We asked a panel of consumers to blind taste and rate passion fruit martini cocktails from 10 different brands, from big hitters such as Absolut and Smirnoff to supermarket options from the likes of Asda, Lidl and M&S.
While Aldi reigns supreme, there are other more widely available options that also went down well with our tasters – and some big brands that disappointed.
You’ll also want to watch out for some cans being flat while others are fizzy, and one can that has a considerably higher alcohol content than rivals.
Read on for the full results and to find out whether a pleasing passion fruit cocktail can is within reach at your local supermarket.
Best passion fruit martini cans
There’s a mix of brands and supermarket labels towards the top of the pile, but Aldi’s Stefanoff cocktail was the standout winner.
Best Buy: Aldi Stefanoff Passion Fruit Martini Cocktail – 74%
Best passion fruit martini cans
There’s a mix of brands and supermarket labels towards the top of the pile, but Aldi’s Stefanoff cocktail was the standout winner.
Best Buy: Aldi Stefanoff Passion Fruit Martini Cocktail – 74%
If you like your cocktails fruity and sweet, this is the one for you. While not achieving Aldi’s high standard in flavour, this slightly fizzy drink still elicited a good response from the panel for taste. It could be a bit too much for some though: 43% said the passion fruit flavour was too strong and more than half thought it a little too sweet.
Its fruity smell impressed tasters, and it got high marks for appearance too. It’s slightly more expensive than average, but because it’s widely available you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding it. We’ve seen it sold on a two for one offer as well, which makes for a better deal.
Tesco All Shook Up Passion Fruit Martini – 69%
Sharing the second spot on the podium with Smirnoff, the flavour from this non-fizzy Tesco brand is equally as enjoyable, but strikes a very different balance. The passion fruit and alcohol flavour were on the weak side compared to some others we tested, so if you prefer your cocktails milder, this one might be up your street.
Price-wise per can it’s just a little above average, but per 100ml it’s spot on the average. You can also buy it as a 2.25 litre party box, which is nine cans-worth of cocktail (58p per 100ml, the equivalent of £1.44 per can).
How Funkin Nitro, Absolut, Shake Baby Shake and other supermarket passionfruit cocktails compare
Scores drop off a bit for rival cans, with weaker flavour being a common criticism. Pricey brand Funking Nitro came in last, but Shake Baby Shake, Absolut and supermarket offerings from Asda and Morrisons still scored relatively well.
Here’s how the rest of the cans measured up:
- Shake Baby Shake Passion Fruit Martini – 67%. This non-fizzy cocktail has a deep colour and smells good but 46% found the alcohol flavour too weak. Price for a single can is average, but buying a four pack will save you 28p per can. £1.65 for a 250ml can (66p per 100ml), 4% ABV. Available from Asda and Sainsbury’s.
- Absolut Passion fruit Martini Cocktail – 66%. One of the pricier cans, Absolut’s offering was a bit light on sweetness and alcohol flavour for some tasters. 52% of the panel said the passion fruit flavour was too weak. The best price we found for it was at Asda. £2 for a 250ml can (80p per 100ml), 5% ABV. Available from Asda, Tesco and Waitrose.
- Asda Passion fruit Martini – 64%. The second cheapest on test, our panel didn’t find its pale colour particularly appealing, but it strikes a fairly happy balance where sweetness is concerned, even if the passion fruit and alcohol flavours are a tad light. You may find it in a multibuy offer which will make it even cheaper per can. £1.20 for a 250ml can (48p per 100ml), 4% ABV. Available from Asda.
- Morrisons Passion Star Martini – 62%. This can is towards the pricier end and while flavour in general is all right, around half of tasters felt it needed more passionfruit flavour. Not everyone was a fan of the aftertaste, with a number of panellists remarking on the bitterness and acidity. £1.95 for a 250ml can (78p per 100ml), 5% ABV. Available from Morrisons.
- Lidl Deluxe Passion Fruit Martini Cocktail – 60%. This cocktail is one of the cheaper ones, but the passion fruit flavour lacks punch. Half of the tasters said it was too weak and eight in ten thought the colour was too pale. £1.29 for a 250ml can (52p per 100ml), 5% ABV. Available only in-store from Lidl.
- M&S Passion Star Martini Cocktail – 59%. The flavour of this passion fruit martini just isn’t as good as those with higher scores. 40% said it’s not sweet enough and some people reported a bitter aftertaste. This cocktail contains more alcohol than others we tested and half of our testers found the alcohol flavour too strong. It’s also the most expensive per can. £2.15 for a 250ml can (86p per 100ml), 8% ABV. Available from Ocado.
- Funkin Nitro Cocktails Passion Fruit Martini – 53%. This non-fizzy cocktail fell flat. Like M&S’ drink, its a step down for flavour. 40% of tasters said the passion fruit flavour was too strong, while more than three quarters found the colour too dark. It’s the most expensive per 100ml, and comes in smaller cans too. It may be available on a multibuy offer, or sold in a four pack for a saving, but you’ll find tastier options elsewhere. £2.00 for a 200ml can (£1.00 per 100ml), 5% ABV. Available from Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
What’s in a passion fruit martini cocktail?
passion fruit martini cocktail
Passion fruit martini cans, based on the popular cocktail bar staple, the ‘Porn Star’ martini, tend to contain a mix of vodka, fruit alcohol, vanilla, sugar syrup and passionfruit juice or flavour. But how much of each ingredient and the amount of sugar contained within is a mystery. This is because alcoholic drinks aren’t required to display nutritional information.
Manufacturers can choose whether or not to provide details, and none did in our test (apart from calorie information on some). However, Action on Sugar’s analysis of pre-mixed drinks revealed that some contain as much as nine teaspoons of sugar per 250ml.
The drinks in our test also contain different volumes of alcohol. Most were 4 to 5% which works out as 1-1.3 units per can. However, M&S Passion Star Martini Cocktail is 8% ABV (2 units), so be aware it’s relatively strong for a small can.
How we tested passion fruit cocktail cans
The cocktails were rated in May 2022 by a large panel of consumers who regularly buy and consume these types of drink.
The make-up of the panel broadly represents the demographic profile of adults in the UK. Each passionfruit martini cocktail was assessed by at least 75 people.
The taste test was blind, so the panellists didn’t know which brand they were trying. Panellists rated the taste, mouthfeel, aroma and appearance of each product and told us what they liked and disliked about each one.
The order they sampled the drinks was fully rotated to avoid any bias. Each panellist had a private booth so they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.
The overall score is based on:
- 50% taste
- 25% aroma
- 15% appearance
- 10% mouthfeel
These weightings are based on consumer rankings of the importance of different passionfruit martini cocktail attributes.
How to recycle cocktail cans
Most drink cans are made from aluminium, others are steel, but all of them can be easily recycled. If you have a metal kerbside collection you can add your cans to it.
You may also have local recycling points for cans, or you can take them to your local household waste recycling centre. Visit your local council website or recyclenow and put in your postcode to find out whether you can recycle cans with your kerbside collection.
Don’t crush your cans. Some recycling technologies rely on the size and shape of recycling to identify what the waste is. If a can still looks like a can it should avoid ending up with non-recyclable waste.
