Don’t score an own goal - how to enjoy the World Cup with moderation

Substitute in some taller drinks

Unlike your favourite footballers (we're not naming names!), you shouldn't feel confined to just enjoying water while watching those crucial matches. Moderating yourself comes down to a few key decisions - and one of them is about the type of drink you can enjoy. 

One way to reduce your alcohol intake is to choose drinks that are often described as 'taller' or 'longer' as they can use smaller measures of spirits alongside a mixer. You can often see these drinks on menus referred to as a Collins or a highball.

Still serving up plenty of flavour, these taller drinks can be lower in ABV than more spirit-forward cocktails, coming with plenty of ice and a soda water or another mixer to top. It’s a sipper, and it’s far from a runner-up consolation prize.

Consider swapping a Spicy Margarita for a tall tequila drink, packed full of zesty lime and fiery ginger beer. 

You’ll need:

• 35ml Casamigos white tequila

• 15ml fresh lime juice

• 100ml ginger beer

To make: 

Fill either a copper mug or a highball glass with crushed or cubed ice. Add in the tequila and lime juice and top with ginger beer. 

Top tip: using the above as a base from which to build off, you can actually easily swap in a few ingredients to get a different serve each time. Muddle in a couple of jalapeños at the start and you’ve got a Spicy Mule. Or you can add in 15ml of Triple Sec and a splash of orange juice for a Fruity Mule.

With plenty of southern states hosting the games, you might find whisk(e)y and bourbon fits the bill. This drink brings out the distinctive flavour of a classic bourbon with plenty of summer flavours and sweet touches that make it the perfect sup to sip. 

You’ll need:

• 50ml Bulleit bourbon

• 20ml fresh lemon juice

• 5ml sugar syrup 

• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters

• Strawberries (a couple, to be muddled)

• Ginger beer

To make: 

Muddle a strawberry in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Next, add ice and all your other ingredients except the ginger beer. Shake hard and strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice. Top with ginger beer.

You’ll need:

• 50ml Seedlip Grove 42

• 15ml agave syrup 

• 20ml fresh lime juice 

To make: 

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the Seedlip, agave syrup and lime juice. Shake until the surface of the shaker is cold and strain into a rocks glass prepared with fresh ice. 

Top tip: If you’re hosting a party and want everyone to feel included, simply make a jug of pre-made Seedlip Margarita mix (multiplying the measurements above by how many drinks you think you might need, so if you think you’ll make five mocktails, turn 50ml of Seedlip into 250ml) and leave out a dedicated shaker with ice. 

You could label this so it doesn’t get mixed up with any shakers being used to make alcoholic cocktails. That way, people can make their own mocktails when they’re ready (expect a rush at half time!).

If you’ve got friends over for a late game in your time zone, consider offering a mix of alcoholic and alcohol-free drinks so your guests can choose what suits them. If kick off is at a time when you and your guests are usually tucked up in bed (we're looking at you, 2am games!), think about serving drinks that don't feature lots of sugar or include coffee in the recipe, to minimise the impact from the late night.

There are clever ways you can switch up easy recipes to achieve this. Take a classic Mojito. Great for summer time and easy to make, you can simply make the traditional recipe less sugary by removing the simple syrup and looking for a sugar-free soda water to top. 

Alternatively, if kick-off falls around a regular meal time and you plan to serve food, consider mixing up jug batches of drinks to take the pressure off you. Less rushing around makes for a far happier host, and guests. Bloody Marys, Mimosas, and alcohol-free punch alongside a serving of nibbles, small plates or a charcuterie board are always crowd pleasers.

Need more inspiration? We’ve got plenty more tips on throwing the ultimate summer party that will make you the host that gets it in the back of the net, every time.