Canned drinks are nothing new, of course, but they’re now seemingly taking over the shelves of practically any supermarket or booze shop you walk into. Marks & Spencer, for instance, recently extended its range of canned cocktails off the back of a 25% increase in sales over the past 12 months, while more and more no- and low-alcohol producers are putting their drinks into cans, too. It’s not hard to see why, what with our hectic, on-the-go lifestyle. Just as you might grab a sandwich or a salad for the train or for lunch al desko, you can also now pick up a can to go with it. They’re a much better bet than bottles for picnics and festivals as well – lighter, unbreakable and easier to keep cold. The only downsides are that your options are more limited and that the quality is variable, especially in ready-to-drink (RTD) or pre-mixed drinks, where the flavours can often taste quite synthetic. Maybe it’s just me, but they’re also very sweet: I wanted to like M&S’s Marksologist range more than I did (and the store deserves brownie points at least for effort), but can really recommend only the Salted Caramel Espresso Martini (£3.50 for 150ml, in store and Ocado; 14.2%), and even then probably only if you’re a Bailey’s fan. The same store’s low-alcohol range, however, is better – surprisingly, even its 0.5% Extra Dry Botanical Gin & Tonic (£2 in store and Ocado) is an improvement on many RTD G&Ts. And if producers such as Moth can do it, I feel Marks and Sparks could up its game, too. Quality overall is also improving when it comes to canned wine, although the better examples don’t come cheap – the equivalent bottle cost of the Canned Wine Co’s St Laurent in my pick this week, for example, would be between £16.50 and £18. I like it, but expect more for that price. That said, it’s useful to have a can to hand if you’re trying to moderate your drinking, plus cans are still cheaper than half-bottles. I’m also very happy to see natural wines such as Mad Med finding their way into tins, though not all the range is as good as the rosé in my pick. Beer, though, is still the star of the canned drink sector for me. Amazingly, it’s also sometimes as good as drinking it on tap. I really fell for the Bru-1 Pale Ale (5.1%), part of Polly’s Brew Co’s the Hop series, which I had at a great little beer bar and shop called Bottle & Barrel in Aberystwyth the other day, and it was just as good in a can. According to the manager, Paddy, they’re one of Wales’ best breweries right now (you can argue about this among yourselves). Five cans to drink on the go Mad Med Le Rosé 2022 £6.50 (250ml) Gnarly Vines, 13%. Delicately fruity, unfiltered, organic rosé from Provence: natural wine in a tin. Canned Wine Co St Laurent No 4 2020 £5.99 (250ml) or £16.50 for 3 Novel Wines, 13.5%. Sophisticated, dry Austrian red with a bitter cherry twist. Would be fab with grilled lamb. Fizzology Spritz £8.99 (4 x 250ml) Laithwaite’s, 4.6%. Great low-alcohol option for a sunny day. Natural-tasting, and not too sweet. Moth Aperitivo Spritz £3.99 (200ml) Waitrose, £20 for 6 mothdrinks.com, 10%. Smart, Aperol spritz-like aperitivo with a good bitter orange flavour. Even better in a glass over ice. Polly’s Brew Co Bru-1 Pale Ale £4.25 (400ml) pollysbrew.co (minimum order 6), £4.60 (440ml) Bottle & Barrel Aberystwyth, 5.1%. Refreshingly summery citrus and fresh pineapple flavours. Part of Polly’s Hop Studio releases featuring Bru-1 from Washington State. For more by Fiona Beckett, go to fionabeckett.substack.com