(Photo: Pedro Marashi | Southern Exposure Media Group)
In February, rapper Lil Yachty became the latest in a long line of celebrities to cash in on the pre-mixed cocktail craze.
Teaming up with Quality Control Music founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee and Atlanta's Sneaky Spirits, the Grammy-nominated artist debuted Yacht Water, a colorful response to the trends complete with three flavors and a leaping fox mascot. Each cocktail is built around lightly aged tequila, lime and sea salt, available now at a suggested retail price of $15.99 per 6-pack.
It's an intriguing premise, even if it's not the craziest thing that's come across our desk since the beginning of the year.
Full disclosure: I have a love-hate relationship with celebrity-owned canned cocktails. Particularly ones made with tequila. The category has gotten clobbered with competition over the past few months, with a non-stop string of releases from the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Canelo Alvarez, Hailee Steinfeld and Blake Lively. There are so many options to choose from and, frankly, many are peddling similar if not identical products. After you've tried the umpteenth twist on a sparkling margarita, it's hard to double down and ask for another.
Perhaps anticipating this criticism, Yacht Water has taken a slightly different approach.
The brand is quick to remind us that Yachty does not care for alcohol. Though he's not exactly sober, the rapper has made it clear on several occasions that neither drinking nor smoking are his thing. Yacht Water has thus been marketed as the one recipe so undeniably good that Yachty couldn't help but get in on the business. Promo videos show him recoiling from the sight of wine, beer and cocktails; he's "tried them all," and Yacht Water is the only one he can stomach.
Let's see if the tongue-in-cheek schtick actually makes for a good drink.
First on the chopping block is the standard Key Lime flavor. Like all drinks in the lineup, this is made with additive-free reposado tequila, key lime juice, sparkling water and sea salt.
Right off the bat, this smells and tastes nothing like a margarita. This is clearly intended as a ranch water riff through and through, with a spritz of lime in the background that never veers into overly sweet, Jolly Rancher-green territory. Beyond citrus and agave, the other dominant note is sea salt. Imagine something in between the mineral bite of Topo Chico and the festive vibe of a salted cocktail rim. It all comes together quite nicely, though it doesn't exactly swing for the fences with any bold flavors. I'd describe it as an almost savory twist on a quality tequila seltzer. Intended for drinking at sea on a hot summer day... perhaps aboard a yacht?
Taking a clear nod from Snapple, each can of Yacht Water also features a "Fox Fact" on the back. We couldn't find much information about the brand's furry mascot, which we can only imagine is meant to convey its mischievous flavor, light-on-its-feet attitude or something like that.
Fox Fact #1: "A female fox is called a vixen."
Sunrise contains the same recipe as Key Lime, spruced up with a squeeze of orange juice. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that Robert “Bobby” Lozoff, the inventor of the original Tequila Sunrise cocktail, sadly passed away last month. Shoutout to The Rolling Stones for popularizing this iconic recipe in the 1970s, and shoutout to Lil Yachty for bringing it back in 2025. It's been a long while since we last tried a twist on this decidedly retro drink.
Though the orange flavor comes across more Fanta than it does fresh-squeezed, its presence doesn't overwhelm. The ratio of lime to orange is pretty much equal, with the sea salt dialed down by a few notches. Good stuff. Overall, I'd say it has a juicy, thirst-quenching quality that the Key Lime cocktail lacked, making it an easy recommendation to just about anyone.
Fox Fact #2: "Foxes use the Earth's magnetic field to hunt."
Our favorite of the bunch was easily the jalapeño. No debate. I'd love to see how they're making these drinks down at the Yacht Water factory in Atlanta, because they absolutely nailed the vibe of spicy peppers without a shadow of imitation. It tastes like jalapeños were freshly muddled at the bottom of each can, adding a vegetal bite that carries through nicely from aroma to flavor to finish. Having tried all these back to back, I'd also say this is the flavor that clicks best with the inclusion of sea salt.
Overall, I'm pleasantly impressed with what Yacht Water brings to the table. It's a breath of fresh air in a category that's grown remarkably stale with saccharine sweetness and off-putting artificial flavors. Though I think the lime could've been notched up a bit in all three drinks, I respect that this is a mostly faithful tribute to the classic ranch water recipe without any bells and whistles. After an hour or two in the fridge, it sparkles just right.
Fox Fact #3: "A group of foxes is called a skulk."
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