London - Prosecco’s ubiquity was the big success story of 2015.
Outselling champagne by 1.7 bottles to one these days, no doubt it will continue to offer affordable fizzy fuel for our hen parties, birthdays and dinner parties in the year to come. We now drink even more of it than Italians themselves, hence the shortage last year.
More exciting, however, is the onward march of the aperitif. Although the idea of the aperitif has been declining in overall popularity since the 1960s, various brands have been taking it in turns to be rediscovered recently, leading to all sorts of wonderful cocktail experimentations. After the excesses of New Year’s Eve, you might not want to see another glass of prosecco for quite some time, so make the most of your fizz fatigue to branch out to some quirkier alcoholic treats instead. Let’s look forward, beyond that New Year’s Day hangover, to better drinks ahead.
Unusual vermouth
Old-fashioned drinks are dusting themselves off to take their places on bar menus. In particular, venerable aperitifs from Italy, such as Aperol, Campari, Cinzano and Cocchi Americano Rosa, are experiencing a great renaissance. By now, their return has gone past being a fad, and they will continue to provide the punchy base for our cocktails for years to come. Of these classic Italian ingredients, unusual vermouths will enjoy an especially good 2016. Thanks to the triumphant return of the Negroni, Martinez and Americano.
Sherry revisited
Sherry, like gin, has suffered in the past from a “granny drink” reputation.
Unlike gin, however, it is taking longer to become popular beyond alcohol aficionados. Spirits buyers are confident that this is sherry’s year, though.
Premium mixers
It is the mixers’ turn to undergo a vibrant craft revival. They range from the sweet to the strange, with beetroot and vanilla, lime and honey, and peppermint to choose from. As with so many trends, fancy mixers started in bars and are now spreading out into pubs and supermarkets. All of these smaller-scale tonics have a delicious herbal quality that is completely lacking in their mainstream competitors.
Mexican wine
Mexico might seem an unlikely wine producer, but its boutique wines, generally from the Baja California region, could be arriving at your local store this year. Although not internationally well- known yet, in the US, Mexican wine has been quietly growing in popularity over the past year in the UK. Emma Dawson, a wine buyer at M&S, explains: “It’s all about South America in 2016, with the Olympics in Brazil. Exploration is important for consumers in terms of both food and wine.”
South American spirits
South American spirits will really come into their own. Mezcal, premium tequila and Pisco are already making great headway in some restaurants and bars, but we will head into Latin spirits overdrive with margaritas, cuba libres, mojitos and pisco sours fuelling our summer parties.
Caipirinhas mean that it will finally be the turn of the lesser-known Cachaca, Brazil’s national spirit, to enjoy the spotlight, too. Simple to make, with just three ingredients – lime, sugar, and Cachaça – the caipirinha is bound to crop up as a refreshing cooler for entertaining at home.
Sweet temptation
You might want to call these sweet treats “choctails” – or you might not. Several UK restaurants have started offering cocktails with chocolatiers. From Chocolate G&T to Bitter-Sweet Negroni with chocolate-infused Campari, these unusual combinations might sound like a hot mess, but they work really well. At home, you can stock up on Mozart Chocolate Cream liqueur, Bicerin Chocolate liqueur or Rubis chocolate wine. Use them to lace your hot drinks or drink them on their own for a satisfying – alcoholic – sugar rush.
Independent