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 lineup 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 wellknown 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...