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The best supermarket gin to try at home, all under £25
Save yourself a fortune against the big brands
If gin is your everyday tipple, you probably don’t want to be spending a lot of money on a bottle. Well, the good news is, you needn’t, as we’ve tested all the supermarket gins, which start from a very reasonable £14.99…
Which supermarket gin is best?
- Best supermarket gin: Heston from Waitrose Lazy Sunshine Gin
- Runner-up supermarket gin: Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Blackfriars Gin
- Best for complex flavours: Tesco Finest The Melodist London Dry Gin
- Best for spicy flavours: Co-op Irresistible Dry Gin
- Best budget gin: Lidl Hortus Artisan London Dry Gin
- Lowest ABV: M&S London Dry Gin
- Best for cocktails: Morrisons M Best Gin
With every supermarket stocking an own-brand gin, we were on the hunt for smooth, easy-drinking spirits displaying interesting flavour profiles.
We tried a broad range of classic London Dry styles, packed with interesting botanicals including herbaceous basil, fresh pine and spicy cardamom - so there really is one for every occasion.
How we test
Our panel of experts and consumers tried nine supermarket gins neat, and then again diluted with a small amount of water, to ensure the flavour was not impaired by any mixer.
We also invited our testers to enjoy these gins as they would normally drink it, whether that’s in cocktails or classic G&Ts, in order for us to get the broadest view possible. Here are the winners...
Score: 84/100
Like bottled Mediterranean sunshine, this gin is infused with sweet basil, rosemary, thyme and lavender botanicals. Although some found it a touch too savoury, most thought it elevated the classic spirit into something much more complex, developing into a big herbaceous burst in the glass. Heston recommends serving with a drizzle of olive oil, and who are we to argue...
Score: 82/100
For a classic, juniper-led gin that won’t break the bank, Sainsbury’s delivers. This TTD gin was praised for having a delicate turkish delight note, alongside light liquorice, and a big bite of fresh pine — making it well suited to a wet martini.
Score: 77/100
You could be forgiven for thinking this pretty bottle is much more expensive than it is. It’s fairly light on the juniper, allowing for complex notes of bright yuzu citrus and bay leaf to come through on the palate. Our panel loved the cooling mint element and spicy citrus note.
Score: 77/100
Co-op asked its members what botanicals they wanted to taste in this dry gin, which was created by Joanne Moore, the UK’s only female master gin distiller. So alongside the classics — juniper, coriander and angelica — you’ll also find black pepper, lemon verbena, cardamom, cumin and rowanberry, which our panel interpreted as “curry-like” spices. We’d suggest pairing with ginger beer to emphasise the spicy earthiness.
Score: 75/100
Got more of a sweet tooth? Lidl’s small batch gin combines fresh herbs with uplifting elderflower. Floral and sweet with a smooth, easy-drinking mouthfeel, we’d pair with tonic and a handful of mixed berries for a summery twist on a classic G&T.
Score: 70/100
The relatively low alcohol content (37.5%) makes this a great gin for drinking neat. Our panel found it had a lemonade-style sweet citrus note, but found it slightly lacking in juniper. Still, at this price it’s a great gin for every day.
Score: 70/100
At the other end of the spectrum is this powerfully fiery gin, with an alcohol content that overwhelmed some of our testers. However, most thought the strong spicy flavours, which include a light touch of juniper, lemon and cardamom, would be excellent in a juicy cocktail.
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
Callum is our Food and Drink Testing Manager and has been part of the world of professional catering for 10 years, from cheffing to food manufacturing. While working in manufacturing he specialised in bespoke product and menu development for several start-ups and well-known brands such as Wrap It Up! and HOP Vietnamese. He holds the WSET Level 2 in wine, a Level 3 in spirits and has a particular interest in agave spirits.
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