Sugar, the Good, Bad, and the Ugly

Is a spoonful of sugar really as bad for you as puff of a cigarette? New research would have you believe that Mary Poppins wasn’t trying to make housework fun, but subliminally advertising one of the most highly addictive substances in the world. Forget cocaine or heroin, sugar is being touted as the stealth killer invading our bodies, clogging up our arteries, and generally being evil.
But are we overacting? Isn’t sugar an important part of a balanced diet and most importantly, a balanced drink? Will the Piña Colada have to come with a government health warning or will we have to adapt recipes to respect future ‘responsible sweetening’ regulations?
Crucially, if our cocktails are put on diets, will they also become a lot less fun to hang out with? Join Claire Smith-Warner, as we dive into the great big sugar debate with expert panelists Jeffrey Kluger (Science editor, Times Magazine ), Nick van Tiel and health & wellness expert Georgia van Tiel to reveal the bittersweet future of cocktails, with examples of the good, the bad and ugly side of alternative sugars.