What are the best drinks for a picnic?
Rosie, London E11
Picnic drinking (in moderation, of course) is a tricky business. First off, says Zoe Burgess, founder of drinks consultancy Atelier Pip and author of The Cocktail Cabinet, there are the logistics (“How are you carrying everything?”), guests (“What do they like?”) and food (“What would pair well?”) to contend with. Then, warns Mark Diacono, author of Herb, Spice and Sour, “you don’t want to premix something in which one element is fizzy and another sharp [think lemon or lime juice], because it will totally lose its sharpness over time.” And you really don’t want anything too potent – after all, Burgess says, “drinking in the day can take its toll”.
For all these reasons, shrubs (or drinking vinegars) are a good strategy, especially when the summer fruit glut arrives, Burgess says: “Pick your fruit, then heat it with caster sugar and verjus, which has a much softer acid balance than cider or white-wine vinegar.” Bottle it up and keep in the fridge or freezer, “ready to be topped with soda water and fresh lemon or lime juice” at your outdoor destination. Happily, shrubs pair well with vodka and gin, too, should the mood take you.
