Drink to your heart’s content

here’s never been a better time to be a curious drinker. The shelves are awash with wines from all corners of the world, craft spirits boasting every botanical under the sun and a frankly bamboozling array of beers. And that’s just the supermarkets. Until recently, however, it felt as if all the fun was reserved for boozers. Anyone eschewing alcohol, whether on doctor’s orders, losing the coin toss as designated driver or simply self-imposing the occasional day off, was faced with a rather lacklustre choice. The few non-alcoholic beers on the market were watery shadows of the real McCoy and the classic cordials were fine for a single glass but too sweet to nurse all evening, especially with a meal. That left the dependably classy San Pellegrino or, for those whose taste buds craved greater stimulation than fizzy water, the invigorating punch of Big Tom Bloody Mary