
Review: The best supermarket gin and tonic tins
Because there’s more to life than Gordon’s
Gin & tonic cans are quite possibly the world’s best invention.
They’re cheap, easily portable and delicious. They’re perfect for every occasion: festivals, barbeques, picnics, beach trips, train journeys – a gin tin never goes amiss.
While everyone else is chugging from their Strongbow tinny you can sip sophisticatedly from your gin tin, safe in the knowledge that you look like a superior human being.
You can even buy crates of them now, perfect for occasions when three just isn’t enough.
But which one is best? The £1 ASDA bargain with the tacky packaging? The funky looking Sainsbury’s tinny?
Lucky for you, we tried them all so you don’t have to.
Best choice if you want to look tacky and/or underage: ASDA (£1, 4%)
We were immediately put off by the packaging on this one. The black was a little overwhelming and the font was tacky. Also, the fact it says “Alcohol Inside” in huge letters on the front of the tin felt a little strange.
Next, we inhaled the aroma. It smelt quite strongly of cheap booze and artificial citrus fruit. Things were not going well so far.
Sadly, the taste was similarly shit. This tinny didn’t just smell like cheap alcohol and artificial citrus, it tasted like it too. What makes this particularly bad is that there isn’t even that much alcohol in it – it’s only four per cent.
The only selling point of this can is that it’s £1. This low price, combined with its tacky packaging and weird taste, make it a perfect choice for any underage drinker attempting to appear sophisticated as they sneak off to the park for their first outdoor bev.
Best for looking classy on a budget: Sainsbury’s (£1.60, 5%)
We loved the fun design on the packaging of this Sainsbury’s Gin & Tonic tin. “Funky”, “hip” and “fresh” were a few of the adjectives getting thrown around as we admired this sexy-looking can.
Despite lacking in scent it had a pretty good gin taste without the artificial citrus flavours of its cheaper rivals.
Although pricier than some of the others at £1.60, the extra expenditure is definitely worth it for the swanky packaging and surprisingly decent taste.
This one is perfect for the slightly classier drinking occasions – it would be an excellent choice to take on a picnic date.
Best for getting pissed: M&S (£2, 8%)
This M&S can may be pricey at £2 but at eight per cent it’s the strongest gin tin on the market. This means you’ll need half as many of these tinnies to get pissed as you would of the ASDA and Morrisons alternatives.
Everyone knows that less liquid consumed means less toilet trips, which is always a good thing on a train or at a festival.
The aesthetic of this can is also a big selling point. We loved the minimalist design and matte silver finish; they give the can a classy appearance.
Unsurprisingly this one had the strongest smell and taste of gin. As any gin-lover knows, this is definitely not a bad thing, although it did mean this can tasted quite bitter in comparison to some of the excessively sweet cans. The drink itself was delightfully balanced with strong citrus tones and a powerful fizz.
The combination of high alcohol percentage, good value, classy packaging and great taste make this a particularly versatile tinny. This is one you can truly take anywhere: enough alcohol for pres, pretty enough to pose with and tasty enough to actually enjoy.
Biggest rip-off: Gordon’s (£1.80, 5%)
Gordon’s is always a safe choice. It has pretty standard shiny green packaging and the recognisable Gordon’s logo that we know and love.
Unlike some of the others, this one actually smelled and tasted like gin which is always a good thing.
It was nice. But at £1.80 was it worth the extra 20p over the Sainsbury’s one? Probably not – you’re just paying for the brand on this one as they’re both five per cent and the Sainsbury’s packaging is nicer anyway.
A good choice if you’re safe and boring. Or if they’re on offer at the supermarket (which they quite often are).
Most average: Morrisons (£1, 4%)
Who is Alfie? Why is it called Alfie? We didn’t really get it.
Other than that weirdness, there isn’t really anything of note to say about this one. It didn’t smell of much and it didn’t really taste of that much either.
It scored the lowest mark on our blind taste test, only scoring 5.5 out of 6, not because it tastes bad but because it’s just so inoffensive and bland.
It’s cheap, it tastes fine and you could probably take it to a party without anyone really commenting on it, making it perfect for those nights when you need to make sure that you actually only have three drinks.
Best all-rounder: Tesco (£1, 5%)
After much deliberation, we determined the Tesco’s tinny as our winner.
Of the three £1 cans, this is the only one with a five per cent alcohol content, making it the best value for money out of all six.
The gin and citrus flavours are nicely balanced in this one and the gentle fizz makes it very drinkable.
This can blends easy drinkability, pretty packaging and good value alcohol content to make it the best all-rounder.