Trader Joe’s Just Dropped 5 New Boozy Summer Drinks

If summer had a flavor, it would absolutely be fruit and booze. Fittingly, Trader Joe’s new summer drinks are equal parts boozy and fruity, perfect for sipping outside while social distancing. You needn’t risk going to a bar for happy hour when Trader Joe’s has all the summer happy hour goodies you could want.

Let’s start with our new friend, hard seltzer. Trader Joe’s has packs of Shell House Sparkling Pomegranate Hard Seltzer, and yes, those are fighting words, Truly, White Claw, et al. They’re comparable to other hard seltzers with each 12-ounce having 120 calories and 5% ABV. They’re light, fizzy, and a bit boozy — the holy trinity of summer drinks. You can get a six-pack for $5.99 at any Trader Joe's store that sells beer and wine.

If you really want to up your hard seltzer game, the Shell House Sparkling Pomegranate Hard Seltzer would lend itself perfectly to plenty of hard seltzer cocktails. Make a pomegranate cosmo by combing some of the hard seltzer with vodka and triple sec. Stir up a pomegranate and watermelon spritzer by adding a splash or three of the Shell House hard seltzer to this recipe from Trader Joe’s that combines vodka, mint, and Trader Joe’s watermelon seltzer. Add a shot of vodka to a glass with ice and top it off with as much pomegranate hard seltzer as you please. There is really no wrong way to make a hard seltzer cocktail.

Now, for a classic: Simpler Wines Mango. First introduced in 2017, Simpler Wines Mango a fruity wine cocktail in a can. Each 250mL can contains Mango-infused Italian vino frizzante which is a fancy, Italian way of saying sparkling wine. Trader Joe’s says they’re ideal for an end-of-the-day cocktail or a summer porch sip. I say that, like a hard seltzer cocktail, there is really no wrong way to enjoy a mango sparkling wine. Turn it into a pitcher of sangria. Add a splash to your margarita. (Yes, wine margaritas are a thing.) Stick it in a koozie, turn on the sprinkler, and pretend you’re at the pool. Each four-pack of Simpler Wines Mango is $4.99, which is notably less than what you’d pay for even one happy hour cocktail. Just in case you needed another reason to stop going out to bars for happy hour.

The packs of Simpler Wines Mango will start coming back onto shelves this week with more widespread availability starting Monday, July 6th. They'll be available alongside the aforementioned Shell House Sparkling Pomegranate Hard Seltzer, as well as other summer drinks like Simpler Times Lager. In the meantime, you can't go wrong with a $2.99 chuck, some sparkling water, and a sunny spot outside. Happy sipping!