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No one wants to make complicated cocktails in summer when the temperature breaks high digits, not even bartenders. <\/p>\n
In these moments, drinking professionals rely on bottles that taste good and that you can sip neat, on ice, or in a basic highball. <\/p>\n
Since our past two summers were blighted by the pandemic \u2013 braais limited to your nearest and dearest, holiday bookings put on hold just in case the beaches were once more named no-go zones \u2013 South Africans are definitely in a celebratory mood this year. <\/p>\n
With that in mind, we spoke to drinks expert Rowan Leibbrandt, the founding partner of Truman & Orange, a premium drinks company, to share his top picks for summer sipping.<\/p>\n Dunville\u2019s Irish Whiskey<\/strong><\/p>\n We have seen the rise and rise of gin, then rum \u2013 and maybe it\u2019s now whisky\u2019s turn for some time in the sun. All of a sudden the whisky aisle seems to be the most interesting place in a liquor store again. <\/p>\n If you find yourself nodding while reading this, then my pick of the day is a wonderful find called Dunville\u2019s Whiskey (note the \u2018\u2019e\u2019\u2019\u2026 it\u2019s an Irish). It\u2019s not just the flavour of this whiskey that people love: this is a brand that has a rich and inspiring story behind it, the kind that every bartender loves to serve up along with the drinks. <\/p>\n Dunville\u2019s was once one of Ireland\u2019s most well-known whiskies, loved from the time of its establishment in 1808 until the 1900s when US prohibition cut off Northern Ireland\u2019s biggest market. Then came Irish independence, and another market was lost when the British stopped exports to their empire, and this venerable old distillery went out of business. <\/p>\n Fast-forward about 80 years to the 1990s, when an intrepid family started buying rare vintage Dunville\u2019s bottles from auctions, rebuilt the distillery, and painstakingly recreated the range of whiskies to allow us to enjoy the brand just as it was over 200 years ago. If that doesn\u2019t make you want to try their delicious range of smoky-sweet blends and single malts, then I don\u2019t know what will.<\/p>\n Shanky\u2019s Whip<\/strong><\/p>\n Next on the list of \u201cinteresting stuff to come out of Ireland\u201d has to be Shanky\u2019s Whip. This speaks to the home bar experimentation that started during the pandemic, when most of us, limited to what was already stocked inside our cabinets, developed a taste for the novel. <\/p>\n Alcohol bans may have lifted, but the appetite for the unusual has stayed, and brands such as Shanky\u2019s Whip are very much bang on trend. <\/p>\n Packaged in an eye-catching vintage-style bottle inspired by a retro matchbox design, the drink is based on the car bomb, a classic Irish drink comprising a shot of Irish whiskey dropped into a pint of Guinness. Just like the cocktail, this whiskey liqueur boasts a uniquely rich, creamy flavour \u2013 delicious, and totally unique.<\/p>\n Thames Bank Gin<\/strong><\/p>\n And then there is gin! The two lost summers haven\u2019t been kind to gin distillers, but as things get warmer, we\u2019re seeing \u201cSaffers\u201d warm to gin and tonic again. <\/p>\n I think we all got a little tired of fynbos, rooibos and the every-varying array of random garnishes and were anticipating folks moving back to classic gin this summer. Once owned by Octavius Smith, a name right out of Dickens, the Thames Bank Distillery was located on the banks of London\u2019s river, in what is now known as Chelsea. <\/p>\n Back in 1797, when it was built, it was the largest distillery in London, and while it no longer exists, the gin which today continues Octavius\u2019s proud heritage is distilled 3km from that original site. This is a real old-school gun, bursting with chunky juniper flavour \u2013 a must if you\u2019re serious about this spirit.<\/p>\n Starlino<\/strong><\/p>\n And finally, on the far another side of the spectrum, you might be one of those drinkers driving the ongoing momentum in the low alcohol space. <\/p>\n Again, this is a (very civilised) movement that kicked off in earnest during our alcohol bans but has continued thanks to the ongoing emphasis on health and well-being. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re watching your alcohol intake, you will definitely be interested in the new accent on aperitivos, low or even no-alcohol drinks traditionally intended as a beverage \u201cappetiser\u201d \u2013 light, dry and refreshing. Starlino, a range of Italian aperitivos, embodies this drinking style: low in alcohol, it can be enjoyed neat, with a mixer like prosecco or tonic, or even in a tall glass with sparkling water. <\/p>\n What\u2019s more, the beautiful bottle makes a decorative addition to any lunch table, and it works perfectly with whatever you\u2019re serving \u2013 although, if you\u2019re hoping to keep with tradition, pasta would be a perfect choice.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever you serve this summer, don\u2019t be afraid to experiment \u2013 after all, half the fun in breaking open that bottle is discovering what new and fresh tastes there are to be enjoyed,\u201d said Leibbrandt.<\/p>\n