Each year we await the moment of the sun reemerging over the British Isles. Could it be...is summer really here? We begin to whisper the possibility that it could, indeed, now be Rosé season; cue sunny terraces and lazy afternoons in the sunshine.
And if you’re on the hunt for summer sipping inspiration, that’s not all about the spritzes, have a read on for our top tipples to get you into the summer mood:
For: Pooltime Sipping
So’ Cranberry
Ingredients
1 part Sobieski vodka
2 parts cranberry juice
Squeeze of lime
A few mint leaves
Ice cubes
Method: Add the vodka, cranberry, lime and mint.
Stir and garnish with fresh mint.
For: Days in the Countryside
The Irish Orchard
Ingredients
50ml Bushmills 10 YO Single Malt
75ml Dry apple cider
30ml Soda
25ml Pressed apple juice
Method: Build, top, and add cubed ice. Garnish with a green apple fan and mint.
Serve in a highball glass.
For: Connecting with the Bees
Penrhos Chilli Bee’s Knees
Ingredients
50ml Penrhos Rhubarb
25ml Chilli Honey Syrup (50:50 mix of WilderBee honey & hot water, dissolve and let cool add 1 tsp of chilli flakes to taste)
25ml Orange Juice
Method: Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Shake very well with ice. Strain into a coupe glass for a deliciously honey-infused cocktail.
For: Those Who Prefer Autumn
Orange Old Fashioned
Ingredients
50ml Cutty Sark Classic
10ml The Tea Leaf Co. Blood Orange Tea Syrup (see method)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes orange bitters
1 orange peel to garnish
Method: Fill a mixing glass with ice and add the whisky, Blood Orange Tea syrup and bitters. Stir for 3 minutes. Fill a rocks glass with ice and strain the liquid into the ice-filled glass. Garnish with an orange peel.
To make the syrup: Combine equal parts Blood Orange tea and granulated sugar in a pan, and over heat stir until the sugar dissolves. Put it in the fridge to chill.
For: Cocktail-Loving Cider Drinkers
If you don’t want to open the cocktail shaker, let Pulp do the work for you with their new collection of cocktail-inspired ciders.
From Mango Daiquiri to Cosmopolitan, there’s a whole host of classic cocktail flavours to choose from. Simply pick your favourite and sit back on the picnic blanket in the sunshine.
Available pulp-cider.co.uk, RRP £36.99 12 x 500ml bottles
For: Summertime Moderators
A delicious and refreshing no and low option, Kaytea Organic Cold Brewed Teas are all free from artificial sweeteners and colours. The Sparkling Rosay makes for a particularly delicious alternative to a summertime glass of Rosé.
Subtly fizzy with hints of pink guava, this cold brew tea is perfect for picnic sipping or moderating at a friend’s BBQ.
Available Kaytea.co.uk, RRP £19.99, 12 x cans
[Items in this article may have been gifted to Chatting Food. No financial payment has been made to feature in this article, and entries to the feature are made independently by members of the Editorial Team. This page contains affiliate links and we may receive a small commission for purchases]
Chatting Food contributor: Lucie Rhoades is a freelance food & drink copywriter, with a passion for cocktails. Find her @ScenicSipping.