The best new drinks to take on a picnic
Now that the weather is finally starting to brighten up, we can feel the lure of the picnic calling. From canned cocktails and vermouth to mini kegs and soft drinks suitable for all ages, there’s something for everyone to keep the park picnics interesting this summer.
We’ve previously brought together our very best picnic recipes for your perusal, so read on for the perfect portable drinks to accompany them.
Once you’ve browsed our picnic recipes and done the hard work of deciding what is going to be your meal of choice (will it be a quiche or a grazing board – or perhaps an array of special salads?) – the next task is to choose what to drink with it all. Read on for our ideas for everyone, including kids, non-drinkers, and plenty of tipples to choose from too…
15 of the best drinks to take on your picnic
We were really impressed with the ciders from Galipette, especially their new rosé number. Made with red-flesh apples, Pommes à Chair Rouge, from the orchards of Brittany and Normandy, it takes on a rosé character with notes of sweet fresh berries. It’s perfect served cold on a warm day, and pairs very well with picnic food like cheese, charcuteries and savoury tarts. Galipette produces cider as it should be. The brand’s non-alc option is also great for non drinkers, offering effervescent refreshment without the headache… Available from Waitrose (£2 each).
INTUNE drinks prioritise flavour over anything else, which is always what the delicious. team look for in a drink. Each can contains 10mg of CBD, an ingredient owner Hannah found brought her a sense of calm. The drinks are low in sugar, great value, and packaged in recyclable cans, so tick all the boxes, really. The company are stocked by Fortnum and Mason as well as coffee shops, cinemas and festivals. We loved all the flavours but think the grapefruit and mint combination is particularly refreshing for a summer picnic! Available from INTUNE (from £5 for 3 cans).
Aperol spritz, but make it pourable! If a spritz is your go-to, then these summertime drinks from These Days will be worth their weight in gold this picnic season… They come in two different flavours, one chinotto and blood orange and one peach and honey, and are made with natural ingredients and organic white wine from Chateau San Cyrgues. Available from These Days for £14.
Sea Arch, Sea & T Non- Alcoholic Distilled Spirit and Tonic
With fresh, herby hints and juniper, this mix of a fine non-alcoholic spirit with tonic water has been well crafted and has natural flavours and a crisp spritz. Great for a sit down in a park or for taking on a hike. Available from Sea Arch drinks (£28.20 for 12 cans).
If your picnic is in aid of a celebration, or even if fizz is simply your favourite drink, this fresh and apple-y bottle from Krone, based in the Tulbagh region in South Africa, is our current choice. Made using the ‘methode cap classique’, the wine is aged for 18 months which give it a minerality which will compliment your favourite picnic dips and sandwiches (be they cheese, prawn or salmon) brilliantly. Pop the cork and enjoy. Available from Majestic (£16.99 each).
When the juice is this good, who needs booze? New brand Wildpress use heritage British varieties of apple from sustainable orchards around the country. There are a range of blends, from the strikingly punchy Somerset Haze, to the bright and tangy variety from Shire Farm in Lincolnshire. These are perfect enjoyed straight or with a little ice and soda to make the bottle stretch. Kids’ll love it. Available from Wildpress Juice (£4.50 per bottle).
Bring the joy of draught to the park with these two session-strength beer styles in a 5L keg format. These recyclable kegs make for a kind of centrepiece for outdoor dining, bringing a sense of celebration to your picnic. Choose from the mouthwateringly juicy session pale or a refreshingly rich amber steam – both are below 2.8% and showcase great depth of flavour. Available from Small Beer (£24.50 each).
Shandy Shack’s elderflower lager top
Do you love a lager top? Then you’re in luck: your picnic no longer has to be without your favourite pub tipple. Shandy Shack was founded by 3 friends, including 2 NHS doctors who were hankering after a less alcoholic alternative to high ABV beers. Their elderflower lager top comes in at just 2.5% ABV, with 105 calories per 330ml, and tastes zingy and refreshing, as all good lager tops should. Available at Shandy Shack (£24.95 for 12 cans).
Wine in a bottle, wine in a box, and now, ultra-convenient wine in a can, from Vin du Can, which promises a ‘good glass of wine in a can’. Choose from rosé (pale peach and fruity), white (a citrussy Sauvignon) and red (a cherry-like Malbec). The cans are deceptively generous at a 187ml serving, meaning two is around half a bottle of wine. A good option if you’re the only wine lover in the house and don’t like to open a whole bottle, too. The cans chill more quickly than a bottle, and you’ll need a suitable insulated pack to keep them that way. Suitable for vegans, and the cans are recyclable. Available from Vin du Can (£30 for 12).
Lowlander low and no alcohol beer
If you’re looking for a beer without the alcohol, Lowlander, brewed with reclaimed orange and lemon peel from bars and restaurants in The Netherlands, is refreshing and juicy with bursts of fruit and citrus flavours. It has something of lemonade about it, and is delicious drunk cold. The perfect accompaniment to your park picnic. Available from Sainsbury’s (£1.30/330ml).
L’Occhiolino
If you love a certain blackcurrant cordial, but only wished it were more chic, L’Occhiolino is for you. Meaning ‘the wink’ in Italian, L’Occhiolino is the kind of juicy RED that makes you question if it’s alcoholic at all. Made from some of the oldest grape varieties in Italy and with a deep almost-purple colour and light froth of bubbles, this sparkling is lighter than you might think and a perfect choice for picnics and summer dinners. Serve it cold and try it with oily fish or southern-style BBQ. Available from Laithwaites for £12 a bottle of £9 when you mix 12 or more.
That most heady of cocktails – the negroni – is packaged in a petite can, small enough to slip into your pocket. The negroni itself is perfectly balanced, heavy with that distinct bittersweet note for which the drink is famous. It’s delicious drunk straight from the can (chilled), or over ice in a glass, if drinking from a can turns you off. Available from Send a Negroni (£30 for 6).
Tanqueray premium gin and tonic cans
It’s the country’s best-loved cocktail, and Tanqueray’s new premium gin and tonic cans are simply the finest. For traditionalists, opt for their London Dry Gin and Tonic but if you’re feeling fancy, give their Flor De Sevilla Gin and Tonic a go, for a fruity, refreshing sip. Available from Waitrose (£2.50).
You’ve made it outside, now all you need is that caffeine hit! The perfect morning perk-me-up for a Saturday stroll; these plant-based latte drinks from Minor Figures are refreshingly good for the morning after a boozy night before. Prefer your caffeine green? Try their Matcha Latte (with green tea and oat milk) cans too. All available at Minor Figures (£24 for 12).
Or if you’d rather go the whole hog and make the drinks yourself too, check out our homemade drink recipes.