My life in drinks, ROISIN GALLAGHER: 'Hot whisky is my seasonal speciality'
The actress, 36, tells Charlotte Vossen about her teenage Breezer years, fizz on top of a mountain and coffee culture in Belfast, her hometown.
As a child, I loved a hot orange, which is orange cordial, or ‘diluting juice’ as we call it in Belfast, with boiling water. Going into autumn, it was comforting and almost medicinal. In a way, it was like a cold and flu remedy without the nastiness. Now I only drink it when childhood friends come to see me around that time of year. We’ll have hot oranges and gossip, like we used to after school.
I drank White Lightning cider once. I was underage but it was sort of a rite of passage. We were at a friend’s house on a Friday night playing awful games and seeing who could drink the fastest. We used to call the two-litre bottles ‘barrack busters’ – that was the street name for cider.
The actress, 36, tells Charlotte Vossen about her teenage Breezer years, fizz on top of a mountain and coffee culture in Belfast, her hometown. Pictured: Roisin in The Dry
As a young clubber, Roisin loved Belfast after dark. These days she's hooked on lattes. At her funeral, she wants cocktails with a kick
I entered adulthood with Bacardi Breezers. The pineapple flavour was my favourite. On Saturdays my friends and I would go clubbing and order them or, as time went on, something more sophisticated like [wine-based] West Coast Coolers. When the nightlife escalated, we started using them as mixers. Not even with Bacardi – that would have been sensible – but with vodka.
Recently I’ve discovered spicy margaritas. I tried them for the first time about two months ago at an Asian fusion restaurant in the centre of Dublin. Ironically, I was filming The Dry [an Irish comedy-drama in which Gallagher plays a recovering alcoholic] and we had a little cast dinner. They were delicious.
I never say no to a glass of Veuve Clicquot. A fellow actor bought me a bottle as a gift after a run of the play Abigail’s Party I was in [at the MAC Belfast]. The character of Beverly drinks gin and tonic all night. I’m realising that I have played a lot of characters who have a drink problem.
Recently I’ve discovered spicy margaritas. I tried them for the first time about two months ago at an Asian fusion restaurant in the centre of Dublin
My husband [Craig] introduced me to Frangelico liqueur on our first date. He saw me in A Midsummer Night’s Dream [at Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre] and afterwards we had a few in a bar. He’s Scottish and, for our first meal together, he cooked haggis in a whisky sauce. It was delicious.
When my friends and I climbed Slieve Binnian mountain in Northern Ireland, we took mini bottles of prosecco to have at the peak. It’s not a massive hike, but it felt tough. It was hot and, when we got to the top, cloudy, but when the clouds passed there was an incredible view.
I really enjoy coffee – the smell of it and being in coffee shops. It’s both a hobby and a necessity, although I’ve weaned myself off an alarming amount of caffeine, and am down to one or two cups a day
I always take care of the hot whiskies after Christmas dinner. I add lemon or orange, pierced with cloves or cinnamon sticks, to a glass of whisky with a measure of boiling water and plenty of sugar or honey to taste. You don’t want to use uber-fancy whisky. Again, it’s a kind of wintry and medicinal drink. My dad used to make it for me when I was feeling under the weather.
I really enjoy coffee – the smell of it and being in coffee shops. It’s both a hobby and a necessity, although I’ve weaned myself off an alarming amount of caffeine, and am down to one or two cups a day. I usually get an americano with a little splash of milk. Sometimes, when it’s hot, I’ll order a caramel iced latte. I’ve spent a lot of time in White Field and Arizona [Espresso Company], two independent coffee shops in Belfast.
I would like my family to make a signature cocktail for my funeral. I don’t know what that would include – they would have to think long and hard – but it would be nice if it involved sparklers and an umbrella. It would have to be quite strong, fairly sweet, and come with a bit of a kick.
- Gallagher is starring in the six-part comedy-drama The Lovers, available on Sky Atlantic and NOW from 7 September
