Some holidays are a bit odd, but some we can totally get behind. 18th June is National Picnic Day, and this is certainly one of the ones we are more than happy to get involved in and celebrate.
Food and Drink on Female First
But we’re not talking mini sausage rolls and egg mayonnaise sandwiches - oh no. We were thinking more - fancy cocktails on a picnic mat in the (hopefully) sunshine weather. We don’t really need an excuse to get all our best friends together for some quirky beverages and a catch up, but if we did, picnic day is definitely a valid one.
So if you want to celebrate picnic day the posh way, here are some ideas to shake up (never stir) the traditional idea of a picnic.
Pinkster Gin
Gin has really taken off these past couple of years. Of course, it was always popular, but now it’s popular and trendy. With so many different brands and flavours popping up it can sometimes be hard to choose which one to go for (how many times have you stood at a bar staring at the gin shelf wondering whether to get orange or rhubarb?)
Well, we’ve found the perfect one for if you want to go for something trendy and a bit different. Pinkster is a dry gin with a mouth-watering hint of raspberry and a smooth gin. And you can guarantee it’s going to be good when you find out it’s made with real raspberries.
And as always, we’d never recommend something unless we’d tried and tested it ourselves. That’s why it’s in our list of posh picnic beverages - because it ticked all of our taste bud boxes!
A 70cl bottle is £35.00, but it’s also available to buy gift-boxed, in a miniature gift set, and you can even get Pinkster jam (perfect to go with scones, should you bring some nibbles to your posh picnic!)
You can find out more and buy a bottle for yourself by going across to the Pinkster website: https://www.pinkstergin.com/
Kombucha cocktails
If you fancy showing off your cocktail making skills, or if you’re simply starting out, there couldn’t be an easier and tastier one to go for than a Kombucha cocktail.
Made with Gordon’s London Dry Gin and Kombucha Apertif, the botanical is set to be the trendiest drink of 2019. The natural tang and fizz of Kombucha offers a delicious taste sensation (again - we have tried it. It was a great day.)
It’s a very easy one to make that doesn’t require much ingredients at all. In fact, all you’ll need is 25ml of Gordon’s Dry Gin, 100ml of passionfruit Kombucha, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. If you really want to make an impression, stock up with ice and mint leaves to finish.
Method:
- In a Copa glass, pour 25 ml of Gordon’s London Dry Gin over ice
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt
- Stir in 100ml of passion fruit kombucha
- Add a sprig of mint and a slice of passionfruit for garnish
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy…
Beverages with Baileys
If you thought Baileys was a beverage only suitable for Christmas, boy were you wrong…
Yes, Baileys is the dreamiest Christmas treat, but we all know it makes for a great Irish coffee and can be used in more ways than that to give a beverage an edge - a beveredge.
If you prefer a warm drink rather than a fruity cool cocktail to accompany your nibbles, here we have two ideas you can try for your posh picnic.
Baileys picnic treat number 1: Present an array of your favourite sweet treat toppings (pretzels, marshmallows, chocolate brownies, popcorn - that kind of thing) and personalise your hot drink with a splash of Baileys. Create an indulgent selection of nibbles and enjoy a tasty hot chocolate or coffee with that unique Baileys touch.
Baileys picnic treat number 2: Vegans, this one's for you! We wouldn’t want anyone to be left out of this very important celebration. For the perfect vegan flat white, pair Baileys Almande with Smirnoff Vodka and espresso to create a delicious coffee inspired treat. Afternoon tea? Not a chance. Afternoon alcoholic flat-white all the way. And the picnic snacks to accompany? Vegan doughnuts and profiteroles with vegan dark chocolate or caramel sauce for dipping.
Click here to find out more about the vegan Baileys option.
Funkin cocktails
If you’re not quite the cocktail connoisseur, these Funkster cocktails will save you the job of shaking and stirring and instead the only responsibility you have is to make sure you’ve an exotic glass to pour them in. We aren’t telling anyone they weren’t handmade.
If we could only use one word to describe these cans of cocktails it would simply be ‘yum’.
We tried the Passion Fruit Martini and the Espresso Martini. The fruity passion fruit is like a typical pornstar martini - it really got our taste buds going. The Espresso Martini is likewise very moreish.
Find out more about their delicious selection of cocktails by clicking here to visit their website.
Turn it up with Tanqueray
We’re back to gin again - we just can’t stay away, clearly.
Tanqueray is that luxury gin every spirit connoisseur has a taste for - that’s why we’re certain you’ll love these cocktails that include the classic dry gin.
Tanqueray Gin Floral Martini: Tanqueray London Dry Gin and elderflower cordial are stirred together with Bergamot Liqueur and garnished with white flowers for an elegant welcome drink.
Tanqueray Gin Strawberry Negroni: Just the name of this cocktail had our mouths watering - imagine how pleased we were when we actually tried it! For this slightly sweeter pre-dinner version of a classic Negroni, combine Tanqueray London Dry Gin, Belsazar Red Vermouth and bitters with Strawberry syrup. Top tip - make enough for 2 serves and pour into mini bottles, label with the names of pairs of wedding guests, and serve in an ice bucket in the middle of each table & encourage your guests to share.
Pre-dinner Tanqueray Gin Green Tea Highball: This one’s a bit of a mouthful to say, but a tasty one to drink. To bring out the deep colouring of this fall drink, the on-trend flavour of matcha green tea is added to Tanqueray London Dry Gin - vibrant in colour and earthy in taste. The sweetness comes through with the addition of pineapple juice, lemon, sugar and soda. Garnish with a pineapple leaf for a simple yet sophisticated garnish.
Want to really show off at your posh picnic? Pair with: Blackberry and beetroot burrata bowl (from Rachel Khoo’s website www.rachelkhoo.com)
Slingsby Gin
Now this is posh. Everything about this gin is classy and stylish - oh and very tasty too.
We tried the Gooseberry gin in this recipe - and we highly recommend you give it a go, too.
Gooseberry Fizz: 40ml Slingsby Gooseberry Gin, 15ml Simple Syrup, 40ml Cloudy Apple Juice, 6 Mint Leaves, Lemonade. Build all ingredients in a tall glass with ice. Top with lemonade and garnish with mint!
Go across to the website to find out more!
Zymurgorium Craft Gins
If we hadn't provided you with enough gin tips already, here's one more to make sure you definitely have enough choice.
Independent Manchester distillery, Zymurgorium, has created moreish gins and gin based liqueurs.
The Unicorn Gin combines heavenly vanilla and a citrus gin with a touch of sparkle, bringing you pure magic. Refined with Wild Juniper and the botanicals from the gin, the Sweet Violet is equally as good on its own, with tonic, mixed with ice cream, in baking, or why not try making an Aviator cocktail.
The Flangingo is inspired by - you guessed it - flamingos. The pink gin is bursting with the Caribbean flavours of mango, pineapple, passionfruit, allspice and ginger. We got to try this one and it's a strong competitor when it comes to the best pink gins we've tried - and we've had a few!
Zymurgorium Sweet Violets Gin Based Liqueur, Realm of the Unicorn Gin Based Liqueur and Flagingo Pink Gin are available to buy from Selfridges and www.zymurgorium.com.
Johnnie & Ginger
For when the day drinks turn into evening drinks and things get a little more party than picnic, that’s when the Whiskey comes out, right?
A taste of Johnnie Walker Black Label with a splash or Fever Tree Ginger Ale and a slice of lime is the perfect combo.
For a long, spicy post-dinner cocktail, combine Johnnie Walker Black Label with fig syrup, lemon and ginger ale, with half a fig placed on top to garnish. The flavours of fig and ginger pair perfectly with the post-dinner cheese board.
We also recommend this for a Father’s Day treat… And you can even get it with a personalised label. Find out more by clicking here.
And for the ones who don’t like to get hammered…
We’re not all big on alcohol, and that’s fine too. So if you would prefer to drink low-alcohol or alcohol-free beverages, don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about you!
Lambrini low alcohol
And last but certainly not least, it’s time to shake off any scepticism about Lambrini being a posh drink.
With a brand new drink which all prosecco lovers will love, this fully sparkling 5.5% bottle of fizz is perfect for slow sipping on a summer’s day. What’s more, as well as a low percent, this beverage also has less calories than the traditional fizz - perfect if you want to drink lighter.
If you want to make it even more interesting, try this delicious recipe; 25ml gin, 35ml Kombucha, 15ml honey and 75ml Lambrini Fully Sparkling. Pour all the ingredients into a kilner style jar overnight with the peel of a lemon and allow to infuse. Pour it over ice after 12 hours and enjoy the refreshing fruity taste.
Alcohol free wines
If you’d prefer to stay away from the alcohol altogether, you can still do it in style, and fool others into thinking that fancy glass has real booze in. For an alcohol free wine, take a look at what’s on offer from Eisberg.
0% Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose and more - this is everything everyone who abstains from drinking has been waiting for to take to those summer garden parties and of course… to have on picnic day.
We tried and tested on a night when we needed to be hangover free the next day. It looks and tastes just how we like it! Click here for more information.
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