Mine’s a double! They’re the supermarket spirits that brazenly copy the classics for a fraction of the cost – so can you really get away with them at your cocktail party?
At first glance, this line-up of bottles is probably rather recognisable. There’s the distinctive green of Gordon’s gin and the tawny tones of Pimm’s.
But look again. While one of each of these pairs of bottles is from a leading brand, the others are their ever-so-similar body doubles, available in budget supermarkets.
John Noble, director of the British Brands Group, says budget retailers hope to offer customers a cheaper alternative to well-known tipples. But, he adds, in some cases they are sailing close to the wind legally. ‘You can’t simply pass off one product as another. There are rules to protect against misleading consumers.’ However, ‘brand owners often find it hard to prove these copycat products are misleading consumers,’ he says.
Meanwhile, Dr Ajay Patel, senior lecturer in food regulation law at Manchester Metropolitan University, says: ‘Generally, consumers understand the nuances of the game played by the copycat brands, so make a conscious choice when they buy one.’
But what do these drinks actually taste like? And can they really compare to their more established doppelgangers? Femail’s drinks expert HELEN McGINN put a selection to the test against their pricier rivals…
Similar Sherries
Caversham Pale Cream Sherry 75cl, £5.29, Aldi
The lovely yeasty aroma is just what you want from a pale sherry. It’s pleasingly sweet and round with a tangy taste. Really nicely done. It’s incredible at this price. 7/10
Croft Original Sherry 75cl, £11, Tesco
Not as fresh on the nose, but it has more weight and flavour. Sweet with a savoury twist. 6/10
Caversham Pale Cream sherry is more than £5 cheaper than Croft Original Sherry
Twin Gins
Oliver Cromwell London Dry Gin 70cl, £9.99, Aldi
From the green bottle to the curly ‘G’, this looks like a close relative of Gordon’s. Clean and crisp with a decent junipery kick to it. Great value, no-nonsense gin. 7/10
Gordon’s Special Dry London Gin 70cl, £14.50, Tesco
It’s got a smoother aroma with a more rounded, fruity character. Gordon’s is the slightly better gin, even once tonic water is added — but is it worth paying an extra £4.50 for? I’m not sure. 8/10
Renowned puritan Oliver Cromwell will be delighted a new gin named after him provides good value for money when compared to the flashy famous brand
Rums with punch
Old Hopking Premium White Rum 70cl, £9.99, Aldi
It’s hard to get past the fiery aroma when sniffed neat — but there’s a creamy vanilla flavour. Once mixed, it does the job just fine. 5/10
Bacardi Carta Blanca Rum 1l, £19.50, Tesco
Very light, slightly floral-smelling with a whiff of vanilla. It’s smooth with a gentle aftertaste. All round, a better taste. 8/10
Old Hopking premium white rum might be almost a tenner cheaper than Bacardi, but it tastes it as well
Coconut craze
Coconut Cove 70cl, £4.29, Lidl
This is billed as a Caribbean-style drink with coconut and rum flavours, but it really tastes of old suncream. Not even a cocktail umbrella can perk this up. 1/10
Malibu Caribbean Rum 70cl, £15, Tesco
Dangerously appealing with soft, sweet coconut aromas and flavours, this rum is much better than the cheaper alternative, even when it is mixed with fruit juice. It would therefore make a delightful cocktail.7/10
Coconut Cove, left, tastes like old sunscreen – so stick to the Malibu, right
Lookalike liquor
Premium Cream Sherry 75cl, £5.29, Aldi
This sherry has lovely smooth, rich nutty aromas with a gorgeous texture on the palate. It’s full of tasty raisin and caramel flavours, making it feel truly luxurious. Hands up, this is a true guilty pleasure. 9/10
Harveys Bristol Cream 75cl, £10, Tesco
Classic cream sherry aromas — think mixed nuts and raisins. Nice enough, but it’s just not quite as impressive as the nearly half-price, copycat equivalent.6/10
Caversham’s cream sherry is almost half the price of Harvey’s and tastes better
Copycat cognac
Chevalier Cognac VS 70cl, £14.99, Aldi
A bit too rough around the edges, this brings tears to the eyes — and not in a good way. It might be better off used in this year’s Christmas cake rather than sipped alone or served at a party.3/10
Courvoisier Cognac VS 70cl, £27.50, Ocado
The label ‘VS’ means it’s been aged in oak casks for at least a couple of years, and this has some lovely oaky notes to it, along with spirit, dried fruits and spice. All in all, this is definitely worth the extra money. 8/10
If you want to bring tears to your guests’ eyes, try Chevalier, left, otherwise stick to Courvoisier
Cool as cucumbers
Harrison’s Gin 70cl, £15.99, Aldi
Aldi’s new cucumber gin, in its dark bottle, looks very much like another handcrafted cucumber gin, which has a name that also begins with an H. However, strangely, this version tastes a lot more like parma violets than cucumber. But altogether it’s a good, clean, lighter-style gin at a reasonable price. 7/10
Hendrick’s Gin 70cl, £28, Tesco
This gin is smoother than the Harrison’s, and has more of a fruity character. It’s certainly well-balanced, too. However, if I’m being honest, once again I struggle to find the cucumber in there. And it’s almost twice the price of the Aldi version. My advice: buy the cheaper one, and spend the difference on a nice tonic for a great G&T. 6/10
Harrison’s Gin, left, is very good and at £15.99 is better value than Hendricks at £28
Vodka wars
Rachmaninoff Triple Distilled Vodka 70cl, £9.99, Lidl
This has a neutral nose, bar the fiery sensation, as you might expect. It feels a bit quick and dirty on its own, but once some tonic is added it works pretty well. 5/10
Smirnoff Red Label Vodka 70cl, £14.50, Tesco
There is a more peppery smell compared with the other red label vodka. And on the palate it’s definitely smoother, with an almost creamy texture. 8/10
There’s no symphony for this Rachmaninoff, so stick with the tried and tested Smirnoff, right
Creamy cousins
Ballycastle Irish Country Cream 70cl, £3.75, Aldi
Really thick and creamy, it’s almost too cloying in the mouth — think melted alcoholic ice cream. However, the taste is reassuringly sweet and a little chocolatey. 5/10
Baileys Original Irish Cream Liqueur 70cl, £15, Tesco
The aroma isn’t as appealing as the cheaper lookalike, but it’s got more alcohol and flavour to it. It’s also not quite so thick or creamy and, to my eyes, not worth the extra money. 5/10
There isn’t a great deal to chose between these milk-based alcoholic liqueurs from Ireland
Whisky galore
Queen Margot 3-Year Blended Scotch Whisky 70cl, £11.49, Lidl
This is very light, with caramel and orange flavours. It’s a crowdpleaser — but weightier whisky aficionados might wish to pass. 7/10
Bell’s Original Whisky 70cl, £15, Tesco
This is pretty peaty on the nose with a fair whack of smoke on the palate. Go for this one over Queen Margot if you like your whisky on the punchy side and don’t mind paying more. 6/10
The Queen Margot blended whisky, left, might be a bit like for true Scotch fans
Spritzy sisters
Aperini 70cl, £6.99, Aldi
Yes, it looks the same as the real thing colour-wise, but it smells different — it’s more orange boiled sweets rather than proper oranges. It’s a bit thin on the palate, too, even when mixed with prosecco, soda and ice. 5/10
Aperol 70cl, £15, Ocado
Definitely the superior aperitif of the two, with a more fresh, tangy orange fruit smell and taste. Brighter in every sense. 9/10
Here, the supermarket version will deliver half the taste for half the cost
Fruit cup final
Austin’s Summer Punch 1l, £5.99, Aldi
This smells more like a nail salon than Pimm’s . It’s thin on flavour, too, with scant summer fruit. Not great. 2/10
Pimm’s No 1 Cup 70cl, £15, Ocado
Slightly darker in colour with a touch of spice and caramel on the nose, this has a richer palate with more weight. It’s a much better all-round choice. 8/10
If your guests have ever been punting on the River Cam, stick with the Pimm’s
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