You may have heard of the old saying about the cycle of life: “hatches, matches and dispatches” referring to the milestones we all experience of birthdays, weddings and funerals. What you may not have considered is that there is usually an alcohol to drink to celebrate or commemorate each. This is topical for me as just last weekend my wife (Mrs Wine Matchmaker) celebrated a milestone birthday, or hatch day as she calls it, and of course there was some alcohol. So in this article I’ll be exploring the relationship between these key milestones and alcohol.
Hatches:
Alcohol has often been associated with birth and babies. For example in England there is a tradition of “Wetting the baby’s head” where the father goes on a drinking spree with his mates shortly after the birth. Even Prince William shouted a round of drinks at a local pub to celebrate the royal birth of Prince George. And in Scotland it’s traditional to give babies a small amount of whisky (Scottish, of course) under their tongue to fortify them, probably from the Scottish cold.
Alcohol also plays an important role when we celebrate birthdays – from the first legal drinks of our 18th birthdays (21st in the USA) through to the annual celebrations of adulthood. For Mrs Wine Matchmaker’s birthday celebration it was sparkling wine, but two quite different types.
The “traditional” celebratory drink of Champagne, the sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France. Although there are many other sparkling wines made with similar grapes and a similar way often for much cheaper price e.g. Cremant in France.
Champagnes history as a drink of Royalty and excellent marketing efforts by the Champagne governing body, Comité Champagne, have associated Champagne as the drink of celebrations. So, for our first sparkling wine, we enjoyed a bottle of my favourite Champagne Bollinger Non Vintage Special Cuvee.
Champagne has high levels of acid and is thus a great pairing for sweet cakes as the acid masks the sugar as per my previous article.
Our second sparkling of the day was the Cuvee Riche from Domain Chandon in the Yarra Valley. This is a softer more fruity style than Champagne with higher levels of residual sugar. It has a nice sweetness and body that goes very well with seafood, especially crayfish (lobster) and prawns, where it compliments the sweetness of the meat. While not as complex as the Bollinger, it was very easy drinking and it was difficult to stop at just one bottle…yummy.
It is also quite common for parents to buy a special bottle of wine or spirits for their child’s birth, that they then bring out at a future special occasion e.g. 18th birthday party. My sister is awaiting the release of the Dom Perginon 2010 vintage as it was the birth year of my Godson. And for my 50th birthday, I was able to obtain a bottle of 1969 d’oliveira sercial, a fortified wine from the island of Madeira. It was amazing to drink a wine that was as old as I was. Other common wines that people buy for their child’s birth include Penfolds Grange, or other long lived wines, like Barolo from Italy, Burgundy and Bordeaux from France.
Matches:
Alcohol is almost always associated with weddings. Who hasn’t gone to a wedding to sample the open bar … or is that just me? Sparkling wine has been traditionally used to toast the nuptials, and it is common for each guest to be offered a glass of sparkling wine, often Champagne, for the toast to the happy couple. And then there’s the infamous open bar when single people meet, drink and start the wedding cycle over again.
Although things don’t always go to plan, it’s not uncommon for the best man to have a few drinks to “steady the nerves” before giving the best man’s speech. This can lead to hilarious, and sometimes unwanted, revelations about the Bride and Groom. It is also not uncommon for the Bride and Groom to retire early, while guests continue to celebrate and drink late into the night.
Dispatches:
Now nobody likes to talk about funerals, but alcohol also often plays an important role in our farewells. This is particularly important for wakes, where people get together to celebrate the life of the deceased and support the family. In Ireland it is customary to bring a bottle of Irish Whiskey as a gift or to share with others at the wake. Some people also put an allowance in their Will to fund a get together for their family and friends, so they can share stories about their life and give them a fitting send off. This can even include specifying the alcohol they want served, which may have had some significance in their lives. It’s something to consider.
If you have a special occasion coming up and want some advice on what is the best alcohol to serve, send me a message and I will give you some tips. It could be which Champagne is best to serve at a wedding, or what wine will last until your child’s 18th birthday. I will also be running wine education events once we are able to, so join our mailing list or like our Facebook page to be notified.
Cheers,
Antony.
