The changing drinking habits of the gentleman

Remember the days when we all used to drink beer? Ordered by the round. Until we were bloated and blurry-eyed. We’d snigger at the bloke who ordered a G&T, for no real man would sit in an English pub with a glass sporting fruit and ice – God forbid a straw.

But things have changed. Walk into any pub nowadays and you’ll notice that the pint is as rare as the black rhino, save only for the rugby clubs and the suited and booted young investors fresh from graduation. Now it’s all about a tipple that matches the environment, the ambience, or the weather. You can order a cocktail without having to worry that the muscle-strapped brute to your right is going to smack you around while laughing to his friends that he’s just teaching a pansy a much-needed lesson. He’ll probably be drinking a cocktail too.

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Whether it’s down to healthy drinking – a joyous oxymoron – or a maturing of palate from days of downing Stella by the bucket, it appears that the breadth of alternatives has never been wider. And we’re all for it. Considering how much your drink choice on a first date says about you, it’s high time we took a step back from our university necking days – there aren’t any Zulu warriors where we’re going.

The drinking habits of a gentleman have changed; here’s what you should be ordering this summer:

The Cucumber Spritz

spritz

30ml Belvedere, 30ml Dry vermouth (Dolin Blanc), 70ml Fever Tree Tonic Water, 70ml Fever Tree Soda Water, 2 Cucumber ribbons

Combine Belvedere, dry vermouth in a Belvedere spritz glass, filled with ice, stir ingredients.

Top with half Fever Tree Tonic and Fever Tree Soda Water. Garnish with 2 cucumber ribbons in the glass.

The Belvedere Spritz

The Belvedere Spritz with bottle

30ml Belvedere, 30ml Lillet Blanc, 70ml Fever Tree Tonic Water, 70ml Fever Tree Soda Water, 2 Grapefruit slices, 1 Sprig of thyme

Combine Belvedere, Lillet Blanc a Belvedere spritz glass, filled with ice, stir ingredients.

Top with half Fever Tree Tonic and Fever Tree Soda Water. Garnish with thyme and 2 slices of Pink Grapefruit.

Peach Spritz

peach

30ml Belvedere, 30ml Sweet vermouth, 70ml Fever Tree Tonic Water, 70ml Fever Tree Soda Water, 3 Peach Slices, 1 Vanilla Pod

Combine Belvedere, sweet vermouth in a Belvedere spritz glass, filled with ice, stir ingredients.

Top with half Fever Tree Tonic and Fever Tree Soda Water. Garnish with 3 peach slices and 1 vanilla pod in the glass.

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