The Jubilee and its four day weekend is nearly upon us and whether you’re a royalist or not, there’s plenty of reasons to celebrate.
With rumours of a heatwave, it will hopefully be a time to unwind in the sunshine and celebrate some time off with family and friends. Of course the supermarkets are getting into the spirit and many already have their shelves stocked with Jubilee themed goodies, from Victoria sponge cakes and trifles, to beer and English wine.
M&S and Aldi are getting in on the action, with both having released Jubilee gin liqueurs for the occasion. In recent years, M&S has become famous for its popular light up Christmas Snow Globe Gin Liqueur.
READ MORE: We tried value cheese from Tesco, Aldi, Lidl and one 'rivalled Cathedral City'
This summer it has followed up with its new British Strawberry Gin Liqueur, which you can buy in stores or on Ocado. Of course, where M&S goes, Aldi follows and it too has released a British Strawberry & Mint Gin Liqueur. But how do they compare? We tasted both and this was our verdict:
What you get for your money
The M&S bottle doesn’t really particularly cheap. It’s £16 for a 70cl bottle, which to me is quite pricey for a liqueur. But I suppose you’re also paying for how the bottle looks - it will certainly look pretty sat on a party table, drinks cabinet, or if you want to show it off on Instagram.
Aldi's bottle comes in slightly cheaper, at £13.99 for 70cl. The liqueur boasts flavours of "jammy British strawberries" with a hint of mint to balance, according to Aldi. Like M&S, the bottle is certainly pretty too.
How the packaging compares
The M&S gin comes in the same shaped bottle as its Christmas gin globe, with a cork stopper lid. The bottle is completely clear, as is the gin inside, and it is decorated with a pretty red, white and blue and bunting design, with strawberries and daisies completing the look to give it that Jubilee look.
It does look really nice, but it doesn't light up like the snow globe, or have as pretty a label and edible golf leaf as the M&S Cherry Blossom Glitter Globe. For £16, I would have just liked that something extra when it comes to design.
The Aldi gin differs in looks as it doesn't have the dome shape it's Christmas version did. However, it does light up in royal red, white and blue colours and features silver flakes, giving it that snow globe feel we all love. For £13.99, its certainly impressive.
What the gin tastes like
As soon as I poured the M&S gin over ice I could smell the strawberries - it was quite a strong concentrated scent, like the syrupy liquid you get at the end of an ice pop. Although it wasn’t unpleasant, it made me think it was going to taste far too sweet and synthetic.
However, I needn’t have worried as the M&S gin was delicious. Over a couple of cubes of ice, it tasted strong yet fruity, with no burning aftertaste.
While the packaging might not have impressed me quite as much as I’d hoped, I really enjoyed the flavour of this one and it really is perfect for a summer drink in the garden. I can already imagine making a nice cocktail with it, or adding a dash to prosecco along with a couple of berries. Delicious.
I could smell the almost overwhelming scent of strawberries the second I opened Aldi's British Strawberry & Mint Gin Liqueur. It smelled very sweet, though the mint flavour didn't seem to come through much.
This changed once I'd prepared my drink - I used lemonade as a mixer - and the two flavours combined. It was, like I thought, very sweet and with the mint flavour added to the mix, the drink tasted a bit like liquorice. It wasn't particularly to my taste, but I imagine many gin lovers would be impressed.
The verdict
It's a close call this one. If you love the light up bottles, then it's Aldi for the win. But while pictures of fancy bottles are great for the 'gram, enjoying the gin is what counts and for that reason M&S edges it on taste. Better to spend an extra £2.01 and enjoy what you're drinking over that long bank holiday weekend and beyond.
You can buy the M&S gin in stores on Ocado here for £16. Aldi's gin is available in stores while stocks last.
Get the top stories straight to your inbox by signing up for one of our free newsletters
