Sangria O'Clock.

I like Pimm's as much as the next English girl, but by the summer solstice I find its charms wearing a little thin. For my own events, therefore, I try to provide alternatives.

The advantage of Pimm's is its convenience to the host: once all the fruit is chopped you can just empty bottles into a large bowl, put out glasses and let people help themselves. When hosting more than eight or ten people I will generally make a "house drink" which can be replenished like this: perhaps it's a hangover from student houseparty punch. Although being nominally a grown up, the aim these days is convenience rather than comedy. Obviously.

I've made this white sangria a few times this summer. It's been so hot that people will instinctively drink more to try to keep hydrated, so a fairly low alcohol house drink is both welcome and essential. The basic version is very simple and it can be made more or less alcoholic as the situation demands. Adding lots of fruit and mint makes it an obvious alternative to Pimm's.

The ratios I use as standard are as follows:

1 bottle of Crabbies alcoholic ginger beer (500ml)

1 bottle of white rioja (750ml)

1 litre of lemonade (1000 ml)

So that would be 2:3:4

I have tried versions adding cointreau, calvados, orange juice and elderflower cordial.

I wasn't keen on the orange juice from an aesthetic point of view: unsurprisingly the drink just looked like... er... orange juice, and obscured the fruit bobbing prettily around in the glass. Stick with clear extras. White rum would certainly work, if your aim is to send your guests home stumbling. You could also use cider instead of ginger beer.

In theory, use the fruit to enhance the flavour of whatever has gone into the drink (for example, add apple if you have included calvados). In practice, use whatever you have on hand.

I always add orange as a nod to the orange juice in a classic sangria; and strawberries because I enjoy eating them out of the glass. Mint is a nod towards Pimm's, and I like the aesthetic of the leaves. At various times I've added lemons, limes, cucumber and apple. I have not tried it, but very finely sliced fresh ginger could work well to bring out the flavour of the Crabbies. I slice everything 2-3mm thick, and cut citrus fruit into semicircles. I pull mint leaves off the stems, but otherwise leave them whole.

Sometimes I serve the fruit on the side of the punch bowl and let people make up their own glasses, sometimes I mix it all together. Serving them together probably helps the flavours meld, but you will get through more fruit if you do it this way. Also, as host, you will need to keep topping up the fruit supplies, which by the fourth glass you will be forgetting to do. Either way, make sure your guests know where the fruit bowl is.