An Occaisional Tipple: Fun, frolics and fabulous festive tipples

I mention designated drivers because of a wonderful initiative launched by United Wines to promote safe driving over the festive period. Designated drivers will be rewarded with a free Heineken 0.0 or Birra Moretti Zero when they make themselves known to bar staff at participating venues across NI by displaying their car keys.

Looking for something different to get you into the festive spirit? Available in three flavours - Very Merry Vodka, Marmalade Gin and spiced Stollen Rum- for just £12, M&S’s iconic illuminated liqueurs come in stunning art deco style bottles with LED lights and a stylish pinecone motif, making them a perfect decoration to light up the mantelpiece once you’ve finished the contents- my darling wife, the illustrious Madame G., and I very much enjoyed the delicious cherry, cranberry and raspberry flavours of the vodka which we topped up with Prosecco for a fizzy festive cocktail.

Last week, I promised to tell you more about the Christmas lunch hosted by Lidl at Waterman House in Belfast. You’ll recall that I mentioned that the magnificent meal was bookended by some very impressive cocktails - a Whiskey Sour made from their smoky, smooth Dundalgan Whiskey (only £13.99 for 70cl bottle) and a Gin Fizz using their herbaceous, vibrantly aromatic Wild Burrow Gin (£15.99 for 70cl bottle).

The food was prepared using ingredients all available in Lidl and elevated to fine dining standards by the magical fingers of Niall McKenna and his superb team of chefs. A starter of fat juicy prawns in a delightfully tangy Marie Rose sauce came with superb bread and salad and was matched with today’s WINE OF THE WEEK, the zingy, zesty and gloriously refreshing 2022 Deluxe New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Awatere Valley (£8.49). This elegant, delicately scented drop has an impressively floral bouquet which leads to a lively, mineral-rich palate with pronounced notes of apple and elderflower before a brief, discreetly acidic finish.

Imagine a traditional Christmas dinner deconstructed and put back together again by one of the geniuses on Masterchef and you’ll have an idea of the main course. It was paired with today’s final selection, the graceful, light-bodied and deep cherry-red 2021 L’Escarpe Beaujolais Villages (currently £5.99 ). A lively Gamay with intense strawberry aromas and subtle spicing on the palate, this silky-smooth red combines tangy cherry and redcurrant flavours with darker, beguiling hints of cassis.

There was a lovely dessert involving chocolate and an Espresso Martini or 3 as well if memory serves which is somewhat debatable. What’s not up for debate according to she who must be obeyed is that after all the recent fun and frolics, I’m likely to be the designated driver for the foreseeable future. Till next week, tipplers, sante!