We’ve tried and tasted all the best picnic-worthy drinks
All the bevs you need at your next picnic or garden get-together
The Palm Rose by Whispering Angel, The Bottle Club (Thebottleclub.com),
£15.90 Nothing says sun like a glass of rosé, and this Whispering Angel buy is bursting with summer notes, including watermelon, berries and pink blossom. Light and smooth, this is dangerously downable, and we’ll be keeping the pretty bottle, too.
2. Miami Cocktail Margarita Spritz, Revl.co.uk, £11.95 for pack of four
Canned cocktails can have a sickly, artificial taste, but these are a pretty close match to something you’d mix up at home. Made with organic ingredients, they’re light, refreshing and low-cal. Other flavours include bellini, sangria and mimosa spritz, which are all worth a try, too.
3. Lo Bros Kombucha Blueberry Lemonade, Sainsbury’s, £2.25
This living drink contains healthy bacteria for your gut, so you can knock it back knowing it’s good for you. It has a little fizz, which makes it feel special, but we found the blueberry flavour a bit much after a while. It also contains hemp CBD, helping you to stay calm even if the kids are running riot in the park.
4. Franklin & Sons Rhubarb Lemonade, Goodtimein.co.uk, £9 for pack of 12
Like rhubarb and custard, this is lovely and sweet, and it smelled amazing when we cracked it open. The rhubarb flavour was authentic, thanks to the real fruit juice, and the lemon juice wasn’t bitter or overwhelming. It also had just the right amount of light bubbles for a day in the sun. A solid effort.
5. Hooch Pink Alcoholic Raspberry Lemonade, Tesco, £2.85
The vibrant pink colour is really inviting and smells just like raspberries when you pop the lid. It’s lightly carbonated, so you’re not completely full of gas after a few sips, but the raspberry flavour was minimal compared to what the smell suggested, and there was a not-madlypleasant aftertaste. HHH 6. Ginato Pinot Grigio Italian Gin,the Bottle Club (Thebottleclub.com), £29.89 Can’t choose between a glass of wine or a G&T? Now, you don’t have to! In a cool Italian-branded bottle, the mix of white grapes with classic gin botanicals creates a lighter tipple that is perfect for sunnier days. It tastes great with tonic or as a spritzer for the authentic Italian experience.
7. Dash Bitter Orange & Grapefruit Soda Water, Dash-water.com, £11.99 for pack of 12
Totally refreshing and light on bubbles, the tangy orange is mellow and finishes on a sweet grapefruit flavour that isn’t overpowering. It also contains no sugar or sweeteners. This would be ace with your favourite gin, but even on its own, we nailed the whole can in minutes.
8. Bottlegreen Juicy Bramble Cordial, Sainsbury’s, £3.40
Kids will love the Fruittellastyle flavours of apple, blackberry, sloe berry and elderflower mixed with sparkling water. We big people can add it to spirits or prosecco for some berry sweetness. It’s so good, we’re already on our second bottle.