From Solo-spiked wine to lemony beer shandies, mixing soft drink into your booze is no longer a party faux pas – it’s the drinks trend making a comeback.
Wine and beer aficionados often bristle at the idea of adulterating their chosen drink. The focus for such people is to serve it straight because the elite notion of the beverage demands focus and reverence, rather than inviting in something foreign that will diminish the experience. It’s often a knee-jerk of elitism that denies pleasure to a broader community.
That the alteration may just be something that gives visceral pleasure, a sense of fun and an opportunity to experiment is often lost in snobbery. Hang the spritzes, mimosas, kir royales, micheladas, shandies and bellinis – the posh amongst us ignore this evidence. They want it straight up, and trade off for lavish sniffs and swirls in fancy glasses, without the so-called ‘bastardisation’.
Sorry, but there’s a rising tide out there that’s seeing a burgeoning community of wine and beer lovers tampering with their varied drinks of choice. That there are existing, well-known exemptions to the exclusiveness is part of the groundswell of those seeking diversity in drinking. From this, we see a wealth of experimentation, leading to exciting choices that are informing everything from upmarket cocktail bars through to backyard barbecues.
Spain and various South American countries have long known that a mix of red wine and cola is a good way to kick off a session. The ruddiness of the red wine is brightened by cola, plus it gets a spicy, savoury edge that makes this drink a bit more interesting. When I’m on a plane, and the wine offering is a little lacklustre, it’s a useful way to brighten up the doldrums of long-haul travel.
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Those familiar with Portugal and its varied drinks landscape would have come across a drink called porto tonico. It’s a heady blend of white port and tonic water that results in a simple cocktail that balances vivacious sweetness with the piquant bite of pleasing bitterness. It’s a gulpable summery potion that feels apt for poolside drinking.
In Germany, there’s a similar tradition, but with beer as the base. The radler is a drink that marries lager or wheat beer with lemonade; a thirst-quenching, ultra-drinkable summer staple. Of course, radlers are kin to the shandy, a classic English pub drink. For those looking to up their radler game, Germany also offers up the bananenweizen, which sees wheat beer dosed up with banana juice to make a similarly fun, warm-weather session beverage.
Perhaps my favourite new take on hybrid drinks is the quirky American take on an Aperol spritz. Known as the Spaghett, this is a blend of lager with Aperol, served over ice and spiked with a squeeze of lime. It’s a good-times combo of tangy, refreshing and cooling, with a marriage of citrussy sweetness and malty bitterness. Ditch the prosecco and away you go with your new drink of summer.
With warmer days, longer nights and more people seeking lighter options in their drinking repertoires, the addition of soft drinks to beer or wine brings down the higher-octane cocktail equivalents and stretches out the base alcohol. Curiosity and liberation are driving forces in modern drinking, alongside a sense of moderation, so ditching the rules, sometimes, is the order of the day.
Here are three more to try…
Tinto de Verano – A super uplifting, chuggable party cocktail that can be made by the glass, or by the punch bowl. Blend over ice equal parts soft, dry red wine and lemon soft drink (try Solo!) and garnish with an orange wedge. Fun times.
Stout Fellow – You like espresso martinis? Well, here’s the one that uses stout beer. Blend 60ml of stout with 30ml of dark rum and coffee liqueur and add a splash (5ml) of creme de cacao. Shake over ice and serve in a martini glass. Let them shake their heads.
RSL Tom Collins – A favourite, old timey drink at RSLs around the nation (maybe). This is a fuller flavoured yet revitalising drink that marries half a serve of buttery chardonnay with the balance in Pub Squash, served over ice in a middy beer glass. A dash of bitters goes okay, too.
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