As summer approaches and we hope for warm weather and balmy evenings, we’re all starting to head outside to take advantage of the vitamin D-packed rays. If you’re hosting friends or family in the garden, heading out for a picnic or living it up at a festival, here are a few refreshing summer drinks we think you should share…
AIX 2021 Vintage Rosé
The latest AIX rosé release is a winner for summer. It’s light and fruity, with initial hints of florals on the nose. Once on the palette, the summer fruit flavours of peach and strawberry mingle with subtle sweetness which creates a delightfully crisp mouthful which mellows to a slightly spicy finish.
Available from The Rose Wine Collective
for £16, it’s a refreshing and tasty choice for a hot summer’s day, perfect for everything from aperitifs to fine dining.
Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka
Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka is unlike any vodka I’ve tasted before, and I’ve tasted plenty of vodkas!
It’s made in Yorkshire – despite the name Dutch Barn – from British apples combined with a little of traditional potato spirit, to create a smooth, tasty tipple. It has some great environmental credentials too; Ellers Farm Distillery, which produces Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka, is a carbon-neutral company, while the spirit is bottled in brown bottles made partially from recycled materials. These are sourced in Yorkshire to reduce the carbon footprint of production as much as possible.
Most importantly, the taste is fabulous. As soon as you uncork the wide-necked bottle, the faint aroma of summer orchards wafts up to greet you. Once it’s on the palette, the delicate apple flavour has a smooth buttery flavour, and it ends with a slightly spicy finish with a hint of pepper. Dutch Barn is smooth from start to finish, there isn’t the harsh kick some vodkas have.
Pour it over ice and enjoy, or as part of a cocktail; at around £30 a bottle, it’ll steal the show.
The Butterfly Cannon Blue Tequila
Flavoured tequila is becoming more popular, with many more varieties than ever before. The Butterfly Cannon tequila is a colourful and vibrant offering, which incorporates tropical flavours within a colour-changing liquid.
Once you uncork the distinctive bottle, you’ll be greeted with a citrus aroma. Clementine and prickly pear combine on the palette, and other more tropical fruits become evident too, with banana being a strong flavour at the finish.
If you are a fan of neat tequila this won’t disappoint, but if you prefer a cool, long drink, combine it with a chilled tonic and enjoy a refreshingly different drink. This £31 bottle of tequila is quirky, changing colour from a deep blue to a vibrant pink once ice or tonic is added, giving it an extra element of fun too.
Croft Pink and Tonic
Port is most commonly thought of as an after-dinner drink, dark in colour and strong in flavour. Croft has different ideas.
Croft Pink was the first commercially available rosé Port. Now Croft has added the tonic and created this picnic-ready drink, perfect for summer adventures. Premixed and ready to drink, just chill and you’re good to go.
Croft Pink is a fruity mix, with red berries – predominantly cherries and raspberries – coming to the fore. There is a subtle hint of citrus and just a touch of honeyed sweetness too. It’s not cheap at £2.25 a can, but drink it chilled straight from the can, or as a refreshing long drink over ice, and you’ll enjoy it.
Taylor’s Chip Dry and Tonic
Chip Dry White Port was first blended in 1934, and works well in cocktails as well as mixed with tonic and served over ice. Unlike a tawny Port, Chip Dry White Port is citrus rich, with a touch of mint to create a fresh, bright flavour.
Taylor’s has added the tonic to create £2.50 cans of Chip Dry and Tonic, combining all the flavours beautifully, creating a lightly sparkling, refreshing drink – a perfect introduction to port and an easy and tasty addition to any picnic this summer.
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