SUPERMARKETS are selling Christmas booze classics with new festive flavours this year.
You can now pick up weird and wonderful flavours from chocolate clementine cream liqueur to gingerbread beer with your weekly shop – and at bargain prices, too.
Reporter Rosie Taylor has tried some of the wackiest new drinks on sale at Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s this year.
Here, she’s shared her verdict on each, as well as her favourite festive flavour this year…
This chocolate clementine cream liqueur from Aldi is like drinking a boozy milkshake version of a Terry’s chocolate orange.
It was sweet, creamy and deliciously festive – a perfect grown-up dessert drink for Christmas. I’d highly recommend.
Score: 9/10
£7.49 for 70cl
This cream liqueur from Lidl had an off-putting smell of wet dog when I first opened it, but it tasted quite a lot like digestive biscuit, with caramel undertones.
A smooth and creamy alternative to drinks like Bailey’s – it’s good, as long as you don’t smell it!
Score: 6/10
On first impressions, this festive gin liqueur had a warming taste of mulled fruit, but the spices were very synthetic, so its aftertaste reminded me of cough medicine.
It was very sweet – a bit like Haribo or Skittles dissolved in alcohol.
All of this made it too intense to drink on the rocks, but it could make a great base for a Christmas punch. Not bad.
Score: 6/10
I wasn’t sure about drinking this glass of luminous pink fizz because it smelled incredibly sweet.
But, I was proven wrong – it was light and easy to drink, with a gentle spiced almond cherry taste and delicate bubbles.
It went flat quickly, though, so it looked quite a lot like I was drinking mouthwash.
At just 3.4% ABV, this could be a good option if you’re looking for low alcohol alternatives this Christmas. It was like fruit cordial for grown-ups.
Score: 7/10
This alternative to Bailey’s by Asda was really not very nice.
It had a strong, synthetic cinnamon taste over a sickly sweet cream flavour in the background.
It was like a mash-up between candy floss and a scented Christmas candle – in a bad way. I wouldn’t recommend this one.
Score: 3/10
This was a rich and creamy liqueur, which was a bit like drinking a luxurious boozy iced mocha. It had strong flavours of chocolate, coffee and dark caramel.
I found this a delicious Christmas drink which would work well as a dessert alternative or with ice cream.
Score: 9/10
I felt this was trying to be too many things in one drink.
It was an extra strong stout (be warned, it has a high alcohol content!), but was mixed with bitter dark coffee, “gingerbread” flavours (cinnamon and ginger) and sickly sweet vanilla.
I personally thought the flavours clashed, but people who enjoy sweet syrups in black coffee might like it.
Score: 5/10
This cream liqueur was like drinking a boozy iced latte, but with the distinctive creamy taste of tiramisu.
Lidl has done a great job of transforming the dessert into booze form.
This would work well as light dessert drink at Christmas.
Score: 7/10
I really wasn’t expecting to like this white mulled wine, partly because it had a harsh smell which was off-putting. But actually, it was surprisingly nice.
There wasn’t a lot of spice in it, but the sweetened white wine had a gentle vanilla flavour and worked really well warm.
It could also make a good base for a warm punch.
Score: 8/10
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save money on your Christmas shopping.
Limit the amount of presents – buying presents for all your family and friends can cost a bomb.
Instead, why not organise a Secret Santa between your inner circles so you’re not having to buy multiple presents.
Plan ahead – if you’ve got the stamina and budget, it’s worth buying your Christmas presents for the following year in the January sales.
Make sure you shop around for the best deals by using price comparison sites so you’re not forking out more than you should though.
Buy in Boxing Day sales – some retailers start their main Christmas sales early so you can actually snap up a bargain before December 25.
Delivery may cost you a bit more, but it can be worth it if the savings are decent.
Shop via outlet stores – you can save loads of money shopping via outlet stores like Amazon Warehouse or Office Offcuts.
They work by selling returned or slightly damaged products at a discounted rate, but usually any wear and tear is minor.
