Despite musical claims made by Andy Williams routinely heralded in TV commercials and shopping malls throughout the festive season, the most wonderful time of the year is actually happy hour. At Subvrt, we want you to have a wonderful time whenever you damn well please so we teamed up with Saintly Hard Seltzer and Soju Gang to give you a pandemic-friendly happy hour that’ll have you rockin’ around the punch bowl. 

The Playlist 

To set the mood, we asked Melbourne-based DJ and streetwear designer, Soju Gang to curate a Spotify playlist that wouldn’t be great for a silent night but works perfectly for a holy (happy hour) night. Their favourite pre-lockdown happy hour spot? “Section 8 [Melbourne, Victoria] is my number one spot, but also Ferdydurke right next door.”

The Drinks

What are you having?

If a zero sugar, zero carbs, vegan alcohol drink is your shtick – Saintly’s got you covered with four flavours – Hail Mango, Holy Watermelon and Mint, Blessed Lime and Forbidden Grapefruit. For those who know their way around a spirit measure, we’ve created a cocktail for each Saintly flavour that will surely bring joy to your world: 

Grapefruit Aperol Spritz

Serves 1

Ingredients

30ml (1fl oz) Saintly Forbidden Grapefruit Hard Seltzer

60ml (2fl oz) Aperol

90ml (3fl oz) prosecco

Grapefruit or orange slice to serve

Crushed ice to serve

Method: Add all ingredients into a wine glass with crushed ice, stir and serve.

Hail Mango Mojito 

Serves 1

Ingredients

60ml (2fl oz) Saintly Hail Mango Hard Seltzer

60ml (2fl oz) white rum

30ml (1fl oz) fresh lime juice

½ cup fresh mango, diced

1 tbsp sugar syrup

12 mint leaves

Crushed ice to serve

Method: In a long tumbler, crush fresh mango, 6 mint leaves and sugar syrup with a muddler until mint and mango are softened. Add lime juice and stir. Add crushed ice, top with Saintly Hail Mango Hard Seltzer and garnish with remaining mint and serve.

Blessed Wild Thing 

Serves 1

Ingredients

30ml (1fl oz) Saintly Blessed Lime Hard Seltzer

45ml (1½fl oz) tequila

30ml (1fl oz) cranberry juice

15ml (½fl oz) fresh lime juice

Slice of lime to serve

Crushed ice to serve

Method: Pour tequila, cranberry and lime juices into a short tumbler over ice and stir. Add Saintly Blessed Lime Hard Seltzer and stir gently. Garnish with a slice of lime and serve.

Holy Punch 

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 cans Saintly Holy Watermelon and Mint Hard Seltzer

750ml (25fl oz) white wine (chilled)

60ml (2fl oz) watermelon schnapps

375ml (13fl oz) pineapple juice

90ml (3fl oz) fresh lemon juice

Quarter of an unseeded watermelon, cut into cubes

1 cup cubed pineapple

1 cup cubed watermelon

1 cup halved strawberries

Handful of fresh mint to serve

Crushed ice to serve

Method: Place pineapple and lemon juices with watermelon quarter into a blender over 2 cups of crushed ice. Blend and pour into the punch bowl. Add white wine and watermelon schnapps and stir thoroughly, then refrigerate for three hours. Add Saintly Holy Watermelon and Mint Hard Seltzer, strawberries, watermelon, fresh mint and crushed ice. Stir gently and serve.

The Happy Hour Games Corner ft. Soju Gang

We thought we’d throw this in if you’re in need of a crushed-ice breaker at your small gathering, or over Zoom. Soju Gang got things going by playing in our games corner, you can use these same questions (or other variations) with your own happy hour crew:

Are you more likely to run away and join the circus, go off-grid for an entire month (no phone, no internet) or lead the uprising in a zombie apocalypse?

I could easily see myself doing all three. Always thought I’d be a great magician, apprentice or a clown. Considering the year we’ve had – running away to an off grid place would be amazing. But I’ve also been preparing for an apocalypse of some sort for my entire life.

Trivia (no Googling): 

Which creature has ten hearts?

a) an octopus

b) an earthworm

c) an ant

d) a fish

An earthworm I think. I’ve gutted fish so I know they’ve only got one heart.

What is the strangest coincidence you’ve ever personally encountered?

I’ve had way too many coincidences happen constantly. My partner’s mother saw my grand-uncle speak at a festival that led her and him to be very involved with Indigenous social issues – which in large part is how we crossed paths. Or that someone who would become my best friend turned out to not only be related to cousins I have, but also grew up a block from me.

Check out Saintly’s full range on their website, and check out more of Soju Gang’s adventures on Instagram.

Photography: Mia Rankin