RTD’s are often hard to get right, and they are mostly always aimed at the masses, so when Campari’s SKYY Vodka introduced their Fused by SKYY range towards the end of last year it was hard to know what to expect. Campari are a reliable brand, they always have been and they likely always will be, and SKYY Vodka is often a good choice for it’s price range, lending itself well to summer cocktails most of all. It’s then a clever move to launch design these pre-mixed bottles towards the more sessionable Vodka mixed, with three flavours: first, Cucumber & Mint, second Soda & Squeezed Lime, and third Homestyle Lemonade & a Splash of Bitters.
The bottle designs are nice and sleek, with simple graphics distinguishing each by flavour, recreating that glassy dark blue that is unmistakably SKYY Vodka, in convenient 330ml bottles. The focus on the liquid inside is to provide a more balanced Vodka pre-mix that holds back on the sweetness and plays around with that beautiful grainy bitterness of SKYY and the natural flavours of the ingredients used.
For the most part, SKYY have succeeded with this aim; there’s certainly that fresh – and refreshing – body that’s helped by strongly infused ingredients like cucumber and mint (my favourite of the three), but while they are definitely less sweet than the more established Vodka pre-mixes, there’s still that sugary aftertaste, although – and thankfully – it doesn’t linger.
I’m glad this alternative exists, and while I’m personally I’m not big on RTD’s in general, I’d gladly grab this as a preference over similar, sweeter pre-mixes that have already had years and years to be established in bars and nightclubs around Australia.
Fused by SKYY is 6% ABV and is available nationally in 330ml bottles with an RRP of $19.99 per 4-pack. You can grab some from Dan Murphys HERE.
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