6 Marvellously Modern, New Beers

Words by Helena Nicklin

To celebrate International Beer & Pizza Day on the 9th October (yes, it is a thing!) we’ve rounded up some delicious new beers with great stories to tell.

Hiver Honey Blonde Beer - 4.5% abv

Inspired by founder and superwoman Hannah Rhodes’ admiration for London’s beekeepers, this easy-drinking, refreshing British blonde beer is brewed using three types of honey and unpasteurised to maintain its elegant, floral notes and subtle hints of heather, honey and baking bread. It’s silky smooth and flavoursome without being too sweet or bitter; the perfect all-rounder beer that’s easy to love and quite possibly a game-changer for those who might more usually reach for a white wine. Also try their Hiver Honey Ale: a more hoppy, brown ale with a tasty roasted malt flavour. 10% of all profits got to pollinator charities and urban space projects too! 

Find them at Waitrose for £2.50 or hiverbeers.com

Crumbs Bloomin’ Amber - 4.8% abv

Crumbs is brewing with a big heart, using leftover artisan bread from their friends at the Chalk Hills Bakery in Reigate. They currently produce four very different beers, each based on the three styles of bread they are passed and one with coffee grains too. We love the Bloomin’ Amber, a light beer based on a vienna style but with an extra kick from ale yeast. Also try their Sourdough Pale, which is light and hoppy and their Rye coffee porter for something dark and brooding with powerful notes of mocha. 

Find them at Waitrose for £2.65 or Crumbsbrewing.co.uk

Fabal Lager - 4% abv

Another brilliant, British beer, named in homage to generations of craftspeople, or ‘fabals’, from the people who brought us Hiver above. This is a fantastic, premium lager that’s crisp and dry with a delicate fruitiness to the malt and fine bubbles, which make it reminiscent of sparkling wine. In a UK first, some of Fabal’s barely has been steamed and rolled rather than roasted, which helps keep its refreshing style. There’s something old school and wholesome about it. Highly recommended. Vegan. 

Find it at hiverbeers.com for £2.50

Bellfield Craft Lager - 5.2% abv

Bellfield is a small, independent brewery in Edinburgh who quite simply, want to ‘make beer that everyone will enjoy’. Their craft lager, made with both home grown and imported hops, has  a little more weight than some of their others, with a comforting weight and texture and flavours of crushed malted milk biscuits. Also try their Czech style Bohemian pilsner and their a floral and hoppy, American IPA style, Lawless Village IPA.

Find them at BellfieldBrewery.com for £1.95 

Ardbeg ‘The Shortie’ Smoky Porter - 6.2% abv

Staying in Scotland, we had to mention the recently released Ardbeg ‘The Shortie’ Smoky Porter from Islay. Not for the faint-hearted, this treacly, flavoursome, smoke bomb is a must-try for Ardbeg whisky fans. Named after the distillery dog and mascot ‘Shortie’, it’s malty and dark with classic Ardbeg notes of iodine and peat. If that wasn’t tempting enough, it’s a collaboration with Brewgooder to raise funds to create clean drinking water in Malawi. (You can donate here brewgooder.com/gathering).

Find it at masterofmalt.com for £3.50

…And for International Beer and Pizza Day!

Show Me The Honey!

Chicago Town, the frozen pizza company, is celebrating the launch of its brand new Stuffed Crust Takeaway Sweet Honey BBQ Salami pizza by launching a beer inspired by the same flavours: tomato sauce, sweet honey BBQ sauce,mozzarella, red cheddar, salami and red onions  Made in partnership with craft brewery SEVEN BRO7HERS Brewing co. the ‘Show Me The Honey’ beer blends savoury and sweeter flavours, focusing on a perfumed honey note on the finish. Find the pizza at mosts supermarkets including ASDA, Ocado and Tesco for £4.50. Guilty pleasure!

Find the beer at SevenBro7ers for £3.50

Like this? Why not try Jubel: the exciting new fruit beer, or Would You Invest in Vagina Beer?

Follow us on Instagram @TheThreeDrinkers or Twitter @The3Drinkers

Follow Helena on both @HelenaSips

Ardbeg make a beer! All for a good cause.

Words by Colin Hampden-White

Ardbeg has announced its first ever beer called “The Shortie Porter”. The name comes from the Ardbeg Jack Russel mascot: “Shortie”. All profits created in partnership with Brewgooder, a social enterprise, will go to clean water projects in Malawi.

This was all the idea of Alan McIntyre, the Global Senior Brand Manager of Ardbeg and his flatmate Alan Mahon, who is the founder of Brewgooder. The beer was originally scheduled for release on World Water Day on the 22nd of March, but because of the Coronavirus pandemic that was postponed. The beer will now be available from the 13th of August from Ardbeg.com and specialist retailers.  

Dr Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks commented: “We all dig Ardbeg, and no more so than Shortie. So for this life-saving, well-digging clean water brew, it was only fitting that our canine mascot should represent Islay. As with most porters, this beer is smooth and creamy. However, our malt has helped make it distinctly smoky – the way we imagine an Ardbeg beer is meant to taste!” 

The beer isn’t as smoky as one might expect, and certainly not as smoky as the whiskies the distillery is so famous for creating. The smoke is incredibly well-balanced, allowing bitter chocolate, espresso coffee and a little black treacle sweetness to come through. It is a refreshing yet complex beer.

Ardbeg joined forces with Williams Bros. Brewing Co to create the beer. The Shortie Porter was made using the peated malt that makes 10 year old Ardbeg, giving the beer its smoky character.  

Mickey Heads, Ardbeg Distillery Manager, said: “Not only is this a hugely important cause – that we’re delighted to be a part of – but The Shortie Smoky Porter is of course a first for the Distillery. Helping brew a beer may seem like unchartered territory for Ardbeg, but as any whiskyphile worth their malt will tell you, beer and whisky share the same DNA. Just like brewers, we ferment our malt. The only difference being, we hold on to the hops. We hope that Ardbeggians and craft beer lovers alike will enjoy this extra special limited edition.”

The Shortie Porter will be a limited edition and only available to the UK market. Depending on how much has been made, and they haven’t told us, I suggest you will need to be quick off the mark to order some, especially if it goes as quickly as other limited releases from Ardbeg. 

Alan Mahon, founder of Brewgooder, commented: "This collaboration is particularly special for me. To create an incredible beer that helps empower people's lives is one thing, to do it with one of the world's best whisky brands is another, but to bring it to life with my best friend: there are few things I have been prouder of in my life. I look forward to working with the team at Ardbeg to turn the profits from this beer into life-saving clean water wells for those who need them."

As it was originally planned for March, and at 6.2%, I thought the beer might be at odds with the summer months, especially with the heatwave we are currently experiencing. But I found myself surprised at how versatile and fresh it is. Even though it is a dark beer, it is crisp and lively and much of this is down to the smoke bringing all the flavours together. It’s a beer for all seasons with a great charitable reason to buy it.

The Shortie Smoky Porter will be available to purchase exclusively in the UK from Ardbeg.com, and from selected retailers, from 13 August – priced at £14 for a four pack. 

If you love smoky whisky, and in particular Ardbeg, look at the smokiness rankings we gave their annual releases. See which one was the winner here! 

The World's First Beer Made From Mustard

Say what?! Oskar Blues Brewery has decided to create a limited-release beer, created from French’s Classic Yellow Mustard. No, I’m not having you on. Earlier this year we saw Aunt Bessie’s try their hand at a Sunday Roast Brown ale made from Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes, so it would seem the oddities really are just beginning.

This special brew was created ahead of ‘National Mustard Day’ (yes, it would seem there really is a day for everything now, apart from a National Aidy Day… one can only dream). 

For those living in the UK I have good news and bad news. To get your hands on the ready-made stuff, you have to be in the USA and it currently goes for $19.99 per six-pack. BUT, they have also released the recipe, so those further afield can brew it up for themselves in their garage.

But what does it taste like? Tangy lemon and lime apparently with tropical undertones. They tried to bring out the staple notes people associated with the mustard itself in this wheat beer. The company has been around for over 115 years and has created a bunch of innovative products over the years including their mustard ice cream last year which went down a treat.

So, there you go, if you want to venture into the unknown , grab a pack or make your own. Personally, I think it would work rather well with a hot dog….

Find yours here

Drinker Discoveries: 5 New Products For Your Next Socially Distanced Gathering

A The Three Drinkers, we love all things drinky, be they wine, beer or spirits-related, no and low drinks, bitters or even gadgets and lifestyle products. Here’s a selection of some things that have delighted us recently and tickled our tastebuds. This week’s list curated by Helena Nicklin. Find her @Winebird (Insta) @TheWinebird (Twitter).

Russell’s Hand Sanitiser

The team at Copper Rivet Distillery in Kent are some of the unsung heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic, switching production of their spirits to alcohol for hand sanitiser that will kill viruses as well as bacteria. The result here is Russell’s Hand Sanitiser, which at 70% alcohol is powerful enough to kill the nasties but the addition of Jojoba oil and vitamin E mean your hands stay soft while you use it. The beauty is you can get it in handbag sized 60ml bottles, 500ml bottles and even 5 litre bottles for businesses. I got the 5 pack of 60ml bottles: one each for the family. Find them here and while you’re at it, stick a bottle of their brilliant, premium gin, vodka or whisky into your trolly to support them. They deserve it. 

Instagram: @copperrivetdistillery

Mead: Loxwood Mead

Mead is back. Who knew? This fermented, honey-based drink was popular with Henry VIII and his medieval buddies but evidence of mead has been found in China from 7000 BC! At Loxwood Meadworks, they are reimagining mead for a modern era. This ‘honey wine’ uses 100% honey rather than grapes and you drink it chilled in just the same way. Crisp and floral with a delicate, honey flavour and just a hint of natural sweetness, this is a delightfully different drink and perfect for summer. Find it for £15 here.

Instagram: @loxwoodmeadworks

Vodka: Pure Vodka Lite

This brand new British vodka has just hit the market. Their aim was to be the ‘good guys’ in the spirits market with this uber clean and crisp vodka distilled from organic wheat and cut to just  20% (rather than the usual 40%). We tested it and you would never guess it was lighter in alcohol. A great choice for more mindful drinking. They have regular vodka too. Find it for £30 here. 

Instagram: @pure_WM

Beer: Duette Beer

Is it a beer? Is it champagne? No, it’s Duette! Created by House of Après, this sparkling brut beer was produced using champagne and Kölsch lager yeast. The result is a richly flavoured beer with the fine bubbles and complexity of champagne with the freshness and hoppiness of a pilsner and brewed to 11.5% like a sparkling wine. Totally unique, produced sustainably, unfiltered, unpasteurized and made for sharing. Find it for £14.99 for 75cl or £8.99 for 35.7cl here.

Instagram: @duettebeer

Bitters: Bitter Union Aromatic

Bitter Union has a fantastic range of flavours for their bitters, which are all produced in England in micro batches using natural ingredients and no added sugar. There are five flavours currently and I love the Aromatic, with its complex, warming notes of cherry and cinnamon. Splash some into tonic (it’s also great with lemonade) for a more interesting no - alcohol thirst quencher, but it also really rounds off whisky or rum cocktails such as a Dark & Stormy or an Old Fashioned. Find them all here for £12.95 each for 100ml along with some cocktail recipes. 

Instagram: @bitterunion

Like these? See out last Drinker Discovery post as well as our guides to underrated Irish drinks, Mindful Drinking and the best Scottish gins to explore.

Want us to consider your product? Email sophie@thethreedrinkers.com

12 Hilariously Unfortunate (and Downright Naughty) Drinks Names

It’s one of our greatest joys, finding products that have brilliantly funny unfortunate translations, from Fanny Tuna and Soup for Sluts to Golden Gaytime Ice Cream. As drinks is what we are all about however, here are some of our favourites; some intentional, some definitely not. Enjoy - and let us know if you find any more! 

Vergina Beer

You may have read our article about vagina beer, but it turns out that it existed already! This beer, which was first bottled in 1998 by the Macedonian Thrace Brewery apparently heralded the start of the craft beer trend in Greece. Spoiler: there are no actual ‘verginas’ in it. 

Chateau d’Arse

From a real producer in Fitou, southern France and rather a tasty wine, this red is a blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. You can also find their other wine labels ‘Seigneurie d’Arse’.

The Jew’s Ear Juice

The producers of this Chinese drink explained that nationals refer to themselves as ‘the jews of China’ if they are ambitious and ‘think outside the box’. It’s a drink made with a fungus and they have now apparently decided to rebrand it to ‘Black Fungus Juice’. I think you’ll agree that this sounds way more tasty. Not.

Cunto Wine

Very much a real wine, this Italian tipple ‘Cunto’ made by Alois in Campania is a concentrated red wine made with the lesser known Parallegro grape. ‘Cunto’ means little story or fable in Italian. A little sadly, they’ve now given it a new name ‘Murella’ for the US market. 

4Skins wine

We suspect that this wine name might be deliberate but it really shows the humour of those winemakers from Nova Scotia who are experimenting with hybrids and lesser known grape varieties. Their 4skins wine is a blend of the four top grapes from Nova Scotia: Castel, Marechal Foch, Leon Millot, and Lucie Kuhlmann.

Gross Sauvignon Blanc

Producers Sultz in Austria really should have done a little more research for the name of this wine, which is actually a rather delicious Savvy B.

Fart by Hellena

The word ‘fart’ is Polish for ‘luck’! This lovely looking, fruit-based beverage is so lucky, they’ve covered the label in the word. The fact that it’s produced by a company called Hellena is doubly funny to us, natch. Thanks tastytart.com for the pic.

Urinal Hot Drink

This cranberry based drink that you can have hot or cold does what it says on the tin and helps with bladder problems. We’re not sure how popular it is outside of Poland, however!

Bitch Wine

Beautifully Australian in sentiment, this rich and brooding red wine made from Grenache in the Barossa Valley was so named because ‘life can be a bitch but it’s hard to get upset about it when the wine is so good’. Indeed. 

Ménage à Trois

What do you get when you take three single varietals and leave them alone together? The answer is a ‘luscious threesome’, apparently. This American wine brand is actually pretty decent and its original blend is Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, though they now produce several other wines. 

You Fuck My Wine

With a name inspired by the song ‘You Fuck My Wine’ by Whodunit, this is quite a serious red wine. Hailing from the French region of Cahors, though it can only be called a vin de France, it's a natural red wine made from Jurançon Noir and a touch of Malbec by producer Mas del Périé, Fabien Jouves.

Penetration Cabernet

Now we’re just getting silly. Naked Winery in Oregon have a range of provocative wine labels from Booty Call Muscat to Foreplay Chardonnay and this ‘solidly satisfying’ Penetration Cabernet that’s not too tannic and heavy. Clever marketing. Well, we noticed it! 

Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale

A big shout out to Gary from the Netherlands for sending us this one! Bier & co also stock multiple other entertaining ranges so if you don’t feel like an Arrogant Bastard then you could try yourself a Flying Dog ‘Raging Bitch’ IPA or ‘Doggie Style’ Pale Ale and if you are searching for more excitement still then an ‘Owl F*ck the Caravan is on Fire!’ Wheat Ale will surely do the trick!

Found any more? Send them to us at sophie@thethreedrinkers.com

If you like this, check our our pieces on Vagina Beer, Sour Toe Cocktail and Would You Drink Dead People?

Father's Day Gift Ideas For Drinks Lovers

Words by Helena Nicklin

Every dad is different as is every son or daughter. What can you give him that showcases his personality or yours? Here is our pick of some delicious drinky gifts that will suit the wine lover dad, the beer explorer or spirits connoisseur. Bottoms up and Happy Father’s Day!

The Wine Lover

A selection of half bottles

If your dad is like mine, he will eye you suspiciously when presented with a 75cl bottle of wine as he’ll expect it’ll need to be shared! Show your dad his gift is just for him with a pair or selection of half bottles of wine. Louis Jadot makes some beautifully approachable Burgundian Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs (available in Tesco), or you can take your pick from a range by half bottle specialist, the Little Fine Wine Company. 

The English Fizz Fanatic

Roebuck Estates Blanc de Noirs, 2015

Roebuck is one of the newest English wine estates who stormed onto the scene with their inaugural, classic cuvée 2014. This new wine from the Estate located near Petworth in Sussex, is made exclusively from hand-picked Pinot Noir grapes from the 2015 vintage that were grown in their Roman Villa vineyard. With its smart, hand drawn black and gold label, it looks as good as it tastes with an alluring perfume of red berries and apple skin with beautifully balanced notes of orchard fruit and brioche. Exceptionally poised and elegant. Drinking now but will keep for several years. 

Find it for £45 from Roebuckestates.co.uk

Monthly Wine Delivery

Feel Good Grapes

How about a wine club where each bottle has been handpicked by the team for being not only delicious, but organic or biodynamic and sustainable too! Feel Good Grapes are keen to only work with producers who understand their impact on the earth and they are so dedicated to the cause that they also offset the carbon footprint from all their deliveries AND plant a tree for every bottle of wine sold. The buying team are expert tasters too, so you can feel extra good about the wines you're drinking.

From £20 a month to £200 at Feel Good Grapes

The Gin Genie

Fifty Pounds Gin

This super smart bottle houses a rather exceptional London Dry Gin. Triple filtered, it’s incredibly smooth with a range of complex flavours that jump out, as if wrapping the juniper in a delicious, scented scarf from sage to lemon peel, gentle spice and liquorice. The name alludes to the 1736 Gin Act in London, when if you wanted to produce and sell Gin, a 50 pound tax was levied. It’s not surprising many went underground! 

RRP £34.45 from Master of Malt

The Beer 

The Original Small Beer Company

The Small Beer Company have brought back the old tradition of Small Beer, which used to be drunk instead of water as it was safer, back in the London Streets of the 1700s. Brewed to a maximum of 2.8 percent as it always used to be, Small Beer is isotonic with trace elements left in rather than dehydrating so it’s actually rather good for you (can we say that?!) There are four styles to choose from: Lager, Session Pale, Steam and Dark Lager, but you can also try a handy four pack of 330ml bottles - and it makes the perfect gift.

Find the gift pack for £15 from the originalsmallbeer.com

The Spirits Aficionado

Glencairn Crystal Glassware

The ‘Glencairn’ has become to-go to glass not just for whisky, but most neat spirits nowadays. Endorsed by the Scotch Whisky Association, its unique shape was crafted to allow the fullest appreciation of the whisky from the nose to the palate.. The glass now comes in many styles, uncut or hand cut, a price that will suit all budgets. Enter the code DADSDRAM20 to receive a Father’s Day 20% discount too!

RRP from £6 a glass, go to Glencairn.co.uk

The Cognac Connoisseur

Cognac Frapin Millésime 1992 -26 years old 

With a limited release of just 3000 bottles, this stunning 1992 vintage is the latest addition to Frapin’s collection of rare vintage cognacs, where it has been gently ageing in the dry cellars on the Frapin estate. Bright in colour with an elegant, floral nose and palate of prune, apricot and liquorice, this is an elegant, complex cognac and an excellent ambassador of the Frapin house style.

Find it for from £145 to £160 from Master of Malt

The Rum Romantic

Drum & Black Spiced Rum

The new generation of dark rums on the scene are to die for and England is knocking it out of the park with some new brands! Dad will love this one from Drum & Black with its eye-catching bottle and brooding, sweet notes of coffee bean, vanilla, honey, dark chocolate and orange peel. Try it alone over ice or as a ‘Mule Noir’ with a sprig of mint and some ginger beer (The team recommend Fentimans).

Find it for £33.75 from Master of Malt. 

The Whisky Collector

Buffalo Trace Bourbon

Buffalo Trace is a much-loved, American distillery that has been making Bourbon whiskey the same way for more than 200 years. It has a deep, rich, amber colour with a complex aroma of vanilla, mint and molasses. Sweet but not cloying, with notes of brown sugar and spice, subtle oak, toffee and dark fruit, it’s a warming, easy-going whiskey with a long, smooth finish. There’s a competition too! You can enter your father to win a Buffalo Trace home bar! See their social platforms for details @BuffaloTraceUk.

Find the whiskey for £23.99 from Master of Malt.

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 Years Old

Glenmorangie is one of our all time favourite Scotch distillers and is renowned for pioneering the art of extra- maturation. For this single malt, the whisky is first aged in bourbon casks, then finished in ruby port pipes and barriques from Portugal. Quinta Ruban is a bold and velvety, 14-year-old Highland whisky, with unctuous flavours of orange and dark chocolate.

Find it for £49.95 from Master of Malt

John Crabbie & Co, single cask 1994 25-Year-Old Island Malt (247 bottles only)

SPLASH OUT! Appealing to top-end collectors particularly, this special, sherry-cask whisky is dark gold, with rich notes of fruitcake, orange peel, dark chocolate and smoky spice. It comes with its own elegant presentation box too. Distilled at the Tobermory Distillery, the Crabbie 1994 Island Single Malt has been matured for 25 years in an ex-sherry hogshead. Each bottle is non-chill filtered, naturally coloured and bottled at 46.2% ABV.

RRP £300. Please email john.kennedy@johncrabbie.com for enquiries.

For more drinks round ups, check out Best Bang for Buck Sipping Bourbon, The Best Wines to have Chilled and 7 Great French Rosé Wines for Summer.

Have you tried Jubel: the exciting, new style of beer?

What do you get when you cross craft beer with fruit? Add the fact that it’s gluten free, vegan and has a sociably low alcohol of 4% abv and the answer is Jubel beer - and you need to try it.

Beer with fruit?

Yes it works, even if you may initially think it won’t. The idea came from the founders discovering the tradition of adding peach syrup to beer in the French alps as something called a ‘demi-pêche’, which literally means ‘half peach’. After developing a taste for it and finding it ‘dangerously refreshing’, they realised that no one was brewing anything like this, so they set out to create their own version - and make it better.

Jubel take light and crisp, golden lager and cut it with fruit. Inspired by the ‘Alpine’ peach style, they started with that and then created two more versions, inspired by their travels: ‘Coastal’ Grapefruit and ‘Urban’ Elderflower. Jubel describes the range as “beer with the refreshment of a fruit cider and the sessionability of a crisp lager”. 

Unique in style, these fruit beers are incredibly easy drinking. Very soft and very fruity, they may not be for die hard beer lovers due to their fruit nature, but we found we reached for them when opening a bottle of wine was too much and we wanted something easier to grab and less hardcore than a gin and tonic or other highball. We also love the fact that it’s not just gluten free and vegan, but just 125 calories per bottle AND they offset the carbon for every beer produced. 

What’s in the name?

The name Jubel is derived from jubilation and the fact that a version of the word is often used in some languages to mean ‘cheers’ when drinking. 

Where can I buy them?

Jubel is available at Sainsbury’s in 330ml bottles for £1.95 (bargain!)
Find them also on Amazon by the case here.
Or order online from the Jubel website here. 

You will see it on draft in some venues too as soon as they open again! 

If you liked this, read our article on Small Beer and ‘What you should be drinking with curry’. 

What you Should be Drinking with Curry

Words by Helena Nicklin

If, like us, you’re feeling brave enough to try takeaways again, you may be in the mood for a proper Indian takeaway after all that home cooking. Here’s your need-to know guide to the best drinks to have with Britain's most popular curry dishes:

BEER

First thing’s first: spice is not a huge fan of wine, which is why beer (lager specifically), is a great ‘catch-all’ drink to quench a thirst. Why is this? Served cold, the bubbles freshen the palate instantly and importantly, the alcohol is not very high when compared to wine or spirits, so it doesn't fan the flames of the chilli. You don’t want one that’s too gassy though. Here are three that we love:

The Not-Too-Gassy BEER: Cobra Extra Smooth

Stomachs get full pretty quickly with a big takeaway curry and Cobra comes top of the charts when it comes to lager that’s not too gassy. It’s also smooth with enough flavour to complement the food without getting lost. Perfect for lovers of lager and ale alike as it’s somewhere between the two. You can get 12 x 330ml for £32.95 here.

The Gluten Free, Fruit Beer: Jubel Beer

Made in a ‘demi-peche’ style, these ‘dangerously refreshing’ beers are low in alcohol (4%), vegan and infused with natural fruit. They come in peach, elderflower and grapefruit and are good for those who don’t normally drink beer as they’re quite heavy on the sweet fruit. They’re ridiculously drinkable though, non-gassy and those fruity notes that will help balance some of that heat. They’re excellent value too. Stock up with a case of 12 x 330ml for £25 here and here.

The Alcohol Free Beer: Heineken Alcohol Free (0.0%)

More fruity and gently malty than the alcohol version, this lager is exceptionally easy drinking and actually tastes like beer rather than cardboard- something that many other brands cannot say about their de-alcoholised drinks! £29.95 for 24 x 330ml here and most supermarkets.

WINE

When it comes to wine and curry, you have to be a little careful as tannin and high alcohol can jar with the food horribly, exacerbating heat and clashing with the flavours, but there are some matches that work well. Ripe and off-dry styles of wine will help fan the flames of all sorts of curries and the lower in alcohol they are, the better. Here are some to try...

Best All-Rounder

You need: Fruity Rosé

For a reliable style of wine with curry, make it pink and uber juicy, so the sweetness in the fruit counterbalances any heat. It works for most styles of curry, especially Lamb Bhuna. You could find any French Rosé d’Anjou, which will always have a touch of residual sugar and tonnes of ripe, red fruit. If you are after something a bit different and more sophisticated however, try this little number from Lyme Bay winery in Devon. It’s packed full of ripe cherry and strawberry aromas and flavours, with a quintessentially English, redcurrant twist. Technically off-dry, though you won’t notice it because the high acidity will refresh your palate while the fruit sweetness balances the spice. 

Find it: Lyme Block English Rosé, £9.99 from ALDI. 

Best for: Aloo Gobi, Jalfrezi, Green Curries, Dhal

You need: Vinho Verde

Vinho Verde is a famous style of wine from northern Portugal that is traditionally light in alcohol and has a slight spritz. They can be dangerous in the summer for lunchtime drinking as you can find yourself cracking into a second bottle without a thought. This one by Varzea is just 9.5%, slightly off dry and with zingy, limey flavours and a crisp, green apple skin nose. A great one for green curries and anything with lots of vegetables.

Find it: Varzea Vinho Verde, £7.99 (£6.99 mix six price) from Majestic.

Best for: Korma, Butter Chicken and mild, creamy curries

You need: Chardonnay 

Find a Chardonnay that’s particularly fruity as opposed to a more Chablis-esque style. Chardonnay can be famously buttery and a small touch of oak here could work wonders with the umami notes from the curry. New Zealand or Chile are good places to go for this sort of style and we love this one by The King’s Legacy as it has a rich creaminess thanks to lees ageing, a touch of savoury oak and a gorgeous dollop of fruit.

Find it: The King’s Legacy Chardonnay, £15.99 (£11.99 mix 6 price) from Majestic.

Best for: Madras, Tikka Masala and tomato-rich curries

You need: Soft, tangy, juicy reds

A few grapes could do this job, Merlot, Shiraz/Syrah and Carmenère being right up there as long as they are not oaked too much or too high in alcohol. I am a particular fan of the Sangiovese grape with tomato-based curries. Tomatoes are a tricky wine match but the Italians have overcome this with pizzas and ragus thanks to this native Italian grape. High acidity, low tannin and a rustic earthiness make this a great match here. I’d avoid Chianti (Sangiovese is the Chianti grape) and go for a straight up, youthful wine like this little Sangiovese blend, ‘Il Caretto’ from Puglia. Bright fruit, refreshing, light on its feet and tangy. 

Find it: Il Caretto, IGT Rosso di Puglia, £8.25 from Corney and Barrow

SPIRITS

Spirits alone would be a no-no with curry until you want to set your mouth on fire, but diluted with a mixer and a handful of ice  - it’s a whole other story. Try these combinations.

Best for: Rogan Josh or Biriyani

You need: Cognac + Ginger Ale

A classic VS or VSOP cognac with a 150ml of ginger ale and ice is just perfect with a medium to hot, meaty curry like a Rogan Josh or a rice dish with mince meat and spice, like a Biryani. Avoid ginger beer as it will be too sweet, so ale is the way forward. The rich citrus tones from the cognac marry perfectly with ginger and complement the warm spices of the dish.

Find this: Frapin VS Cognac, £40 from here.

Drink it with this: Schweppes Ginger Ale. 12 x 150ml for £4.09 from Waitrose.

Best for: Vindaloo

You need: Vodka & Lemonade

This famously hot curry won’t leave much room for flavour in drinks, so go clear for the spirits and clear for the mixer, preferably a sweet one. With lots of ice! Vodka and lemonade is your answer, with a twist of real lemon to add to the acidity and freshness. We love Grey Goose original for its creamy, smooth texture with classic, Schweppes lemonade.

Find this: Grey Goose Original Vodka, £32.99 from here.

Drink it with this: Schweppes lemonade, 12 x 150ml, £10.99 from here.