Refreshingly Smooth Drinks For High Summer Temperatures

Refreshingly Smooth Drinks For High Summer Temperatures

If you’re like our man Rob Thomas, you’re probably already thinking about ways of staying cool when it’s hot outside— you know, like seven inches from the midday sun.

Well, let us get you into a very refreshing Summer groove with a set of smooth non-alcoholic and low-ABV drinks that’ll cool you down and bring you to at least a few feet from that hot, hot celestial ball of fire.

First Thing’s First: What’s the Difference between Non-Alcoholic and Low-ABV?

Let’s first get the terminology out of the way.

A non-alcoholic drink is a drink that contains no more than 0.5% ABV (alcohol by volume), while a low-ABV drink will typically contain anything between 0.5% and 7% ABV. The latter generally refers to Beer, Cider, Wine, and Vermouth, but in mixology circles, also to lighter cocktails, such as a Highball.

Non-Alcoholic: Bea Cocktail

You probably know Seedlip (if not, read the interview with its founder here), but we have a crazy, amazing craft thing from the Adriatic sea on Flaviar! VERA offers non-alcoholic Spirits with all the familiar ingredients minus the one that prevents you from driving should you choose to go for seconds or even thirds.

Vera Ginø


Vera contains zero alcohol but still offers the layered complexity of the finest Spirits. It’s made with fresh spring water from the Alps and botanicals using two different methods, maceration and vapor infusion in their custom-made stills.

The only proof Vera needs is in the flavor already.

Ingredients

  • 50 ml Vera Ginø
  • 20 ml bay leaf & vanilla cordial
  • Soda water

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  • Vanilla cordial
  • A bunch of fresh bay leaves
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 300g water

Instructions

Pick a bunch of fresh bay leaves and tear them into small pieces, then put them into a mason jar along with sugar, water, vanilla cordial and let it infuse for 12 hours at room temperature.

Occasionally shake it a bit to better extract the flavor. Once infused, strain and build your cocktail over ice in a Highball glass, garnish with a fresh bay leaf and enjoy without guilt.


Low-ABV: Classic Highball

The only thing high about this classic Summer drink is the feeling of elation you’ll feel when it hits your taste buds. The cool thing with the Highball is that it is so easy to make, and yet it tastes so good when done right. All you need is a good Whisk(e)y as your base, a Ginger Ale to top it off, and something citrusy to give it a tangy twist. Here’s our suggestion for the perfect Summer Highball:

Ingredients

Instructions

Use a chilled, tall glass. Pour the Whisky into the glass, add ice and pour over the Ginger Ale. Enjoy ending your hot days on a high note.


Low-ABV: HaiBall Whisky Seltzer

If you want to skip straight to just enjoying your drink, Flaviar’s got you covered with our own ready-to-drink Highball, suitably called HaiBall. It’s a hard seltzer for Whisky lovers that captures the delicate art of the Japanese Highball.

Haiball


Made with an original blend of a 17 YO Single Malt Scotch, a 7 YO Single Barrel Bourbon, a 4 YO American Rye Whiskey, a 10 YO Japanese Whisky, a hint of 8 YO Peated Scotch, premium sparkling water, and a lemon wedge, this is our ultimate take on the Summer refresher.

Instructions?

Simply open, pour over ice, and say “hai” (Japanese for “yes”) to not sweating like sushi that’s been left out of the fridge too long.

Low-ABV: Madre Desert Water

Imagine being so hot that dipping in boiling lava feels like a relaxing day at the SPA in comparison, and so thirsty you’re considering pulling a full Bear Grylls. Yeah, that one. Opt for a tastier solution: Madre Desert Water, a ready-to-drink mix of Mezcal and seltzer.

Made by Madre Mezcal, this is a deliciously refreshing, gently smoky, and invitingly complex drink. And it comes in four infusions of natural adaptogens, herbs, and fruit, that will not only seriously quench your thirst, but straight up bring you back to life: Mushroom, Sage & Honey; Grapefruit & Yerba Santa; Prickly Pear & Lemon; and Original.

Madre Desert Water


Low in calories, gluten, and sugar-free, this is a secret remedy, long enjoyed by ranchers and rancheros on both sides of the Rio Grande, and it’s an absolute gateway into the Mezcal category.

Low(er)-ABV: The Josephina Julep

Better than the over-the-top ostrich feather fan (and objectively tastier), this 1920s twist on a Kentucky classic will have you roaring like the Flapper from the Roaring twenties.


Sephina, a luxuriously rich blend of V.S.O.P. Cognac and fortified Wine, which forms this cocktail’s base. Already a cocktail in itself, Sephina’s flavors of toasted oak, prune, dried fruit, vanilla, and candied fruit, combined with fresh mint leaves form a deliciously refreshing drink that will undoubtedly perk you up on any steamy day.

Sephina

Ingredients

Instructions

Combine Sephina, simple syrup, and mint leaves in a shaker. Shake with ice. Add stalks of mint and crushed ice to a glass. Strain mixture into the glass, add crushed ice to fill. Top with a little overproof Rum if desired. Serve lavishly.


Feeling cooler yet? Head out to your home bar or visit our online store and start cranking up the AC to 11 with Flaviar’s non-alcoholic and low-ABV Summer drinks.

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