Go Easy: A Guide for the Light Drinker

You can line up a whole host of reasons as to why you should want to go the low-ABV way for a change. You might want a break from binge drinking over a fairly long period, or you might just want to be able to sustain your drinking over a longer course, and maybe even continue to drink the entire day without reaching the threshold. In which case, low-ABV cocktails are just what you need. Let’s discuss some low-alcohol-content cocktails so that you can drink all day long, although you are going to have to pace yourself! So here you go, all you lovely day-drinkers.

Breakfast in Bed Cocktail: This is basically a refreshing vermouth based drink with a dash of marmalade and orange peel, and some fresh lemon juice too – the perfect start to your typical low-ABV day. It is best served with double rocks for brunch, and a mint bouquet garnish, though a sprig of mint will do just as well to top it off.

Rosé Spritzer Cocktail : Put a few lemon slices, bitters, and St-Germain’s elderflower liqueur in a glass of rocks, top off with rosé, and you’re good to go. This being very much an afternoon aperitif, have one just before lunch, or even a couple later on, if that’s what you like best.

Rosé Negroni Cocktail: You can make this low-ABV cocktail with both still rosé and sparkling rosé and Campari and about a couple dashes of grapefruit bitters. Step aside gin, for a moment, now that this beauty is here this summer.

Vermouth Suppressor Cocktail: This one’s for when you’re a tad tired of every cocktail packing a punch, and you sort of want to avoid getting punched in the face and would rather just let it be mellow through the rest of the evening. You need to get an ounce and a half of vermouth (Miro Spanish Vermut Rojo, preferably), three quarters of an ounce of amontillado, ¾ ounce of coffee liqueur, and two dashes of orange bitters. Build it over ice in a Collins glass, and top it off with tonic and stir it quickly. A twist of lemon and a cardamom leaf will do nicely for the garnish. You can even make enough to serve a few more people comfortably, and store it in a lovely clear glass jar to go around.

Strawberry-Rosé Spritzer Cocktail Cocktail: This is a delicious low alcohol drink, and so, it must be shared with family and friends to make the most of it. Have a pint of hulled and sliced strawberries at hand, a 750 ml bottle of your favourite rosé wine, two cups of soda water, a third of a cup of Aperol, and two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Mix it all in a pitcher for eight servings at a time and garnish with a lime or a lemon twist and maybe some extra strawberries. I can picture you quite clearly, enjoying this delightful spritzer in the garden with the people you love, with the slanting rays of mellow sunshine all around. Cheers to that.

Sparkling Tarragon Gin Lemonade Cocktail: Tarragon adds a delicious flavour, but basil is a great substitute too, and works just fine. For six servings, use ten large sprigs of tarragon. You would also need two finely sliced lemons, two tablespoons of sugar, three quarters of a cup of Seagram’s gin (preferably), three quarters of a cup of St-Germain’s elderflower liqueur and lemon juice and soda. Muddle them altogether and serve in a large punch bowl or in any other container that you fancy.

These are some wonderful options for when you don’t want to get too boozy on a holiday and you’d rather stay hydrated and but keep sipping on something heavenly all day anyway. You can also start inventing your own cocktail recipes as soon as you’ve explored around enough and get used to drinking light but fancy.

Famous Bartenders and their Famous Cocktails

Some like serving it neat, while others recommend ‘on the rocks’. And there is a group who would swear by the ‘body’ and ‘flavour’ that a splash of water brings out. Bartenders across the world are divided on their approach to serving whisky.

Wonder from the Dark Hills: Tamdhu Distillery

The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens, and far away in Speyside, Scotland in the same year, the Tamdhu distillery was founded. The people who founded Tamdhu were a group of assemblers headed by William Grant, a board member of the Elgin bank, who wanted to distil their own whisky. Tamdhu, like Knockando, is another railway distillery which has quietly provided blend fillings ever since its inception in the late nineteenth century. The architect was Charles Doig, a famous designer of distilleries. This made Tamdhu “the most efficient and designed distillery of its era” as per Alfred Barnard in 1898. In Gaelic, “Tamdhu” means .

Tryst with the Red Carpet: 'Whiskying' with Celebs

As the shadow of late capitalism continues to blanket this century, the drink of the gods too has made its debut on the red carpet. Welcome to the age of celebrity whisky endorsements. It’s not just about whisky anymore. Whisky has caught the millennial’s fancy, courtesy a host of TV shows from Breaking Bad to Mad Men and Parks ‘n Recreation. The amber spirit has gained cult status.