BBC Good Food Drinks Taste Awards 2022
Our judging panel blind-tasted over 70 drinks products to find the best own-brand supermarket bottles worthy of a place in your home bar this year.
This is our ultimate guide to stocking your drinks cupboard this summer – and these bottles all come straight from the high street. Whether you prefer spirits, beer or cider, we’ve found the best supermarket offerings for every occasion
How we did it
We asked supermarkets to send in the drinks they wanted to nominate for each of our categories. Over three days, our expert judging panel taste-tasted 70 products from eight national supermarkets to bring you our definitive list of top buys for 2022. Judging was carried out blind and overseen by an independent adjudicator. In some categories, the judges chose to award a runner-up as well as a winner.
BBC Good Food Drinks Taste Awards 2022: results
Best cider
WINNER: M&S Somerset oak matured vintage cider
With baked Bramley apple and leather on the nose, this is pleasantly complex and equally loaded with both sweetness and bitterness.
Available from Ocado (£2.50, 500ml bottle)
More like this
Best fruity cider or perry
WINNER: Tesco pear cider
Gentle and floral on the palate, this is sharp and dry, with a hint of sweetness and subtle white grape aromas.
Available from Tesco (£2.20, four 440ml cans)
Best session beer
WINNER: Northern Monk Striding Edge North Yorkshire
Conjuring up thoughts of beer gardens in the sunshine, this has punchy, tropical fruit aromas. Lush fruit gives way to pine and citrus notes.
Available from Waitrose & Partners , £2.85 (440ml can)
RUNNER-UP: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference summer ale
This summery, light ale has good malt aromas and a floral background. There's a good level of carbonation for a traditional, refreshing, easy summer drink.
Available from Sainsbury's, £1.65 (500ml)
Best whisky
JOINT WINNER: Asda Extra Special Islay single malt Scotch whisky
Our pick for sipping neat, this has a deeply smoky aroma, slick mouthfeel and lots of woody, toasted oak flavours.
Available from Asda, £20 (70cl)
JOINT WINNER: Waitrose three-year-old blended Scotch whisky
Good for cocktails, this has a light aroma and brown sugar flavours, balanced by slight bitterness.
Available from Waitrose, £16.80 (70cl)
Best vodka
WINNER: Waitrose triple-distilled vodka
This is very smooth, with a creamy mouthfeel and no burn. A good one for cocktails.
Available from Waitrose, £12.75 (70cl)
Best dark rum
WINNER: Irresistible Pineapple Rum
A winner for the second year in a row, this has light brown sugar on the nose and hints of tropical fruit led by the pineapple. It’s smooth and mellow to sip, with mild spiciness.
Available from Co-op £20 (70cl)
RUNNER-UP: Tesco Caribbean dark rum
An intense, classic dark rum, this has rich molasses on the nose and woody notes, with good length after your first sip.
Available from Tesco, £15 (1 litre)
Best ready-to-drink berry cocktail
WINNER: M&S strawberry daiquiri
Vanilla notes are clear on the nose here. It’s lightly syrupy, with just a touch of lime to balance the berry intensity.
Available in store at M&S, £2 (250ml can)
Best ready-to-drink tropical cocktail
JOINT WINNER: M&S The Marksologist Passion Star martini cocktail
A bottled option in great packaging. Shake well to bring together – it’s vibrant and sweet, with strong fruit flavour to balance the alcohol.
Available from Ocado, £5.35 (75cl)
JOINT WINNER: Aldi Stefanoff passion fruit martini
Lots of passion fruit flavour and not too fizzy, this makes for an easy-to-sip canned choice.
Available from Aldi, 99p (250ml can)
Best-ready-to-drink citrus cocktails
WINNER: Asda Extra Special margarita ready-to-drink cocktail
This has plenty of sharpness from juicy lemons and limes to counter the sweetness – great with lots of ice and fresh mint.
Available from Asda, £7 (70cl)
RUNNER-UP: Aldi mojito-flavour cocktail
Slightly sweeter than others, this has a good level of carbonation and lots of lemon zest on the nose. There’s a minty aftertaste and light level of alcohol.
Available from Aldi, 89p (250ml)
Best canned gin and tonic
WINNER: Tesco London Dry Gin & Tonic
A classic G&T done well, this is refreshing, crisp and natural.
Available from Tesco, £1 (250ml)
RUNNER-UP: Lidl Hortus rhubarb & ginger gin & tonic
For a twist on a classic G&T, try this fruity option from Lidl. Best served chilled to balance the sweetness, rhubarb is strong on the nose, while the spicy ginger comes through on the palate.
Available at Lidl, £1.19 (250ml)
Best gin
WINNER: Tesco Finest The Melodist London Dry gin
This has plenty of herbal, spiced notes (thanks to the coriander and cardamom) that stand up to fresh botanicals. A touch of citrus comes through when tonic is added.
Available online at Tesco, £20 (70cl)
RUNNER-UP: Waitrose London Dry gin
A very classic dry gin, fresh botanicals and juniper flavours come through first, followed by a bit of coriander and light citrus notes for a refreshing tipple.
Available at Waitrose & Partners, £12.50 (70cl)
Best pink gin
WINNER: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference limited edition Blackfriars Scottish raspberry & rhubarb gin
With heady rhubarb aroma, judges loved that this wasn’t too sweet. Tonic enhances the fruit flavour and botanicals still shine through in this well-balanced drink.
Available from Sainsbury's, £16 (70cl)
RUNNER-UP: Co-op Irresistible pink grapefruit & elderflower gin liqueur
Liqueurs tend to be on the sweeter side, and this is no exception, remaining so even when mixed with tonic. It has a vibrant, bold pink colour, grapefruit aroma and floral notes on the palate.
Available at Co-op, £11 (50cl)
Best flavoured gin
WINNER: Tesco Finest The Melodist mango & passion fruit gin
A surprisingly elegant option, this smells sweet, but when mixed with tonic, floral notes come through along with classic botanicals.
Available in store at Tesco, £20 (70cl)