Hot days call for cold sippers. And there's a bevvy of new products to try right now.
But if you don't want to reach for a hard drink, try these delicious soft options.
Summer spritzers
Barkers, the family foodie business from picturesque Geraldine, has released a new range of fruit syrups with 25 per cent less sugar than their previous ranges.
There are six flavours to choose including blood orange, lime and bitters, pink grapefruit and lemon, and the particularly refreshing lemon, lime, cucumber and mint. There's also an Indian tonic syrup in the range, in case you do fancy a splash of something stronger.
Each 500ml bottle will make around 17 drinks, depending on your tastebuds. And go to barkers.co.nz for lots of recipe ideas from virgin spritzers to pre-dinner aperitifs to evening cocktails. $6.79 from New World and Pak'n Save.
A good buzz
If you like a less sweet kombucha, Good Buzz's new range – the A Series - will hit the spot. The range offers two new flavours inspired by our own backyard - Hawkes Bay peach and kawakawa, and Gisborne lemon and mānuka leaf – native botanicals chosen for their wellbeing properties. Kawakawa supports good digestion, and mānuka supports the immune system.
The new range is brewed traditionally so bottles offer organic bacteria and yeast that are great for your gut. The two new flavours are drier on the palate, which means more refreshing and less sugary, just in time for summer. $5.99, available from New World and specialty stores, and goodbuzz.nz
Session beers
There's a push at the moment among craft breweries to create the perfect booze-free beer. Bach Brewing's All Day non-alcoholic IPA is crisp, citrus and hoppy with citra, mosaic and nectaron. Somewhere between a pale ale and an IPA, it contains no more than 0.5 per cent ABV, and the taste will have you surprised that you're not left with a little beery buzz. Find them in select supermarkets and liquor stores, see bachbrewing.co.nz for details.
