Knocking up the perfect martini, mojito or mimosa takes more than a little know-how. Not to mention preparation, with the endless list of ingredients required for some cocktails. Until now, that is.
Because there’s a clever secret sitting on the shelves of your supermarket booze aisle that means making yourself a cocktail has never been easier.
In fact, all you need to do is open a can and pour. Pre-mixed canned cocktails are the ultimate in fast gratification, and supermarkets and leading drinks brands have invested hugely, bringing in new ranges across the board in experimental flavours. But how do they measure up to the real thing?
Femail’s drinks expert Helen McGinn met with top bartender Eric Kedroff at the Stables Bar in London’s Milestone Hotel to put a selection to the test…
Helen McGinn being served mojito’s in London’s Milestone Hotel by top bartender Eric Kedroff
Mojito
Bacardi Mojito: Ocado, £1.80 (5% alchohol by volume)
Eric’s cocktail: Fresh mint leaves, 15ml sugar syrup, 25ml fresh lime juice, muddled in glass before adding 50ml Bacardi Carta Blanca white rum, topped with crushed ice and soda water. Fresh mint aromas with a balance of sweetness and freshness.
Bacardi Mojito: Ocado, £1.80 (5% alchohol by volume)
This had a good hit of lime on the aroma but tastes weaker than the real thing, with a slight chemical smell. Not as strong as Eric’s, but when you compare the effort of making one and buying fresh ingredients with the ease of opening a can, it’s hard to call. 3/5
Bramble
Eric’s cocktail: 50ml Tanqueray, 50ml fresh lemon juice, 15ml sugar syrup, 3 fresh blackberries, crushed ice topped with generous dash of crème de mure. Stir. Deliciously robust with the sweetness of blackberries balanced with fresh citrus flavours.
M&S Blackberry Gin Bramble: M&S, £2 (8% abv)
M&S Blackberry Gin Bramble: M&S, £2 (8% abv), pictured left, Sipsmith G&T: Tesco, £2.75 (7.3% abv), pictured right
Tasty! This smells of blackberries, but the flavour is more like boiled sweets than blackberries. There’s a good kick of booze, and it doesn’t feel too sugary. Good effort. 4/5
Gin & Tonic
Eric’s cocktail: 50ml Tanqueray London Dry Gin topped up with tonic water over ice, garnished with slice of lime. The most simple of drinks but the secret is down to using good ingredients — and lots of ice. Simply delicious.
Kahlua Espresso Martini: Ocado, £1.90 (4.5% abv)
Sipsmith G&T: Tesco, £2.75 (7.3% abv)
Another can with a properly good slug of alcohol in there. This is very good, reassuringly strong with real zing. Most importantly, it delivers the juniper hit that a good G&T needs. A great portable solution; the can looks fabulous, too, so you feel stylish despite the tinny. 5/5
Espresso Martini
Eric’s cocktail: 50ml vodka, 25ml Kahlua, shot of fresh hot espresso coffee, shaken over ice. The secret, says Eric, is using fresh coffee — cold coffee leaves a bitter taste. This was strong and smooth, and felt like it might keep me awake for days. If you have an espresso machine, it’s a doddle to make.
Kahlua Espresso Martini: Ocado, £1.90 (4.5% abv)
The aroma is more caramel than coffee. And it’s very sweet on the palate, cloying almost, with little kick to it. That’s unsurprising, given its lack of alcohol. Disappointing — and no match for the real thing. 1/5
Pina Colada
Malibu Coconut Rum & Pineapple: Ocado, £1.80 (5% abv)
Eric’s cocktail: 50ml Old J Spiced Tiki rum, 80ml pineapple juice, 15ml coconut syrup, shaken over ice. This is sweet and fresh. Feels suitably retro — definitely a guilty pleasure. Coconut syrup can be found online.
Malibu Coconut Rum & Pineapple: Ocado, £1.80 (5% abv)
This one smells like sun cream. On the palate, there’s just lots of sweetness and no real kick of alcohol. No holiday vibes here, sadly. 1/5
Dark & Stormy
Eric’s cocktail: 50ml Myers Rum, topped with ginger ale over ice with a slice of lemon. Another simple but killer combination, this is properly dark and stormy thanks to the quality of the dark rum used.
Longflint Drinks Ginger Beer & Spiced Rum: Sainsbury’s, £2.25 (5.2% abv)
I really wanted to love this but it’s just too sweet and not strong enough. It’s not as refreshing as I’d like. Mix your own, it’s not hard! 1/5
Longflint Drinks Ginger Beer & Spiced Rum: Sainsbury’s, £2.25 (5.2% abv), pictured right, and M&S Cherry Spritzer: M&S, £2 (5.5% abv), pictured left
Rosé Spritzer
Eric’s cocktail: Half rosé wine, half soda water and a dash of Luxardo maraschino cherry syrup straight into the glass. This is to die for, gorgeous, fresh and with a touch of sweetness. A beautiful colour.
M&S Cherry Spritzer: M&S, £2 (5.5% abv)
Thomas Tipple Passion Fruit Mimosa: Whole Foods, £2.99 (5% abv)
This one’s really rather good, not too sweet with just-right cherry flavours that don’t overpower. Simple, refreshing and a touch decadent, just as a good cocktail should be. 5/5
Passion Fruit Mimosa
Eric’s cocktail: Half passion fruit juice, half champagne. This is fresh and light with the champagne keeping it from being too heavy.
Thomas Tipple Passion Fruit Mimosa: Whole Foods, £2.99 (5% abv)
This is more like it, with good fruit flavours and proper crispness. The can looks fabulous, too, with its sleek eye-catching design. 4/5
Helen McGinn’s book, Homemade Cocktails, is out now (£10.99, Robinson).