Cheers to Quality
Tony Cox discovers that bigger isn’t better, particularly for booze.
With your scribe looking to shed some winter kilos as he prepares for a summer of sun, sand and sea he is desperate to find some low-calorie options in order to squeeze into the 2XUs and perhaps to avoid a brand extending 3XU range.
A recent visit to a big box retailer saw your hard-working sampler trudge down the white spirit aisle in the hope of discovering something of interest.
Imagine my excitement when I stumbled across a 1.5 litre cask of vodka! I read a little further on the cardboard casing and my healthy, sustainable juices got flowing: ‘zero-sugar’, ‘gluten-free’ and ‘vegan’ were all there staring me in the face. Not only was the carton (yes, it was a cask!) recyclable but all of the buzzwords of healthy living were there as well. What next – a shopping trolley with a lithium-ion battery?
I was even more impressed when I discovered the producer was Mandatory Spirit Co, which, on name alone, made me feel compelled to purchase.
I don’t know about you but 50 standard serves per purchase really got me excited – almost like allowing people to double up on prescriptions at the pharmacy.
One less trip to the big box booze bargain bin wouldn’t allow those impulsive placements of nuts, pretzels and chips to work their seductive charms on me. The only problem is your scribe likes to store his vodka in the freezer just so anyone housesitting can be identified if they have a good time then top it up with water to try to conceal their own excessive consumption – now I’m just drinking blind if you will pardon the pun.
On a serious note, does the marketing of spirits in ever-larger, ever-stronger servings make for responsible – or enjoyable – consumption?
I am the first to acknowledge that it all comes back to personal choice and self-control but pushing large format, easy-to-serve and convenience maybe pushes the boundaries of acceptability.
The big box buyers are ‘only satisfying a market segment they feel needs filling’ will be the company line, but perhaps we can cut it back a little, keep control of our senses and imbibe in a little less quantity but a little more quality this summer and support our mates at the independent bottle shops and emergent local distilleries and breweries.
Their hand-selected and handcrafted range will continue to deliver the best quality along with passion, knowledge and great storytelling.
Choose wisely and good drinking!
