Although we do not have a white Christmas a summer festive season has its benefits. The beach and outdoor parties as well as a variety of great summer drinks are some of the advantages of a summer holiday season.

Here is an awesome cocktail and the ideal festive season drink.

The Versus  Holiday delight

Ingredients

• 200g cranberries
• 50g caster sugar
• 150ml fresh orange juice
• 100 ml Versus Rosé wine
• 1 bottle chilled sparkling wine

Method

Place the cranberries, sugar and orange juice in a small pan and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes until soft, then press through a fine mesh sieve and leave to cool. You should have about 200ml of thin purée. Cover and chill.

Give the purée a stir, then spoon a rounded tablespoon into six glasses. Add a tot Rosé wine per glass.  Fill up with fizz and give it a quick twizzle to blend.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Who should be held responsible for under-age liquor purchases as the trend seems to be to point fingers at everyone else? The truth is, the responsibility lies with each and every one of us as individuals. In light of this ongoing issue and challenge, the Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA) has launched their newly designed in-store sticker campaign titled RU18 to assist in increasing awareness amongst retailers and the public alike and combating the current stream of underage alcohol purchases.

“The aim is to reinforce the ARA message of responsible drinking by keeping the legal age limit top of mind for both the purchaser and the distributor as well as discouraging adults from sending underage buyers to buy alcohol for them,” says ARA spokesperson Adrian Botha.

Creating awareness regarding the role that traders play in driving a reduction of alcohol abuse in their respective communities is key to stemming the problem. Internationally published author of the LifeTalk books, Izabella Little Gates commented, “underage drinking is a real problem the world over, not just in South Africa and it is up to us as parents and communities to put a stop to the problem at the root, limiting underage children access to purchasing alcohol.

Children and teenagers are faced with a variety of difficult challenges while growing up, most importantly the effect of peer pressure and it is up to parents and communities at large to instill a sense of responsibility and awareness in their children so that they make the right choices when they are put in these situations.”

“The ARA acknowledges underage drinking as a huge problem. It is only with the assistance of the distributing outlets and by encouraging responsible behavior amongst purchasers that we can reduce the extent to which this is happening. While this campaign is targeted on the purchase of alcohol, we are continually focused on educating adults regarding awareness of the availability of alcohol within the home to underage drinkers” continues Botha.

The ARA is in the process of distributing their in-store point of sale material to various outlets over the next few months and look forward to working alongside store owners and retail employees to create greater awareness around their latest campaign.

So this festive season and on an ongoing basis, do your bit and take responsibility by alerting others to the issue of underage drinking and the extent to which children can access alcohol so that together, we may help curb this problem.

Versus Wines  support the drink responsible efforts of ARA

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Versus wines, popular with consumers for their unbelievable value, have expanded the range to include a two litre Box Wine, available in Red, White and Rosé. Conveniently sized and well-priced to offer even more exceptional value, the Versus boxed wines offer consumers an alternative to the Versus 750-ml bottled range, which includes classics in Red, White and Rosé, along with the ever-popular Versus Naturally Sweet range.

Corné Oosthuizen, Brand and Business Development Manager at ‘the company of wine people™’ explains, “We have a loyal following of consumers that rely on Versus for its easy-living wines that deliver on quality as well as a crisp, uncomplicated taste. Our consumers are constantly on-the-go, so we wanted to expand our range with an option that will meet their needs for greater convenience.”

Oosthuizen continues, “While most box wines in South Africa are 3-litres in size, we believe that our handy 2-litre option answers a gap in the market for easier portability and greater convenience. Plus, since our box wines are filled with the same wine available in glass bottles, which have been recognised with top honours in the 2012 Best Value Guide, Versus consumers won’t have to sacrifice quality for price.”

In line with the recent launch of new packaging across the entire Versus range, which has been featured extensively in the media, the box wines feature packaging that looks as refreshing as the wine inside. With a bright colour palette, straight-forward taste descriptors, prominent positioning of the iconic Versus diamond, the packaging communicates the unique personality of the Versus brand while achieving a striking presence on shelf.

Underlining Versus’ ability to deliver exceptional value, the packaging also features a dedicated area that can be customised for market-specific offers. For example, in South Africa the launch of the Versus box wines will be promoted with a Value-Add Offer of two litres for the price of 1.5 litres – or 33% more free. Additional support will be delivered with a focused publicity campaign that will leverage Versus’ powerful presence across social media.

This expansion of the ever popular Versus range to include box wine in a consumer-friendly two litre size is just another example of the brand’s ability to innovate and stay ahead of the curve. Already known as a trendsetting brand for its unconventional approach to advertising, and armed with a powerful presence across social media, the brand’s footprint (which is already strong in South Africa as well as other key European markets) is positioned for even more growth. Oosthuizen says, “This shows us that we are moving in the right direction and delivering on consumer insight to ensure greater demand.”

Available in Red, White and Rosé, the Versus 2-litre boxed wines are exceptionally well-priced at just R49.99 each, and will be available on shelf nationwide from January 2012. More listings are expected to follow soon.