I’ve never been one for resort-style vacations. The idea of sitting by a pool or on a beach with nothing really to do for hours has never appealed to me. And the idea of doing ‘planned’ vacation activities makes even less sense.
While people with more formal nine-to-five jobs spend their time dreaming of sun-filled days with those drinks with little umbrellas in them, I have always found it far more relaxing to sit in a dingy dive bar with a whisky in hand.
But I’ve got say, six months at home has opened my eyes to the possible virtue of tropical drinks. This is not to say that I’ve shelved the whisky and taken to throwing tiny umbrella into the air with abandon but I get the escapism that a little too much fruit juice and a neutral spirit can bring.
There is a kind of blunt realism to whisky that I have always appreciated. Yet when the world around you is in turmoil, that extra shot of realism can take things too far, whereas the colourful, almost carefree nature of a passionfruit liqueur can be quite tempting.
Of course like so many in the world, I couldn’t go to a beach resort even if I wanted to right now. Travel is off the cards for the foreseeable future. And even if it wasn’t, rows of deck chairs with people tanning themselves while wearing face-masks is just too dystopian to contemplate.
So instead I am going to ease myself into tropical drinking from the apparent safety of the sofa. With the aid of a couple of girlfriends, I will delicately dip my toe into that alternate universe where happiness comes in a glass garnished with fruit.
Will drinking sun-kissed liqueurs make me happier? In the short-term, sure. And in the long-term, it certainly won’t do any harm. Who knows, it’s possible that drinking enough tropical drinks will turn me into a suntan loving, beach-resort going, tiny umbrella dreamer after all. So maybe there’s hope for me yet …
If you’re at a loose end, why not pull up a pitcher and join me in some recipes that Passoã sent over
Passoã Sangria
Ingredients
- 1 part Passoã
- 2 parts rosé wine
- Fresh oranges and berries
Instructions
Mix over ice in a pitcher. Don’t have a pitcher? No problem. Use whatever you have at hand, as long as it’s big.
Passoã Fresh
Ingredients
- 1 part Passoã
- 2 parts quality tonic water (Try Q Tonic for a drier flavour profile and lots of bubbles)
Instructions
This one is super easy! Just. one part Passoã and two parts bubbles (tonic water, sparkling water, ginger ale), and plenty of ice cubes. It takes less than 10 seconds to make and can be served in whatever you have at hand – a mug, a jam jar, a cup, etc.
