Long weekend

Labour the long weekend

Summer is here at last! It's Labour Day weekend; time to get out in the garden and enjoy time with friends and family. Here are our top tipples to share

Drink pink

Back in fashion, rosé wine is easy to enjoy in the sunshine, and there's plenty of variety for the discerning palate. Made using some of the skin from the red grapes, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine, rosé should be served chilled and goes well with any food.

Lager lads

Shandy, or Radler, is back en vogue and perfect for the warmer weather. It's a great alternative for nominated drivers or those who don't want to wither in the midday sun. Mix a Belgium style blonde with fresh homemade lemonade for the perfect bitter lemon taste - and remember, the ideal mix is 40/60 in favour of the beer. Great with seafood.

Saucy sangria

There's nothing like the burst of fruit in a glass of sangria on a hot summer's day. Made with 1/2 cup of brandy, a bottle of dry red wine, (malbec is perfect), ice and a twist of lemon topped up with orange juice; but we suggest replacing the juice with ginger ale for that extra zing.

Juicy spider

A great non-alcoholic cocktail, perfect for the kids. Mix half a glass of fruit juice with soda water, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the spider's body, and use eight straws as the legs. Add some colour with hundreds and thousands sprinkled on top.

Our Picks