7* Life’s Guide to Summer: What to drink & what to wear

We had a mini heatwave scorching us recently to really warm us up for the summer ahead and now after some torrential downpours the sun’s flirting with the idea of returning. So, as we prepare for the greatest summer weather the UK’s ever seen (here’s to hoping), we’ve put together a little guide on everything you’ll need to make sure it’s one to really remember.

What to Drink at Home (Alcohol)

Portugal may have been removed from the UK’s green list but thanks to Churchill’s you’ll still be able to get a taste of Porto at home. White Port and Tonic is the tipple in question. Churchill’s Dry White Port is the deliciously different apéritif to be enjoyed any time of day. Combined with ice cold tonic, it makes for the perfect summer cocktail.

Churchill’s signature white port and tonic is served simply with an orange peel twist, so that the aged port shines, transporting drinkers to the scented orange groves at Churchill’s home in the Douro valley. With a fresh new gifting tube covered in graffiti illustration, the limited-edition pack captures summer scenes of barbeques and picnics in parks, beaches and vineyard holidays. Complete with a recipe booklet for making the perfect white port and tonic, it is an invitation to enjoy these summer moments wherever you are.

Churchill’s Dry White Port is available from Bar Douro Bottle Shop and Harvey Nichols priced £21.50 per bottle. While you’re shopping at Bar Douro, we’d recommend ordering in some mouthwatering snacks to accompany your new favourite cocktail at home. Some salted almonds, cured ham, cheese and pastéis de nata – the traditional Portuguese egg custard tart – will be perfect matches.

What to Drink at Home (Non-Alcohol)

Distilled and bottled in the UK, STRYKK is a London based non-alcoholic spirits brand featuring an impressive range of the highest quality alternative-alcohol options. STRYKK was the first brand to mimic the mainstream spirits and was meticulously developed for over two years in collaboration with top bartenders. The expert STRYKK team carefully reconstructed flavours of spiced rum, London dry gin and traditional vodka and created NOT G*N, NOT R*M and NOT VODKA, providing the best non-alcohol alternative without missing out on any of the flavour or notes and aromas.

The carefully crafted STRYKK distillation process is 100% natural with no sugar, no fat, no carbs and no artificial flavouring, yet fueled with the unmissable vibrant and exciting taste you would expect from your traditional boozy drink of choice, making the switch from your favorite spirit to alcohol-free an easy one.

Available at STRYKK.com for £18.99.

Eceaux, a pioneering, non-alcoholic drinks brand, produces ‘Loqueurs’: the boldest and most intense tasting non-alcoholic spirits on the market today, that use the power of botanical nervines and adaptogens to deliver the relaxing and stimulating power of alcohol, without the side effects.

There are two Eceaux ‘Loqueurs’ in the range: 

  • The invigorating Vitalité, a non-alcoholic spirit of Joie de Vivre, that delivers all the energy of a Parisienne evening full of promise
  • The relaxing Tranquilité, the perfect way to SLEAUX down, ponder life and watch the world go by

RRP: £34.99 per 70cl bottle at www.eceauxdrinks.com and Amazon.

Where to go out for Drinks in London

A number of bars across the city will be celebrating with Nuet cocktails for midsummer tomorrow – Thursday 24th June. Offering unrivalled views of the London skyline, from the 28th floor of London Hilton Park Lane, 10 Degrees Bar will be running a Nuet cocktail special launching on midsummer 24th June and available until 1st July.

Ekte Nordict Kitchen will be taking over the Bloomberg Arcade Saturday 26th June for a celebratory midsummer lunch, featuring complimentary Nuet shots on arrival & Nuet’s signature serve The Nuet Spritz alongside Smörgåsbord galore.

Meanwhile over in East London, award-winning cocktail bar Callooh Callay in Shoreditch will launch a Nuet cocktail on midsommar 24th June, their take on a milk punch (Nuet, milk, bourbon) – available until the end of June.

If you’re not able to make midsummer, the following bars and restaurants now have Nuet Dry Aquavit permanently on menus: Try the Nuet Aha Spritz at Ollie Dabbous’ Hide bar in Mayfair, made with a refreshing mix of Nuet, pear and sparkling wine. Meanwhile you can head over to Heads & Tails cocktail bar in Hampstead, who have created Son of A Birch – a citrusy, earthy cocktail fusing Nuet, bergamot liquor and their own homemade birch cordial. For another Nuet special, head south to Brixton where The Shrub & Shutter have created Pining For The Fjords – Nuet, pineapple vermouth, Ferdinand’s Verjus, citrus oils, Douglas fir.

What to wear

Game Advance Luxe – An amped-up take on the stylish court sneaker, the new Game Advance Luxe twins heritage-informed details with a contemporary, streetwear-inspired flair. Leather and suede uppers sit on sculpted outsoles and showcase a creative multi-layered execution for a structured look that plays with the dynamics of textural contrast.

Available now at Hanon-shop.com, RRP £100.

Gripshot – Lacoste‘s latest style, the Gripshot, is something of an homage, inspired by those elegant tennis styles of yesteryear whilst offering something new. It retains that low profile court styling but keeps things current with a minimal natural-looking upper, a midsole unit featuring a herringbone pattern and a toe cap for added court styling points. A lightweight shoe primed for the Spring-Summer season.

Available now at Hanon-shop.com, RRP £80.