskey with a dash of aromatic and orange bitters.

3. Cosmopolitan - A modern classic with Ketel One, the tangy-sweet orange of Cointreau, cranberry and lime.

4. Whiskey Sour - Rich Bulleit Bourbon meets the distinct tang of lemon for a refreshing whiskey cocktail.

5. Milano Torino - A classic sweet-sour Italian cocktail with Cocchi Vermouth and Campari bitters.

6. Brown Gold - An elegant and aromatic evening drink rich with Bulleit bourbon, coffee and vanilla.

My favourite has to be the Negroni, sipping it in the garden while enjoying the late evening sun, took be back to long summer holidays in Italy, where during ‘la passeggiata’ I’d stop for a gelato, drink (Negroni or Aperol Spritz mostly), or appetiser, before continuing my leisurely stroll through the streets. Just perfect. 

Quite often ready-made mixed drinks are a bit weak, but not NIO, these cocktails also really pack a punch. I was really quite surprised at how strong they were. 

So, whether you’re a cocktail connoisseur or a complete newbie, you’re sure you’ll find something you’ll love in NIO’s range of cocktails, from aperitivo cocktails to stronger tipples, there’s something for every type of drinker!

Why buy NIO cocktails?

Let's face it, the average cocktail drinker doesn’t have the time, energy or storage space for the myriad of bottles required to make them at home. The ideal solution: cocktails-à-porter already mixed and ready to drink! Better yet, you can drink them anywhere, on every kind of occasion, and they arrive directly at your house. Just have to shake the package, rip off the dotted corner and pour its content in a glass full of ice; (hence the acronym NIO: Needs Ice Only) and the deed is done. You are your own Bartender, without any fuss. How bad?  

Plus, 2020 has been a very strange year, whether you’re having a socially distanced picnic, barbecue, or general get together with friends or family, or maybe even just as a treat during your staycation, NIO is the perfect, easy cocktail option. 

Prices range from £19.50 for a make your own box of 3 cocktails to £58 for a box of 9. Or £39 for one of the selection boxes which are great for the more indecisive consumer. All in all, they’re not bad value when you consider the amount you’d pay in a bar, especially when they’re so delicious. I’ve not met a NIO cocktail I don’t like yet. 

If NIO offered a subscription service I’d totally be signing up to that!

NIO is the really easy, no fuss, scrumptious, ready to drink cocktail solution delivered straight to your doorstep.

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Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried NIO Cocktails before or are planning on trying them.

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