Nothing to Whine About

Gas prices are high, food prices are even higher…and life is good. Summer is here and the long Fourth of July weekend is near at hand. What to do? Do you drink beer, cocktails, wine, or maybe something non-alcoholic? Whatever your preference, I’ve researched a few options that should make the long weekend enjoyable.

For those of you who enjoy a frosty beer, you have a multitude of options. My boyfriend and his buddies stay with the red, white, and blue-Pabst Blue Ribbon. Very fitting considering the occasion. Yet other friends drink internationally (and a bit more expensively) and turn to either Amstel Light or Dos Equis-which are both light and easy to drink in hot weather.
For those that prefer a bit more hops to their beer there are a multitude of wheat beers that have shown up this summer as well as IPAs. I like both Blue Moon and Breckenridge Agave Wheat, but there are a number of others that are quite tasty too. And if you insist on a heavy bock or stout, Guinness is always a good bet.

Cocktails usually entail a bit of production unless you’ve gone this route before. Always add more mix than usual if you’re packing a thermos or bottle with ice-Bloody Mary mix tends to travel well. Just make sure that you make your mix the day before so that the spices meld with the tomato or clamato juice. If you’re more of a fruit cocktail kind of person, wait on the ice until you’re ready to enjoy your drink, or maybe add some actual fruit to the mix--the marinated fruit becomes its own cocktail later.

Wine-if you’re going to the lakes, try buying one of the newer versions of the wine in a box. They’ve improved quite a bit and you won’t have to worry much about breakage and spoilage.

And lastly, if you’re not into drinking anything with alcohol, or merely need a break, stay away from the caffeine and stick to juice or water. You could even just spike a cooler of water with strawberries, raspberries or even cucumber for a refreshing option.

And for all of the persons planning on drinking alcohol, remember that it is a diuretic and you should be drinking water throughout the day as well. The Institute of Medicine suggests that men consume an average of 3.0 liters a day, which is about 13 cups of water, and women consume an average of 2.2 liters a day, which is about 9 cups of water. That amount increases with higher altitude, hot or humid climates, exercise, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. So if you’re going to be out playing in the sun, pack some water as well.

Be safe and have a great Fourth of July.