Out & About January 2017

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There’s no need to give up alcohol in the new year, altogether, get a taste for the low ABV options says James Allen. A s an alternative to the dreaded dry January, how about simply maintaining your consumption levels, but decreasing your alcohol intake by opting for wine and beer with lower ABV? One of the challenges of making low alcohol products is that the alcohol itself adds both body and a slight sweetness to the drink. The less alcohol the thinner and dryer it becomes and thus a challenge to its maker. With care and attention, however, it is quite possible to make excellent, even outstanding low alcohol drinks, both beers and wines. Here are a few of them.

REAL ALE – WITH LOW ALCOHOL? Wiper and True Brewery from Bristol are legendary on the craft beer circuit. They continue to tamper and test new hops and ingredients to create stunning beers including a stout made from milk. A best-selling beer from them is Wiper and True Small Beer, which has big beer taste but is only 2.7% ABV! Vibrant with citrus, tropical fruit and berry flavours meandering to a

2015 – CLASSIC YEAR FOR GERMAN WINES So long under the shadow of Liebfraumilch, classic German wines have come back into their own in style with the stunning Rieslings of the 2015 vintage. The alcohol levels of these beautiful wines are so low yet they make such lovely drinks. I tried a Mosel Kabinett wine from the village of Wehlen. Only 7.5 per cent ABV yet perfumed, poised and ever so long flavoured. A wow! This low alcohol is a characteristic of most fine German wines.

STONEWALL SAUVIGNON BLANC 9.5% 2015 Stonewall comes from one of New Zealand’s finest estates and enjoys a huge fan club here in the UK. Owner John Forrest has always been an innovator and his latest success is this 9.5% Vol Sauvignon. It’s a great way to keep alcohol consumption in check without compromising on quality or flavour. John explains: “My aim was to achieve fruit ripeness with reduced berry sugar levels and hence reduced final wine alcohol. “After two years of trials, and thanks to my viticulturist Tim Alexander, we succeeded in producing wines, sustainably grown and cost efficient, which met my two key criteria.” Classic, fresh and lingering, this could be the future of Marlborough Sauvignon. A lovely apéritif and partner to seafood, exotic salads or goat’s cheese. Laithwaites, Theale. £11.99 per bottle

gentle bitter finish. The Naked Grape

Hungerford. 330ml bottle, four for £12

Try the Louis Guntrum Riesling from Nierstein. This is only 9.5% ABV, and tastes of peaches, green apples, and juicy pears.

Perfect with cold cuts and curries. The Naked Grape, Hungerford. £12.99 per bottle

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