Metro Detroit’s Top Spots for Carryout Cocktails

Ann Arbor Distilling Co., Lost River, Voyager, and more are all offering drinks to-go
standby carryout cocktails
Hand-crafted bottled cocktails at Detroit’s Standby elevate the home happy hour experience.

Holiday gatherings will look different this year, but that doesn’t mean the drinks have to stop flowing. If you’re not up to playing mixologist at home this season, we’ve rounded up establishments across the Detroit area where you can pick up a carryout cocktail (or two), spirits, wine, or beer. Treat yourself with your drink of choice, or bring it along to your next intimate holiday get-together.

Ann Arbor Distilling Co.

Check out this boutique distillery’s online shop to order bottles of spirits, canned cocktails, or cocktail kits to go. Four-packs of ice-cold canned cocktails include drinks such as the Hawthorne Moscow Mule and Fox River Michigan Whiskey Sour. A2DC also has a featured canned cocktail of the week. If you’re in the mood for a spirit, try the Fox River Michigan Whiskey, a blend of four grains sourced from Michigan farmers and filtered through cherrywood charcoal. There are also three cocktail kits available, including the Ann Arbor Film Festival: Animation kit, which features a pineapple-infused Arbor Wheat Vodka. Ann Arbor Distilling Co., 220 Felch St., Ann Arbor; 734-882-2169; annarbordistilling.com

Detroit City Distillery

This Eastern Market hotspot has an assortment of carryout cocktails, including signature artisanal spirits, boozy popsicles, and four bottled cocktails. There are three mainstay flavors, including Yo Sassy Ways, a combination of DCD’s Gilded Age Vodka, saskatoon berry, cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla. Every week, there’s a new fourth cocktail flavor for customers to try, and for $30, buyers can order all four flavors for carryout. To celebrate its sixth anniversary, Detroit City Distillery also has a limited-edition release of some of its rarest and greatest barrels. Detroit City Distillery, 2462 Riopelle St., Detroit; 313-338-3760; detroitcitydistillery.com

The Last Word

There are a variety of to-go options at this speakeasy-inspired bar, including canned cocktails, wine, beer, and 2-oz. bottles of assorted whiskeys. Named after the classic cocktail created at the Detroit Athletic Club in 1921, at The Last Word you can choose from several canned cocktails. The Osborn, made with a combination of gin, pineapple, lime, jalapeño, and ginger beer is a hit.  The Last Word, 301 W. Huron St., Ann Arbor, 734-585-5691; thelastwordbar.com

Standby

Turn your kitchen or living room into an upscale cocktail bar with a choice of Standby’s nearly two dozen bottled options. A 2018 semifinalist for the James Beard Outstanding Bar Program, Standby offers original drinks like Slime Language, made with Citadelle Gin, dark rum, ancho verde, mango, lime, and chili salt, and the Lapsang Highball, an herbal and smoky mix of dark rum, orange bitters, demerara, and lapsang souchong carbonated tea. You can also purchase add-ons to take home, such as ice, cherries, and a stunning garnish kit. Standby, 225 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-241-5719; standbydetroit.com

Lost River

There are nearly two dozen cocktails to choose from at this popular Detroit tiki bar. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the mystery punch cocktail of the week. It’s made with a rotating mix of rums, juices, and syrups. You can also take home a flight of three rums hand-selected by Lost River’s beverage director, Ariel Gosselin. Lost River, 15421 Mack Ave., Detroit; 313-720-0673; lostrivertiki.com

The Oakland Art Novelty Co.

If you’re in need of a cocktail to bring to an intimate gathering, check out The Oakland for its large-format specialty cocktails, served in 750 mL bottles — that’s the size of a fifth, yielding up to nine servings depending on the cocktail. Using The Oakland’s curbside carryout cocktail service, pick up a bottle of Buzzsaw made with mezcal, Angostura bitters, ginger syrup, and pineapple juice. If you’re a real mezcal fan, try one of the swanky craft bar’s 10 rare mezcal offerings. The Oakland Art Novelty Co., 201 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale; 248-291-5295; theoaklandferndale.com

The Skip

Though it might be cold outside, take home a seasonal frozen drink from Standby’s sibling, The Skip. Regular and frozen cocktails are sold in 16-oz. bottles that yield two drinks. In honor of the holiday season, the traveling pop-up Sippin’ Santa will be back at The Skip with holiday-themed drinks. Last year’s festive tiki cocktail included Christmas Eve of Destruction, made with overproof dark rum, lime, nutmeg syrup, Bénédictine, and Angostura bitters. The Skip, The Belt Alley, 1234 Library St., Detroit; theskipdetroit.com

Valentine Distilling Co.

Swing by metro Detroit’s original craft microdistillery for canned cocktails and bottles of award-winning bourbon, gin, and vodka to go. Try Valentine’s signature Mayor Pingree Bourbon line, named after former Detroit mayor Hazen S. Pingree, or the Mayor Pingree Old Fashioned, a mix of Mayor Pingree Bourbon with brown sugar, bitters, and an orange peel. You can even turn a small holiday gathering into a cocktail party with one of five cocktail kits. Each kit includes a spirit, juice or syrup, and garnish, and serves 16 or more. Valentine Distilling Co., 161 Vester Ave., Ferndale; 248-629-9951; valentinedistilling.com

Imperial

You’ll have no shortage of options if you want to take something home to wash down Imperial’s sought-after tacos or Sonoran hot dogs. If you’re in the mood for a margarita, there are four offerings, including the Imperial Margarita made with Hornitos Plata Tequila, Combier, and lime. Another cocktail choice is the Detroit Tart, a mix of Sauza Silver Tequila, tart cherry, and lime. If four margaritas and a dozen cocktails weren’t enough to choose from, there are also two dozen beers, six wines, and seven dozen spirits available for carryout. Imperial, 22828 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-850-8060; imperialferndale.com

Voyager

At Voyager, choose from three cocktail offerings, including a one-pint Frosé and the Fall Mai Tai, made with apple brandy, marsala, rum, pear liqueur, and lime To-go drinks are enough to serve two people. There’s also beer, available in a four- or six-pack, and 10 wine offerings from regions such as Northern California, Italy, France, and Spain. Voyager, 600 Vester St., Ferndale; 248-658-4999; voyagerferndale.com

Lala’s

Lala’s opened this past July in downtown Ann Arbor inside the building of the former fine dining space Standard Bistro & Larder. You can carry out a 32-oz. margarita or strawberry lemonade, which can be made with Lala’s house gin or vodka. There are more than a dozen options for carryout wine and several more for beers. Lala’s offers four 64-oz. growlers available for carryout, too. Lala’s, 5827 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor; 734-263-2543; lalasannarbor.com

Nightcap

Choose from Nightcap’s variety of curated craft cocktails bottled to go as a single serving or to share with a small group. If you’re drinking solo, you can pick from five classic drinks options, like the Boulevardier or Negroni, or grab your favorite tiki cocktail, like the Jungle Bird or Blue Hawaiian, to split with a group of six. Other choices include the Medicina Latina, made with Del Maguey Vida and Montelobos mezcals, ginger syrup, honey, and lime juice. Nightcap, 220 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-369-6070; nightcapbara2.com