Eleanor STEAFEL
From NoLo to retro shandy, Eleanor Steafel helps you decide what to serve this weekend
Aperol is out, low-alcohol seltzer is in, and the retro shandy is making a resurgence. It’s all change on the booze front in 2021. If you are still on the Campari and sodas, if your fridge remains stocked with Prosecco, and if you haven’t yet got on the Pet Nat bandwagon, I’m sorry to say your habits may be woefully passé.
Not to worry, there is nothing like a bank holiday for an excuse to overhaul your drinks trolley.
The question is, which drinking tribe do you belong to? You need to decide: are you a NoLo drinker (those who prefer little to no alcohol in their tipple) or are you on the hard liquor, quaffing straight vermouth over ice in the garden? Are you stocking up on natural wine in tactile bottles or grabbing a canned drink straight from the fridge?
To help, here’s how to 2021-proof your bank holiday beverages.
Shandy is back
My grandfather used to buy me a shandy in the pub when I was, let’s say, below legitimate drinking age. He’d have a pint of London Pride, I’d have half a shandy. I still love one now, so I’m thrilled they are having a resurgence this summer as the trend for low alcohol drinking picks up. Supermarket sales of “NoLo” beer, wine and spirits are up by 50 per cent, exceeding £200m over the past year, and largely fuelled by health conscious younger generations.
This month, Sainsbury’s will start selling Oxford-based craft brand Shandy Shack, with cans of elderflower lager top going for £1.80 a pop and promising a “punchy Pilsner lager with a splash of crisp elderflower pressé”. They also do an IPA shandy for those who like a hoppy ale “without the hangover in the morning”.
Order a mixed case of 12, £24.99 from shandyshack.co.uk, or ask your bartender for an old-fashioned lager and lemonade.
Hard seltzer summer
It’s all aboard the moderation movement, with hard seltzers – essentially a can of low calorie, flavoured fizzy water with a dash of distilled vodka or gin – becoming popular. They have been big in
America for a while, but British brands are now jumping on the bandwagon. Whole Foods saw a 150 per cent increase in hard seltzer sales in March 2021 compared to last year, while the market is projected to triple by 2023.
Their popularity is perhaps, in part, down to the trendy ready-to-drink cans they come in. The low-sugar aspect helps, too – non alcoholic alternatives have typically always been packed with sweeteners, whereas hard seltzer is little more than flavoured, mildly boozy fizzy water. No sugar high, very low alcohol content, and a refreshing drink all in one can. What’s not to like?
Order a case of 12 from Herefordshirebased Long Shot Drinks, £28.50 at longshotdrinks.co.uk
Mindful drinking
It sounds like a contradiction in terms, but mindful drinking is one of the latest trends, satisfying those who are committed to staying eco-friendly even when imbibing.
There are a fair few options for sustainability fans. Beefeater gin has just released a bottle made from 100 per cent recycled glass, estimating it will allow them to save 410 tonnes of plastic annually. Brewdog, meanwhile, is attempting to become “carbon negative” and plans to have planted a million trees by 2022. Kent-based Greensand Ridge (purveyors of English gin and brandy) are the UK’s first carbon neutral distillery. Or buy a bottle of Lost Years Rum and make an automatic donation to save up to ten baby sea turtles. If “mindful” means wellness to you, there are options here,
too. Fungtn claims to be the first adaptogenic alcohol-free beer. It’s vegan, gluten free and brewed with medicinal mushrooms which, according to its founder, Zoey Henderson, are known for helping the body “adapt” to psychological stresses and support the immune system. Like the idea of having a few pints that can legitimately claim to be “a natural solution to the daily stresses of modern life”? Sign me up.
Check fungtn.com for your nearest stockist.
The post-Prosecco era
It used to be the summer drink of choice for its fizz and affordability, but French Crémant, Pet Nat and English sparkling wines are beginning to take the place of Prosecco.
Crémant is cheaper than champagne but tends to give you less of a headache than Prosecco. It has soft bubbles, is super refreshing and not too sweet. Pet Nat (short for “pétillant naturel”) is made using a 16th century technique where the wine is bottled before it has finished fermenting, allowing the process to continue inside the bottle. The wine has light bubbles, a funkier taste than champagne, crémant or prosecco and is slightly cloudy.
If you’re splashing out there’s always Nyetimber, the English sparkling wine to rival champagne. Last year, Dorset’s Langham Estate beat the top champagne brands to win Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year. Or you could try Tillingham Wines in East Sussex, with its selection of English fizz and Pet Nat.
Try a Pet Nat or fizzy rosé from Tillingham Wines at tillingham.com
A new Aperol Spritz
In 2019, The New York Times hailed the end of the Irn Bru-coloured cocktail with the headline: “The Aperol Spritz Is Not a Good Drink.”
We had a brief fling with Campari and soda, but its bitter herbal quality isn’t for everyone. Negronis (gin, sweet vermouth, Campari) are still popular. Sherry made a return a couple of years ago, as did port and tonic. But it is dark vermouth that is finally replacing Aperol. It’s mild enough that you could pour it neat over ice with a slice of orange and an olive. You could top it with fizz to make a kind of sbagliato, or mix with tonic for something longer and lighter.