I live down the street from Death and Co.’s Denver location. So my first exposure to a canned cocktail from the award winning bar franchise was at their walkup window way back in ’20. My second experience was in this can— a bespoke cocktail called the Moonsail Fizz.
It features Bimini Gin as the star. Vanilla, passion fruit, lime and an unspecified “red bitter liqueur” round out the Moonsail Fizz, canned at a bold 12.2% ABV.
Tasting notes
Color: Electric mandarin orange. Be sure to give it a gentle shake, as there is some separation.
Aroma: Poured in a cup, the passion fruit dominates, with hints of lime.
Flavor: Early, the passion fruit hits you. But the gin is the star— heady hops from the Bimini Gin shine mid-palate, giving the Moonsail Fizz an almost cannabis note. It’s quite sweet, though I wouldn’t say it’s cloying.
Finish: Long with hops, grapefruit and passion fruit.
Overall, Moonsail Fizz
Firstly, it’s exciting to see such a high powered collaboration. Round Turn Distilling, pairing up with Death & Co. in this way to highlight a non-mainstream gin is great for craft distilling.
Ultimately, the execution is good, but not great. The hops dominate, to the point that I think the hoppy, terpey, cannabis note might be offputting to some. However, the gin is the star and Moonsail Fizz is a craft-cocktail bar level cocktail in a can.
Even if it’s not my personal favorite, I am so excited for the category and its future growth if this is the kind of RTD that’s becoming available.