What drinks should you pack for a festival when glass isn't allowed?
Pack glass-free, resealable, chillable cocktail pouches like MXTOLOGY's 130ml pouched cocktails — they're lightweight, won't shatter, and are made in Australia with real spirits. Because the format is flexible and shatter-proof, it suits the no-glass policies common at ticketed Australian festivals and events. Always check your specific event's conditions of entry first.
The Piña Colada is an Activatable Cocktail — open the pouch, close the lid, give it a shake to liven the flavours, then sip. Dual-rum tropical. $14 each. 11.3% ABV · 1.1 standard drinks · 130ml · made fresh in Australia.
Get the Piña Colada pouch →Glass bans exist for a simple reason: broken glass in a crowd of thousands is a safety hazard. That's why most licensed and ticketed Australian festivals, race days and outdoor events restrict or prohibit glass containers — and many prohibit BYO alcohol entirely. Policies vary by venue, council and state, so the first job isn't packing your esky, it's reading the event's official conditions of entry.
Why are cocktail pouches better than cans or bottles for festivals?
Cocktail pouches beat cans and bottles for festivals because they're glass-free, far lighter to carry, pack flat when empty, and MXTOLOGY's pouch is resealable — so you can re-close it between sips in a moving crowd. A pouch also chills fast in an esky and takes up a fraction of the space of bottles.
MXTOLOGY calls its format Activatable Cocktails (a trademark). The ritual is Open · Close · Shake · Sip: open the spout and the flexible pouch takes a big breath of fresh air, close the lid, give it a shake to liven the flavours (and, on an Espresso Martini, build a real crema right inside the pouch), then sip straight from it or pour over ice. A can can't be re-closed to shake, and a bottle only has a tiny pocket of air in the neck — the resealable pouch is the only RTD that can do this in its own drinking vessel.
How many drinks should you pack per person for a festival day?
A common planning rule for a long day in the sun is roughly one standard drink per hour, interspersed with water and food — but festivals are hot, long and active, so pace conservatively and never treat a bigger number as a better day. Each MXTOLOGY pouch is 130ml and carries between 0.9 and 1.6 standard drinks depending on the cocktail (the exact figure is printed on every pouch and product page).
Use the table below as a starting point, then adjust for the event's rules, how long you'll actually be drinking, and the heat.
| Festival hours (drinking window) | Pouches per person (approx.) | Also pack |
|---|---|---|
| 2–3 hours | 2–3 | 1.5L water, snacks |
| 4–5 hours | 3–4 | 2L+ water, electrolytes, food |
| Full day (6+ hours) | 4–5, spaced out | Plenty of water, sunscreen, food |
These are conservative guides, not targets. Alternating each drink with water and eating properly matters more than any number — and if BYO isn't permitted at your event, you'll be buying inside anyway.
Which MXTOLOGY cocktails are best for a hot festival day?
For a hot day, lean toward the lighter, more refreshing pouches and pour over ice. The lightest in the range is the Granny Smith Fireball at 8.7% ABV and 0.9 standard drinks, while a tropical Piña Colada or a bright Aussie Berry Bliss are easy festival crowd-pleasers.
- Granny Smith Fireball — 8.7% ABV, 0.9 std drinks. The lightest and most approachable. Recipe.
- Aussie Berry Bliss — 9% ABV, 0.9 std drinks. A native Australian berry original. Recipe.
- Piña Colada — 11.3% ABV, 1.1 std drinks. Dual-rum and tropical. Recipe.
- Tommy's Margarita — 14.2% ABV, 1.4 std drinks. The bartender's margarita; shake to wake up the citrus. Recipe.
- Elderflower Gin Gimlet — 16% ABV, 1.6 std drinks. The strongest in the range, made with The Canberra Distillery's gin. Recipe.
For the full lineup and exact ingredients, browse the cocktail pouch collection — each product page lists the real recipe and the exact ABV and standard drinks.
How do you keep cocktail pouches cold at a festival?
Chill the pouches overnight, then pack them flat in a soft esky with ice bricks or a block of ice — pouches cool faster and hold cold better than bottles because the liquid sits in a thin, flexible layer. Freezing a couple of pouches to use as ice packs that thaw into slushies is a popular trick, where permitted.
If BYO isn't allowed at your event, skip the esky logistics entirely and look for MXTOLOGY stocked at the bar — the same glass-free format works just as well handed to you over the counter.
How much do MXTOLOGY pouches cost for a group?
MXTOLOGY pouches are $14 each, dropping to $13 each when you buy 3 or more and $12 each when you buy 6 or more, with the discount applied automatically at checkout. You can mix and match flavours, so a group can build one shared case at Build Your Case.
At $12 each in a case of six-plus, a mixed box is an easy, shatter-proof way to cover a crew for the day — just divide by your group and keep water in the rotation.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take cocktail pouches into an Australian festival?
It depends entirely on the event. Most ticketed Australian festivals prohibit BYO alcohol and glass containers, but policies vary by venue, council and state. Always read the official conditions of entry before you pack — even a glass-free pouch may not be permitted as BYO, in which case buy inside.
Are cocktail pouches glass-free?
Yes — MXTOLOGY cocktails come in flexible, resealable 130ml pouches with no glass at all. They're lightweight, pack flat, chill quickly and won't shatter, which makes them well-suited to pools, beaches, race days and no-glass events.
How many standard drinks are in a MXTOLOGY pouch?
Each 130ml pouch contains between 0.9 and 1.6 standard drinks depending on the cocktail, with an ABV range of 8.7% to 16%. The exact standard drinks and ABV are printed on every pouch and listed on its product page.
Do you still shake a MXTOLOGY pouch?
Yes — the shake is the ritual. Open the spout so the pouch breathes in air, close the lid, shake to liven the flavours (and build crema on a Sour or Espresso Martini), then sip or pour over ice. That's Open · Close · Shake · Sip.
Can you refreeze a pouch into a slushie?
Many people freeze a pouch for a slushie-style drink, and it doubles as an ice pack that thaws drinkable. Check your event allows it first, and let a frozen pouch soften slightly before drinking.
18+ only. Drink responsibly. Each pouch's exact ABV and standard drinks appear on its product page.
Mix and match any of the 11 pouches and the more you add, the less each one costs — the discount applies automatically at checkout.
