The weather’s dramatically changed, there’s a curfew in place for restaurants and bars, and we’ve all got our heating on now. Welcome to cosy season! As we bid farewell to the strangest summer in our lifetime, we say hello to autumn. The clocks will change this month meaning less daylight and more time indoors. As we get ready for winter, I’ve looked at all things drinks-related to find out what you should be ordering for your nights in.

Tempus Two

Tempus Two is a cutting-edge brand that does things a little differently, designing distinctively bold, elegant wines with an edgy attitude. This luxury, award-winning Australian wine brand has added its iconic Copper series to its distinctively bold wines portfolio in the UK.

With grapes sourced from two of Australia’s great Chardonnay producing regions, Hunter Valley and Tumbarumba, the Copper Wilde Chardonnay will be the first varietal from the range.

The wine is refreshing yet full bodied, with a subtle oak spice that complements the white peach and melon characters. A perfectly palatable balance to welcome autumnal spices with hints of winter fruits. There are subtle hints of pineapple and ripe red apple skin as well, which lift the intensity of the wine.

This is a wine that tastes as good as it looks. Available now in Sainsbury’s, RRP £15. For more information visit www.tempustwo.com.au

Brookie’s Gin

Another drink from Down Under, this time from the spectacular confines of the Byron Bay Region. Brookie’s Dry and Slow Gin comes from Cape Byron Distillery, which lies on the Brook family farm. Over the last 30 years they’ve made it their ambition to focus on sustainability, give back to the community and put time into regenerating the local rainforest.

The flavour notes that underpin Brookie’s Gin and make it a uniquely ‘natural’ gin are derived from ingredients and botanicals that are natively sourced from the harvest of said rainforest.

Of the 25 botanicals that go into the making of the Dry Gin, 18 are native to the Byron Bay
Region. These botanicals include Byron Sunrise Finger Limes, Aniseed Myrtle, Cinnamon
Myrtle, Macadamia, Native River Mint, Native Raspberry and several others.

Brookie’s Byron Slow Gin draws its influence from the traditional English ‘sloe’ gin style,
substituting sloe berries for a unique rainforest fruit, the Davidson Plum. Davidson Plums are steeped in Brookie’s Dry Gin and macerated over 6 months. They are further blended with Mount Warning Spring water and bottled at 26% ABV. No wonder they’ve won back-to-back gold at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition in 2017 and 2018!

Available to buy at Master of Malt for £39.95. For more information visit www.capebyrondistillery.com

Redbreast Lustau

This unique collaboration between the Bodegas Lustau and the Midleton Distillery creates the ultimate sherried style whiskey, with Spanish Oak seeping into the assorted sweet and spice flavour. On the nose you’ll get a rich infusion of dark fruits, prunes, dates and figs with liquorice, marzipan, toasted oak and aromatic spices.

And for the taste? Silky smooth, assertive spices balanced with the richness of the sherry finish and the contribution of fresh Spanish Oak. Makes you all warm and fuzzy just reading that, doesn’t it?

Redbreast is the largest selling Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey in the world and is considered the definitive expression of the traditional Irish spirit. The first official reference to the brand name ‘Redbreast’ appeared in August 1912, with the name ‘Redbreast’ referring to the bird, Robin Redbreast.

Also available in the Redbreast range: Redbreast 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old, 21 Year Old and the 27 Year Old.

Redbreast Lustau is available for £57.50. For more information visit www.redbreastwhiskey.com/en-EN/the-range/redbreast-lustau-whiskey

Hiver Beer

Hiver was born out of an admiration for London’s urban beekeepers and a passion for craft beer. They only use British ingredients and suppliers, and ferment with raw honeys to produce their range, which offers a great interpretation of this fantastic beer style that’s perfect for autumn/winter nights in.

Brewed with the finest British honey from urban and rural beehives, Hiver delivers an incredibly fresh, smooth and easy drinking beer.

The award-winning Honey Blonde Beer is the company’s original honey beer, using three raw honeys: Kent Apple Blossom, Kennington Urban and Yorkshire Heather. The medium bodied beer features a low bitterness and a hint of citrus, while the honey creates a moreish, clean and refreshing finish.

Beer derives all of its colour from the malted barley base and in the Hiver Honey Ale, their darker roasted malts produce a copper coloured beer with a rich, chocolatey nose. The Admiral and Bramling Cross hops support the fruitiness of the raw Warwickshire blossom honey and offer a delicate but lingering bitter finish.

Punchy

Fancy a night off from the booze? Look no further. Punchy is revolutionising the way people drink thanks to their natural fruit punches that are packed full of bold flavours such as juicy peach, spicy ginger and fragrant chai, a refreshing cucumber with zingy yuzu and a hint of rosemary as well as zesty blood orange, aromatic bitters and floral cardamom.

In a world of sugary, eco-unfriendly, artificial, and unadventurous drinks, Punchy have seized the opportunity to deliver something better. Each drink is vegan, gluten-free, low in sugar and low in calories without any preservatives or artificial sweeteners. With a promise never to cut corners, Punchy use the best ingredients – products are 100% plastic-free, recyclable and 1% of sales go to charities dedicated to protecting our environment.

These soft drink versions of Punchy’s alcoholic punches can be consumed as-is but also used as mixers as the mature flavours are perfectly balanced to be combined with your favourite spirit. Traditional mixers either lack flavour or are high in sugar, but with Punchy softs, the drinks are both delicious and better for you. By adding a dash of alcohol such as gin, rum or whisky, you’ll be able to easily create cocktails in the comfort of your home.