After weeks of lavish wines and luxurious Champagnes it is time to relax and have a bit of fun with your beverages. On Christmas Day I popped into my local pub, the Bookbinders, and was surprised to see a scattering of Champagne Coupes filled with a golden sparkling liquid. This was not a wedding; this was a “retro revival.”  It was Babycham.

I had never heard of, seen or drunk Babycham before, but I could not resist that stemmed saucer glass with the Bambi-esque deer. Babycham is sparkling perry, which is a hard alcohol, similar to cider, but made with pears and put under a soda stream. The drink itself is light and refreshing, and reminded me of a fruity alcopop. It does have a slightly artificial sweetener flavour towards the end, which is not found in small estate brewed perry. It is fun and there is nothing like holding an elegant glass drinking something that makes you giggle, not because of the alcohol (6% abv), but simply the frivolity of the bubbly itself.

Josh Mullett-Sadones, the landlord at the Bookbinders, suggested adding a shot of brandy to the Babycham for an extra kick. Top it off with a cherry, don a pillbox hat and gloves and you are right back in the early sixties when this drink was popular. 

 

If you are completely opposed to drinking Babycham . . . or male, you might enjoy the latest lager on tap at the Bookies, the Noble English craft lager. It is flavourful, light and refreshing with out being too fizzy. This lager is deceptively easy to drink, but be careful, as it is 5% abv. It is brewed using noble hops, which according to legend, Henry VIII banned because it was a ‘wicked and pernicious weed’ from the Continent. That must be why it is so tasty.

• Babycham £2.50, Babycham and Brandy £3.50, Pint of Noble £3.70