It’s official: Tinnies are cool – and here’s our pick, from cocktails to bubble tea

Re-embrace your inner Fleabag this Spring (Picture: MOTH/Whitebox/East London Liquor CompanyWhen In Rome/Ocean Bomb)

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Few supermarket items summed up the 2010s like the humble tinned beverage.

Fleabag knocked them back while fighting through her stressful love life, while Labour MP Diane Abbott was forced to apologise after footage of her drinking one on the train went viral.

They were mere sips away from becoming a British institution, like Marmite or fish fingers.

As the pandemic gradually faded away and we started to meet up with mates again, it became official: canned drinks were back and better than ever, and they’re only set to get more popular, with a 2022 IWSR RTD Strategic Study suggesting that the ready-to-drink sector will grow by 24% in the next five years.

Good tinnies now offer bar-quality drinks at relatively affordable prices, and the cans themselves are increasingly designed to be Instragrammable and aesthetic.

Also, they’re surprisingly sustainable, with over 70% of aluminium scrap being recycled, according to the Aluminium Federation and International Aluminium, with the latter stating this is 34 percentage points higher than glass and PET. Plus, aluminium requires a lot less energy than those materials to be broken down after it’s been disposed of. So, stats aside, by drinking from a can you’re also helping the planet!

The result? Tinnies are the coolest they’ve ever been – cheers!

Cocktails

MOTH Margarita

MOTH was founded by student friends who got into mixing drinks and flavours while at university.

Now in their late twenties, the pair have turned their early experiments into rock-solid flavours, and MOTH’s Margarita has become the most popular tequila canned cocktail in the UK.

Bloody Classic

Bloody Marys are almost impossible to get right. 90% of the time they end up just tasting like tomato juice.

There’s therefore no shame in giving up on making them yourself. Instead, look out for cans of Bloody Classic – you can always pass them off as your own!

Pocket Negroni

A take on the classic cocktail that doesn’t call for you to be a skilled bartender? Yes please.

Sure at £4.95 per can it’s certainly not the cheapest out there, but we’re here for the vibes and springtime picnics, aren’t we?

Spirits

East London Liquor Rum and Ginger

A common complaint about Tinnies is that they’re just far too sickly sweet.

No such problems arise from East London Liquor’s funky Rum & Ginger offering, which snaps with a sharp, peppery taste.

& Soda Mexican Lime Vodka Soda

It doesn’t get more classic than a vodka, lime and soda mix, and this sugar and sweetener-free version from & Soda keeps things light and fresh.

Wines

When in Rome Wines

A lot of brands talk about their heritage but few can compete with When In Rome.

The brand itself may only date back to 2015, but wine has been produced on its land since Roman times, and we reckon they’ve worked out how to make good wine by now.

Nanias Vineyard English Wines

Finally, a wine that embraces the British weather!

Nanias Vineyard is based in Sussex, where its rondo grapes respond well to a slightly colder climate.

Its wines are topped up with water from the spring deep beneath Glastonbury Tor, which features heavily in Celtic myth and gives a strange and mystical quality to this lively concoction.

Non-Alcoholic

Kin Spritz

We’re still in February, so anything likely to boost our mood gets priority on the shopping list – and mood-boosting is Kin’s speciality, using adaptogens which aim to help you manage stress; nootropics which claim to support brain cognition; and spirit-centering botanics to elevate taste.

After all, who can really argue with this review from Bella Hadid (no less): ‘The first time I drank Kin, it felt nostalgic…it makes me feel euphoric, happy, excited to be alive.’

Ocean Bomb Bubble Milk Tea

Bubble tea has gained global popularity in the last few years, and producers around the world have developed their own variations on the takeaway favourite.

Brands like Ocean Bomb try to keep the drink’s connection to its Taiwanese origins strong and authentic, not least by emphasising its alluring smokiness.

Lyre’s Amalfi Spritz

Lyre’s have established themselves as the standard-setters for non-alcoholic drinks, and their version of a classic Amalfi Spritz has a unique flavour that stands on its own merits.

The key ingredient? Rhubarb!

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Re-embrace your inner Fleabag.