Once the sun comes out our drinking habits change as we look for lighter, more refreshing drinks. A home-made wine spritzer is very easy to make and can taste great. You could experiment by adding mint, sliced strawberries, raspberries and other summer fruits. Here are a few other ideas for summer drinks, including an alcohol-free options, and tips for making that classic Spanish summer drink, sangria.
If you prefer beer, Hope Beer has just released its 2022 summer seasonal beer. An American Pale Ale with good juicy citrus, it will be perfect on those sunny days to come. Alternatively, the Wicklow Wolf Eden Session IPA is low in alcohol (3.8 per cent) but big on flavour; peaches, nectarines and pineapple with a nice bitter twang. Yellowbelly Citra Pale Ale is another great summer beer, light and crisp with abundant citrus and hints of pine.
Cider sales rocket in warm weather, and we have plenty of Irish craft ciders to keep us refreshed. Look out for Stonewell, Craigie’s, Highbank, Dan Kelly’s, Killahora, Mac Ivors and others, as well as the light thirst-quenching Ciderkin from The Cider Mill in Slane. Remember that craft cider goes really well with all sorts of food, including barbecued pork, sausages, plates of cold meat and cheese.
I find the best alcohol-free wines are the sparkling versions. O’Briens has the floral refreshing l’Arjolle Zéro Sparkling (€9.95) or you could try the Le Petit Étoilé Sparkling Chardonnay (€9.95, Barnhill Stores; Dunnes Stores; Nolan’s Supermarket; Grapevine, Dalkey; SuperValu; Dollard & Co.). It is an attractive summer drink with floral aromas and fresh succulent peach fruits. The perfect alcohol-free alternative to Prosecco.
SUMMER COCKTAILS
Are you a sangria fan? For some it brings back bad memories of drinking too much of those cheap, sweet ready-made versions in the hot Spanish sun. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Made with fresh ingredients, sangria can be a lowish alcohol refreshing summer drink.
A traditional drink in Spain, Portugal and Central America for over a century, sangria is usually flavoured with a combination of fruit and herbs. The basic ingredients are wine, a spirit of some kind, a sweetener, fruit and fruit juice, lots of ice and sometimes sparkling water.
The wine: Traditional sangria is made with red wine (sangre being Spanish for blood) but these days, people also make it with white, rosé or sparkling wine. Don’t use your finest wine, but don’t go too cheap either. A medium-bodied fruity red wine without too much tannin such as a Tempranillo, Garnacha, unoaked Rioja works best.
The fruit and fruit juice: The classic version uses orange juice and copious slices of apple and orange, but feel free to add everything from strawberries, grapes, cherries, peaches, pineapples, pears, lemon, lime and any fruit juice you fancy. In general stone fruits, apples and pears complement white wine sangria, while red fruits are best with red wine versions.
The spirit: Traditionally this would be Spanish brandy, but you could use whiskey, vodka, gin or triple sec.
The sweetener: Brown or cane sugar, or a sugar syrup to add sweetness. Syrup is easier to dissolve.
Ice: Lots of it.
Sparkling/soda water: A sangria should be fresh and fruity and not too alcoholic. If you have added lots of fruit juice and ice you may not need sparkling water. Taste and decide, but on a hot sunny day you want it to be a light and refreshing cocktail that you can drink in quantity.
Classic Sangria
1 bottle fruity red wine
50ml brandy
Three oranges, one cut into slices.
A few handfuls of strawberries, cherries, raspberries or other red fruit
Sugar or sugar syrup to taste.
Method
Squeeze juice from two oranges, mix with wine and brandy. Sweeten to taste, add plenty of ice, and if you want a low alcohol version, add sparkling water. Then add plenty of fruit and ice, stir and serve.
You could try a white sangria, substituting a white wine for red (a Spanish Verdejo works well), using vodka instead of brandy and adding lemon, lime, apples, and halved white grapes. Even better go for a sparkling sangria with a bottle of prosecco or other inexpensive sparkling wine.
Alcohol-free Pomegranate Highball
100ml Silk Tree, Seedlip Garden, Ceder’s or other alcohol-free juniper-based drink
500ml pomegranate juice
500ml sparkling apple juice
A bunch of fresh mint leaves, plus a few sprigs
Three limes, two quartered the other sliced for a garnish.
Plenty of ice.
Method
Place mint leaves (reserving a few sprigs for garnish) and quartered lime in a bowl and bash with a rolling pin to release flavours. Strain into a jug with Silk Tree, apple and pomegranate juice. Add plenty of ice, slices of lime and sprigs of fresh mint.
