Today, the second season of the hit British comedy Fleabag arrives on Amazon Prime Video in U.S. In addition to introducing us to a hot priest with unclear intentions, the show's return also brings with it a new drink obsession, the canned gin and tonic.
Early in season 2, canned G&Ts from Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain, become a uniting feature of Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and The Priest's (Andrew Scott) ill-advised relationship. In fact, the 90-second trailer for season two shows the two enjoying cans of the "proper drink," as they call it, not once but twice, which just goes to show what a prominent role the canned cocktail plays in this season of the show.
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Back in April, when Fleabag returned in the U.K., Marks & Spencer revealed to RadioTimes.com that in the week following the premiere of episode 2, the retail chain had seen a 24% rise in the sales of its canned G&Ts. It is in this episode that hot priest first offers Fleabag a can of the cocktail inside his church. With season 2 becoming available today, we can't help but wonder if it will have the same effect on American drinkers.
While Marks & Spencer canned gin and tonics are not available in the United States, there are a number of other brands offering their own versions of the canned cocktail. Boulevard Beverage Co. recently introduced Fling Craft Cocktails, and included in this canned cocktail line is a Cucumber Lime Gin and Tonic made with Builders Botanical Gin. San Diego-based Cutwater Spirits, too, offers a canned Gin & Tonic made with the brand's Old Grove Gin and house-made grapefruit cucumber tonic.
Over the past few summers, the popularity of canned wine and spiked seltzer has been steadily increasing thanks to their value, quality, and convenience. Those factors combined with this extra push from Fleabag, could mean canned gin & tonics are destined to be 2019's drink of the summer, which is great because there just so happens to be an opening.