Dry January drinks for 2020
Giving up alcohol for a month is thirsty work, so here's a selection of Dry January drinks to refresh you.
If you’re taking part in Dry January you’re in good company. Over four million people in the UK took part in it last year with similar numbers expected for Dry January 2020. For many, it’s the perfect tonic after December’s onslaught of parties and excess. Sure, it might not be for everyone – January is arguably miserable enough as it is without the promise of a few cold ones at the end of the working week. But for many it’s a great opportunity to give the drink a rest, for a month at least. And besides, non-imbibers are literally spoilt for choice in 2020. There's a plethora of interesting and refreshing alcohol free beverages to take the edge off what might just be the most challenging month of the year.
Here's some of our favourites...
Kombucha
This fermented, slightly effervescent and tart fermented tea has been a hipster’s favourite for some time now. But it’s beginning to find its way into mainstream acceptance with an increasing amount of bars and supermarkets stocking it. It’s good on its own, but many producers are now adding fruity to their kombucha tea too. Mmmm, Zingy!
It's one of the more adventurous Dry January drinks, for our money.
Try it: Equinox Organic Kombucha is one of the better brands: look for it in your local Supermarket.
Non-alcoholic Beer
Thankfully, we’re long past the age when the best non-alcoholic beer you could hope for was a Kaliber. Sales of low and alcohol-free beers jumped 28% in the year to February 2019, compared with the previously 12 months according to market research organisation Nielsen. We reckon that might have something to do with there being a lot more choice nowadays.
Try it: Danish Brewer Mikkeller’s Drink’in the Sun is one of the best alcohol free beers we’ve quaffed.
No-Secco
Party season is very much over, but if you’re stll craving a “a little bit of the bubby” then you're in luck. Alcohol-free fizz is the latest sober trend to sweep the nation. It’s much better than you might think, and has that all important ‘wow’ factor.
Try it: Scavi & Ray’s alcohol-free sparkling wine is one of the better bottles of booze-free bubbles out there.
Schloer
Funny name, serious refreshment. Schloer has been tickling tastebuds since 1935, but this fruity pressed fizz is finding a new following in the growing sober – or at least sober ‘for now’ - community.
Try it: The Bitter Orange ‘Spritzed’ Schloer packs a similarly luminous visual punch as everyone’s favourite fizzy Italian aperitif, the Aperol Spritz.
Alcohol-free spirits
Yes, you heard us: you can now enjoy a hit of ‘the hard stuff’ which isn’t, well, very hard. There’s a plethora of botanically derived spirit substitutes out there which provide a similar flavor hit to their boozy counterparts… with none of the side effects! This also opens up the prospect of a cheeky alcohol-free cocktail. Well, it’d be rude not to….
Try it: Stryykt’s alcohol-free Not-rum works very well in an alcohol-free mojito.
Book the Pop Up Bar for your event: whether it’s alcohol-free or fully loaded we’ve got you covered
Why hospitality staff need a Christmas party too
Christmas is a time to let down your hair, cut loose, don your gaudiest jumper and generally have a wild old time.
Well, for most of us. Spare a thought for the legions of staff working in the hospitality sector. They're tirelessly pulling pints, mixing cocktails, serving feasts and generally going above and beyond for people during Christmas party season.
What's it like working in a bar or restaurant at Christmas time?
It can be a testing period, despite all the extra shifts and overtime. “The problem is all the madness blurs into one,” says Tony, a former bar manager from Bristol. “I remember once the lady who wanted to book an ‘Elf’ themed party where they watched Elf, and staff all dressed as elves and served Elf-themed cocktails.”
“I once had a lad in a Rudolph sweater get a bit overexcited and ‘fire up’ something illegal behind the bar. He then got really confused when I asked him to leave,” adds Bernard, a former pub landlord from Bristol. “We also had a lady order a round of gin and cokes – wtf - and a double shot of baileys each for her and her five mates. Baileys is a 50ml standard serve. Despite my advice she was as forthright as she was insistent. You can guess what happened next.”
“Around New Year’s Eve once there was a night that sticks in the memory,” says Amelia, a former bar worker from Cardiff. “Basically, a man ‘disgraced’ himself while sitting alone at his table. For extra comedy points he was wearing a white linen suite. The manager and me had to try and do a speedy clean up while the bouncers took him out. The guy then started chasing one of the bouncers. I was told off by the café manager for chucking the mop and bucket I use. It was a dramatic evening and boded well for the new year.”
When do bar staff have their Christmas parties?
So, if you’re looking for a party to give your staff a post-Christmas knees-up to remember, call in the The Pop-up Bar Hire Co. They can make sure that your Christmas party for bar staff is one to remember, with a fantastic selection of drinks and speedy service.
This means your hardworking team can kick back, relax, and reflect on the busiest time of the year. If you want to give them something truly delicious to eat, well, we’ve got that covered too with a street food contact book that’s unmatchable.
Drop us a line today to enquire about Pop-Up Bar hire for staff Christmas parties.
Five drinks trends for Christmas party season 2019
Just a few of the beverages – alcoholic and otherwise – that will be getting folk in the festive mood this year
Cheeky Babycham, flagon of nut brown ale or a schooner of cherry brandy anyone? Although we wouldn’t turn down any of these retro beverages, festive drinks have certainly moved on what would usually dominate a family fridge at Christmas time.
You’ve only got to look around your average supermarket aisle or behind the bar at your your local pub to see that imbibers have more choice than ever - even more so at Christmas time, when most people are stocking up.
So, what’s going to be causing a commotion with discerning drinkers this Christmas? Let’s have a look…
These Are All The Places You Can Find Pop Up Bar Hire This Summer
This summer you can find Pop Up Bar hire company serving up pints on the beach all over the country. Following a tasty meal from one of Street Food Warehouse’s fabulous food vendors, you’ll be wanting a drink- and what you want- we provide. Whether you’re wanting a refreshing cocktail to cool the mouth after a spicy dish (we recommend Spicers Meat Wagon if that’s up your 'street') or an ice-cold pint to refresh your palate before you embark on your next tasty adventure, Pop Up Bar have it all.
The Best Pubs to Cheer on Wales in the Six Nations
It's going to be a busy five weeks for the bar and hospitality industry. The Six Nations kicks off tomorrow evening and the first game to grace our screens will be Wales taking on France at the Stade de France at 8PM. For many of us flying to France and watching every game live from the stadiums is nothing but a dream, the reality is we'll be at the pub. However, that brings us to another bump in the road, "Which Pub is Best?"
Pop Up Bar Hire's Guide to Surviving the Six Nations
Well, the Six Nations sure did creep up on us... The first of the Six Nations fixtures takes place in the Stade de France where France will take on Wales on home turf on the 1st February. Yes, the 1st of the month, we couldn't have wished for a better end to this very sober first month of the year... Here's Pop Up Bar's Guide to Surviving the Six Nations.
Vegan Wines & Where To Find Them
In the spirit of Veganuary, we're on the hunt for vegan wines... Now, you may be surprised. Wine comes from grapes, how can it not be vegan? We had exactly the same thought here at Pop Up Bar Hire, but after some extensive research we were surprised to see that wine contains numerous animal derived products, albeit we were pleasantly surprised to see that vegan wines are on the rise! Keep reading to discover how to find the latest vegan wines & the best dishes to pair them with.
10 Cocktails To Get You In The Mood For Spring
It may only be 10 days into January and many of us, including some of us here at Pop Up Bar Hire are doing Dry January, but we just can't stop thinking about the floral and refreshing taste of the spring season's cocktails.
Check out 10 of the tastiest, spring themed cocktails that had our mouths watering...
Recipe for the best mulled wine; nailed.
With the big day literally around the corner, we’re already thinking about all the festive flavours that Christmas will be bringing us. From mince pies, to pigs in blankets, there really is something about those warming ingredients during winter time that makes us all feel a little bit fuzzy - right?
Mulled wine, or - Christmas in a glass - as we like to call it, can be a bit of a marmite situation. Some people love the winter spice overload, and others - not so keen. However, below we’ve sourced a recipe that even the biggest of scrooge's will love this winter.
Ingredients;
- 2 clementines
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- 200 g caster sugar
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 fresh bay leaves
- 1 whole nutmeg , for grating
- 1 vanilla pod
- 2 bottles Chianti or other Italian red wine
- 2 star anise
Method;
- Peel large sections of peel from the clementines, lemon and lime.
- Put the sugar in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the pieces of peel and squeeze in the clementine juice.
- Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and about 10 to 12 gratings of nutmeg. Halve the vanilla pod lengthways and add to the pan, then stir in just enough red wine to cover the sugar.
- Let this simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved into the red wine, then bring to the boil. Keep on a rolling boil for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until you’ve got a beautiful thick syrup. The reason I’m doing this first is to create a wonderful flavour base by really getting the sugar and spices to infuse and blend well with the wine. It’s important to make a syrup base first because it needs to be quite hot, and if you do this with both bottles of wine in there you’ll burn off the alcohol.
- When your syrup is ready, turn the heat down to low and add your star anise and the rest of the wine. Gently heat the wine and after around 5 minutes, when it’s warm and delicious, ladle it into heatproof glasses and serve.
So there we have it; Christmas in a glass, and one of the ultimate ways to stay cosy this winter - enjoy!
Note; if you’re planning on hiring a pop up bar in the new year, why not let us bring the party to you? At Pop-Up Bar Hire, we can help stock, organize, and run your bar so that you can sit back and enjoy the party. Contact us here for more information.
Cocktail of the week: Hot Toddy
With winter in full swing, and your fluffy pyjamas becoming more of a solid outfit choice in the evenings, there's only one hot drink that'll warm your cockles during the dark nights. Fruity, sweet, and alcoholic; it’s time to cosy up with a Hot Toddy.
![](https://wordpress-1172833-4103133.cloudwaysapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Hot-Toddy.jpg)
Hot toddies are usually made with tea, typically a plain old black tea, but they’re also great with green tea or jasmine for those who prefer something a little more fragrant. Unlike mulled wine, or warm cider, hot toddies are light and refreshing rather than overwhelmingly sweet. The combination of whisky, honey, lemon, cinnamon and cloves really packs a punch and is perfect not only for sipping on in your PJ's, but for entertaining guests this winter.
Hot toddies were also used widely in the mid-19th century to help cure the common cold. You would fix yourself a steaming mug of hot water, add honey, herbs, spices and liqueur such as whiskey, rum, or brandy and let the healing begin. Seriously, is there anything this drink can't do?
What you'll need:
50ml whisky
3 tsp honey, or to taste
1 cinnamon stick, snapped in half
1 lemon, half juiced and half sliced
2 cloves
How to prepare:
- In a teapot or saucepan, bring the water to a simmer. Pour the hot water into a mug
- Add the whiskey, the teaspoons honey and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Stir until the honey has disappeared into the hot water. Taste, and add 1 teaspoon honey for more sweetness, and/or 1 teaspoon more lemon juice for more zing.
- Garnish with a lemon round (studded with cloves) and cinnamon stick
Are you feeling festive yet? We can't wait to cosy up with a Hot Toddy this winter!
For more information on the services that Pop Up Bar Offer, get in touch today.