Britain’s cocktail habits expose north south divide

A survey has revealed Brits’ cocktail preferences depend on there they live, with the G&T a staple in the north and Pimm’s proving popular in the South.

Mojitos and G&T are the flavour of the summer according to a survey by Diageo-owned cocktail recipe website the bar.com.

Mojitos rank as the favourite cocktail of the Scots and the Welsh and the second favourite of northerners, according to the results which have been published this month.

Gin and tonic also crops up in the top three in Scotland, coming in with 15% of the vote, and in the South where it is ranked second, again with 15%. It’s the favourite of Midlanders and Northerners though with 17% of both regions ranking it as their favourite.

Southerners appear to favour a rather sophisticated Pimm’s No. 1 & Lemonade more than anything else though with that popular summer combination receiving 20% of the vote, followed by G&T with 15% and Vodka & Cranberry with 11%.

Londoners seem to have slightly different tastes to the rest of the south with Mojitos coming out on top in the capital. Whisky and Ginger also made an appearance in the top results, coming second in Scotland – perhaps to nobody’s surprise.

When it comes to the inspiration behind drinks choices, the split between the north and the south is even more obvious. One quarter of northerners and a third of midlanders say they are inspired by holiday experiences when it comes to choosing a drink, but southerners are more likely to be influenced by family and friends.

The popularity of cocktails is obviously on the rise with the majority of people saying they are the perfect drink for the holiday period, and a great accompaniment to a BBQ. Almost half of Londoners also suggested that they are planning to host or attend a cocktail party this summer.

Sarah Brown, spokesperson for bar.com, said: “People are no longer content with standard drink options; they’re looking for new and exciting experiences.

“As part of our Shake It Up campaign we want to show people how easy it is to create these drinks at home and that they don’t need to be an expert mixologist to make them.”

Though it doesn’t appear to have been widely adopted, perhaps for obvious reasons, cocktail makers and mixologists around London have gone the extra mile to create the perfect BBQ cocktail – by adding charcoal.

Despite the obvious attraction in using it to create dramatic colours, it also adds a bitter, smoky flavour. At Black Dice in Heddon Street, the signature drink is the Inked Daiquri, made with Mount Gay Black Barrel rum, lime, noisette and demerara charcoal, adding a hint of smoke.

At Bull in a China Shop, which opened on Shoreditch High Street in April, bar manager Christian Cuevas has created a Charcoal Old Fashioned, featuring Hakashu single malt distillers reserve, chamomile syrup, coconut charcoal powder and bitters.

He said: “The inspiration came from my research into Japanese whisky culture, which is centred around the ideas of good health, nature and good whisky.”

Brown’s Hotel is also jumping on the quirky cocktail trend, offering cocktails delivered in a camera lens container with a camera film garnish and a drink called ‘Lights on, Nobody Home’ which is served in a light bulb with a brightly coloured straw.