Last weekend, Jean, Rercy and I joined a group of lovely friends on a beautiful riverside picnic – particular kudos to Lou for her impeccable quiche – and had a most enjoyable day. I brought along some bottles of Crabbie’s alcoholic ginger beer, for which I was raised on everyone’s shoulders and declared a hero.

Eh, not quite. But the ginger beer was one of the best products I encountered at Taste of Dublin, and I dutifully raced to Superquinn to pick up a few for everyone. At €2.89 for a 500ml bottle, it’s not the cheapest drink around, but it’s worth it. I once guzzled down an Old Jamaica ginger beer, licked my lips, and promptly doubled over with excruciating heartburn – Snackbox point blank refused to bring me to hospital – so this time I had a packet of Rennie on hand.

Jean and her lovely daugher Lily relax on our weekend getaway

Not necessary. Crabbie’s is an ideal drink for summer, whether with a picnic, BBQ, or sweet FA. The ginger is reasonably gentle and the flavours aren’t too sweet, while the four per cent alcohol volume is… just right. After the picnic, we sat on the terrace of our lovely rented house in Longford, which slept eight adults and five children, looked out at some very tame deer grazing in the fields, and drank more Crabbie’s in the sun. Poi-fect.

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