How to Save Money on Summer Drinks - Cocktails and Pints for Half the Price

Summer in the UK means one thing: sitting outside with a cold drink. Whether it is a pint in the beer garden, a G&T on the patio, or cocktails with mates, the warm weather turns us all into thirsty people. The problem? A round of drinks these days can easily cost £30+. But you do not have to give up your summer tipples to save money. Here is how to cut your drinks bill in half without giving up the fun.

Summer cocktails — Make cocktails at home for a fraction of pub prices

Supermarket Booze Deals – Know When to Stock Up

The big supermarkets fight hard for your alcohol spend, and that means proper deals if you know when to look.

Best Times to Buy

Bank Holiday weekends: Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda all run “3 for £20” or “3 for £22” deals on wine and spirits around bank holidays. Stock up then.
Midsummer offers: Look out for summer-specific promotions in June and July. Aldi and Lidl often have seasonal spirits (think flavoured gins and rum) for £12-15 that would cost £25+ branded.
Yellow sticker alcohol: Yes, it exists. M&S and Co-op reduce wines and beers near closing time. Check our yellow sticker guide for timing tips that work for alcohol too.

The Aldi and Lidl Trick

If you have not tried Aldi or Lidl spirits, you are missing a trick. Their gin costs around £12-14 and wins blind taste tests against brands costing £25+. Their prosecco at £5.99 is genuinely good. You can stock an entire home bar for what you would spend on two bottles from the big brands.

Happy Hour and Deals at the Pub

You do not have to skip the pub entirely. You just need to be smart about when you go.

Wetherspoons: Still the king of cheap pints. A pint of Ruddles is around £1.69 and their cocktail pitchers are £6-8. Not glamorous, but effective.
Happy hours: Most chain pubs (Greene King, Stonegate, Chef & Brewer) run 2-for-1 or 50% off food and drink offers midweek. Check their apps before you go.
Apps worth having: Download the DMR (Drink Mail Rewards) app for Wetherspoons deals, and the Greene King app for their seasonal offers. Both are free and often give you a free drink just for signing up.
Student discounts: If you have a valid student card, many pubs offer 10-15% off. UNiDAYS and Student Beans list current drinks offers.

Beer garden — Timing your pub visit right can save you £10+ a round

DIY Cocktails That Cost Under £2 Each

Pub cocktails cost £9-14 each. Making them at home costs £1-2 per drink. Here are three that taste brilliant and cost almost nothing:

1. Summer Gin and Tonic (70p per glass)

Aldi Specially Selected gin (£12.99 for 70cl = £1.85 per 10ml measure) – or their £12.99 Greyson’s gin which is superb
Own-brand tonic water (£1.20 for 6 cans from Aldi/Lidl = 20p per can)
Slice of lemon or cucumber (a few pence)
Total: roughly 70p per G&T versus £6-9 at the pub

2. Pimm’s Alternative (£1.20 per glass)

Aldi’s Austin’s (their Pimm’s equivalent) costs £6.99 vs Pimm’s at £14-16
Mix with cheap lemonade (35p per 2L bottle)
Add cucumber, orange, mint and strawberries from Aldi
Total: about £1.20 per glass versus £8-10 at the pub

3. Aperol Spritz (£1.50 per glass)

Aldi’s Aperini (Aperol alternative) is £7.99 vs Aperol at £14-17
Prosecco: Aldi’s Valdobbiadene at £6.99 is superb
Soda water: 30p per can
Total: roughly £1.50 per glass versus £10-12 at the pub

How to Save Money on Beer and Pints

If pints are more your thing, there are still plenty of ways to pay less.

Cans vs pints: A 4-pack of decent lager from Aldi (£3.99) works out at about £1 per pint equivalent. A pint in the pub is £4.50-6.00. That is a 4-5x markup.
Cask ale at the pub: Real ale is often the cheapest pint on the bar. £3-4 for a well-kept pint of local bitter versus £5+ for lager.
Brewery shops: Many local breweries sell direct at near-trade prices. Find your nearest at freebies.co.uk deals and you could save 30-40% on craft beer.
Beer subscriptions: Beer52 and similar clubs offer your first box for £1-2 (usually 8-10 beers). Just remember to cancel before the full-price box arrives.

Wine Without the Markup

Restaurant wine markups are eye-watering. A £6 bottle of supermarket wine becomes £25+ on a restaurant list. Here is how to drink well for less:

Aldi and Lidl wine awards: Both supermarkets enter (and win) international wine competitions. Their £5-7 bottles regularly beat £15+ brands in blind tastings.
Box wine: A 3L box of decent wine (£12-15) works out at about £3 per 750ml equivalent. Great for summer parties and it stays fresh for weeks.
BYO restaurants: Many independent restaurants let you bring your own wine for a small corkage fee (£2-5). Compare that to a £28 house wine and you are laughing.

The Bottom Line

You do not need to give up drinking to save money this summer. Switch to Aldi or Lidl for your at-home supplies, time your pub visits for happy hours, and try making cocktails at home instead of paying £10+ a pop. A typical household that spends £40 a week on summer drinks could easily cut that to £20 or less. Over a 12-week summer, that is a saving of £240+.

For more ways to cut your everyday costs, check out our guide to saving £1,000 a year without trying and browse the latest deals on freebies.co.uk.