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DRINK

From Irish ciders to Austrian reds: the best summer tipples

The Sunday Times

All met offices issue warnings when snow or high winds are forecast, but it’s probably uniquely Irish to warn of 20C temperatures and call it a mini heat event, which I’ve heard on the radio this summer. So what might you drink when it’s a scorching 20C or more?

Along with water, I want something very cold, especially if drinking outdoors. It’s not the time for anything fancy, though, rather for drinks that taste good chilled right down, preferably with ice cubes, to cool my overheating brain.

Cider is for many a beer drinker what rosé is to wine drinkers — something they only consider on a hot day. The Irish certainly popularised, if not invented, serving it over ice. That dilutes it somewhat, but