What to drink when you’re watching Strictly

Bubbly, cocktails or a cuppa?

Sitting down on a Saturday night to watch Strictly Come Dancing is a weekly ritual for its hardcore fans, me included, but with a two hour programme to get through at this stage of the contest, what does one drink?

Beer doesn’t seem very - well, Strictly - though it’s probably the most sessionable of drinks but cracking open a hefty red might mean you miss your favourite couple while you snooze on the sofa. 

My instinct that sparkling wine was the way to go was borne out by a transcript of the Off Menu podcast with Motsi Mabuse and pictures of Shirley carrying a bottle of champagne but champers seems a bit premature at this stage. 

Ed Gamble Strictly's a fizzy show. 

James Acaster It's a fizzy show

Motsi Mabuse We sparkle all the way. 

Prosecco, I suspect, would be the bevvy of choice for many Strictly lovers but I’d personally go for a crémant* or cooler still - although is there anything cool about Strictly? - a pet nat as my fellow aficionado ellypear did. (I was drinking a 5% Welsh perry called Pyrus Monmouthshire Burgundy for what it’s worth. 2023’s answer to Babycham.)

Cocktails would be the other obvious option apart from the faff of having to leave the sofa to make them. However you can get pretty good bottled cocktails now including espresso martinis, apparently a new favourite bevvy of Shirley’s. M & S, which has a huge range is bound to have some with glitter in the run-up Christmas. Or there’s always Bailey’s.

If your tastes run to drier drinks how about an Aperol Spritz (there’s a non-alcoholic version called Crodino) or an outsize Spanish style ‘gintonica’ in a goldfish bowl-sized glass. Again you can find decent alcohol-free gin substitutes these days if you’re not drinking. Sipsmith’s Freeglider which is currently on Amazon at 15% being my own favourite

So how about you? Are you a Strictly fan and if so what do you end up drinking while you’re watching it? Even if it’s a cuppa and a Hobnob.

*Asda’s excellent Extra Special Crémant d’Alsace is on offer currently at £9 with 25% off if you buy six bottles which should keep you going for the next few weeks