Three Cheers For These Christmas Beers (and Spirits) From Your Aldi Supermarket

We’re delighted to bring you more from Aldi, the supermarket who are fast becoming a favourite with shoppers in the UK. Our first three recommendations are an alternative to wines, and being light in alcohol, they make better health sense too.

Batemans ‘Rosey Nosey’ is a previous Gold Medal winner. Get this copper coloured, full flavoured beer for £1.49 per 4.7% abv bottle. (Batemans’ family brewery have brewed in Lincolnshire since 1874).

Our second beverage is the aptly named Bah Humbug Ale from Wychwood Brewery. Ebenezer Scrooge’s mug graces the bottle, but we found nothing miserly in the contents. This dedicated Christmas beer is full of juicy hops and flavoursome malt, lightly spiced with cinnamon and hints of dried fruits. Need we say more? Selling for just £1.39 per 5.0% abv bottle, you’d be stingy indeed not to get this for your stocking. Once again this is a ‘Christmas Special’.

Finally Sheppeys Vintage Reserve Cider rounds up our trio. This Somerset cider is perfect to drink straight or in a mulled winter warming recipe. At 7.4% abv it’s a strong one, oak matured for a rich flavour. No artificial colours or flavours are used, only the finest cider apples from same year (2011) harvest. Buy for £1.79 per 500ml bottle.

All the above are ‘Special Buys’ which means they’re here for the season only, and while stocks last.

Finally, get spirited with these two Xmas charmers.

Chevalier Cognac is an Appelation Cognac Controlee that tangos smoothly with the best of them. This ‘de luxe blend’ is oak aged for a minimum of two years, and full of rich promise, it warms the palate without leaving a sharp aftertaste. We also loved the lengthy ‘orange infused’ nose. Tastes great on the rocks or as a kicker in cocktails. Chevalier is part of Aldi’s’ core range so is available throughout the year. £14.99 per bottle.

Admittedly our last drink isn’t from Aldi but we couldn’t resist the cute girly size (350ml), packaging and pink colour. Lyme Bay Winery has produced a Reserve Gin Liquer which is full of flavour, if a little sweet (there’s sugar added). Can be drunk on its own or over ice. At 26% abv, its far less stronger than regular gin – another plus! No concentrates, preservatives or colours go into this one – only whole sloes. See www.limebaywinery.co.uk for stockists.

Merry Xmas!

www.drinkaware.co.uk states women states should drink no more than 2-3 units of alcohol per day and men no more than 3-4 units of alcohol per day.