CLINK

BY THE POOL

Award-winning brewery Cassels lets us take a trip away while not leaving our backyard deckchairs with the Tropican. This limited release IPA is described as Tropicana by name, tropical by nature. It is fruity and pale gold in colour, delivering bright, refreshing aromas and juicy tropical flavours. Try it with one of Woolston Brewery Bar’s pizzas or from your six-pack. cassels.nz

This ain’t a pre-mixer like you’re used to. The Neat Espresso Martini by Good George is as quality as you would get out on the town. It has bold coffee notes combined with hints of chocolate, making it smooth and creamy. This is thanks to cold brew coffee from Raglan Roast Coffee and small batched distilled vodka. Just cool, shake, and serve. goodgeorge.kiwi.nz

Alongside its alcoholic range, Auckland-based Finery has a selection of booze-free sparkling cocktails. Our pick is the Ginger Green Tea Honey Mint and Lemon. These are more than just fancy sodas and will leave you feeling guilt-free all around, with no sugar and all-natural ingredients. Take this to your next party and leave the fear of missing out behind. finerycocktails.co.nz

Grater Goods’ Beetballs (pictured here) are the closest thing to a rich, saucy Italian meatball you can possibly muster – all the while being plant-based and ethically responsible. Flip and the team have an exceptionally delicious dinner menu for you to experience. No corners are cut when it comes to taste, and their Orbell Street location is home to a stellar wine list and everything you could want to experience in a plant-based restaurant. Want to give your culinary skills a flex? Try the beetballs at home; Grater Goods’ vegan pantry offers tonnes of take-home options for your next night in. gratergoods.co.nz

Peter Rowley may be a familiar name to you – a national television and movie stalwart who has worked with the likes of Billy T James, McPhail and Gadsby, and more. Now, thanks to a serendipitous encounter with a dusty attic box, the infamous ‘Laughing Club’ has been reinstated, and you’re invited along for a tipple.

The Laughing Club was the brainchild of Lord Geoffrey Reardon, the charismatic and legendary racounteur who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Noel Coward, Rudyard Kipling, Charlie Chaplin, and Jean Harlow, to name a few. Raffles Hotel in Singapore was the birthplace of The Laughing Club – an exclusive club for those who loved to socialise over tennis, croquet, and the odd game of cricket at the local common whilst partaking in champagne or gin. A time of prohibition and a bit of good-natured, hedonistic fun.

Fast forward to more recent times, and Peter has set off to ‘sell the sizzle’ with the aforementioned box, filled with recipes from the 1920s.

The Laughing Club is giggling once again. Peter and the team behind The Laughing Club’s gin range recreate Lord Reardon’s original recipes to an exceptional quality, combining deep artesian water with an infusion of exotic botanicals. Traditional copper pot stills triple distil in small batches to ensure the original exquisiteness is kept.

Commonly, gin is made with ethanol – a ‘neutral grain’ alcohol. This has a neutral smell, taste, clear colour, and a very low number of impurities. All in all, making for an excellent bottle of your new favourite aqua vitae. With stockists in the South Island such as Ballantynes and The Juniper Collective, you can pick up a bottle somewhere near you today.

Famously, the Queen Mother remarked that The Laughing Club gin was like ‘drinking silk’ – now if that isn’t a prized recommendation, what is?