Like their food, art, history, and language, the French are passionate about their drinks – of course, they have a long and successful tradition as far as wine is concerned, but look at any liquor cabinet and you’ll see mostly French imports. If you have ever been to France, or have dined with French friends,(…)

China has, perhaps surprisingly, some of the most liberal laws on alcohol anywhere in the world; it wasn’t until 2006 that the Chinese government introduced a ban on the sale of alcohol to under-18s. Traditionally alcohol was mostly reserved for special occasions and festivities, but alongside the country’s rapid economic development over recent decades the(…)

When we think of drinks from Japan, teas of all sorts and the ubiquitous sake immediately come to mind, but there are plenty of other beverages that please the local palette. In a country of over 125 million people it’s not surprising that there are thousands of drinks consumed, many with historical, traditional, and regional(…)

Think of Russia and you inevitably picture rivers of clear liquid damaging livers all across this enormous country. At over 17 million square kilometres, Russia is the largest country in the world by a huge margin – room for a lot of potato and grain crops, and consequently enough vodka to drown a shoal of(…)

Sunshine and Sangria! Quick ­– what country are you thinking of ? Yes indeed, Spain. So if you fancy lounging poolside with a drink in hand, here are a few ideas – our take on the five best drinks in Spain, in no particular order: 1. Aguas frescas Translated as fresh waters, this beverage makes our(…)

Like their cuisine, wine and coffee are as much a part of Italian tradition and culture as arts, music, and fashion – and although we’ve come up with our top five, we could have easily done a top 500! Of course, much has been discussed about Italian wines, and there aren’t many of us in(…)