The Times view on the rise of cocktails during the pandemic: Mixing at Home | Comment

The coronavirus crisis will be partly remembered for a series of enthusiasms that have gripped the imagination of those labouring under lockdown. The craze for following the fitness training of Joe Wicks, the “Body Coach”, on YouTube appears to have given way to the more leisurely pursuit of mixing cocktails. Yesterday Waitrose, the supermarket, reported burgeoning demand for aperitifs. Compared with the year-earlier level, sales of the Mediterranean tipple Aperol have risen by 148 per cent. Meanwhile sales of Pimm’s No 1 cup are up by 105 per cent, and those of Pampelle Grapefruit Aperitif are up by 4,850 per cent (not a misprint).

What is behind this upsurge? It may be due to a sense of relief that summer has been reached after