In 1575, Bols was founded in Amsterdam as the world’s first cocktail brand. Now, after nearly 450 years of cocktail excellence, Bols has launched a ready-to-drink (RTD) line, allowing consumers to experience bar-quality cocktails at home.
A wide variety of RTD cocktails have launched over the past few years as the category has increasingly become the go-to pick for many consumers. But Bols’ RTD cocktails stand out from the pack at the first glance; the eye-catching, sustainable, recycled PET packaging also features generous serving sizes. Each cocktail is available in unique, 200-milliliter tubes, enough for one generous pour or two cocktails, as well as 375-milliliter bottles, which equals three-to-four cocktails.
As unique as the drinks look, Bols RTD cocktails stand out for another reason: each of the four cocktails—Margarita Azul, Espresso Martini, Red Light Negroni, and Very Old Fashioned—were created by bartenders with Bols liqueurs to appeal to the palate and taste preferences of U.S. consumers. Bols RTD cocktails strive to meet the high standards of top-notch bars. All are made with real sugar, natural flavors, and no preservatives.
Don’t miss the latest drinks industry news and insights. Sign up for our award-winning newsletters and get insider intel, resources, and trends delivered to your inbox every week.
The Margarita Azul is one of the most well-known cocktails in the lineup, and the RTD format brings the drink home with the ease of a pour over ice and the addition of a lime garnish. The cocktail, defined by Bols Blue Curaçao liqueur, has generous orange aromatics while retaining the characteristic blue color. The Red Light Negroni features Bols Genever and Galliano liqueur for an historic Dutch spin on the classic Negroni, while the Very Old Fashioned uses Bols Barrel Aged Genever.
Finally, there’s the Bols Espresso Martini, made with Bols coffee liqueur, Bols vodka, and espresso. The cocktail has dark-roast espresso notes balanced by coffee liqueur and sugar syrup. A brief period to cool down the RTD, a shake to whip up a beautiful foam layer, and a three-coffee-bean garnish is all it takes for a bar-quality Espresso Martini from the comfort of home.
The latest evolution of Bols through RTD cocktails comes centuries after the brand’s namesake, Lucas Bols, helped to turn Bols into a leading cocktail company in the mid 1600s during the Dutch Golden Age. Their reputation for quality has continued over time, and Bols RTDs build on that history through high-quality, accessible cocktails.
