Examples

• The holiday was great. The only fly in the ointment was that I caught a cold. (Brit.)
  Der Urlaub war wunderschön. Der einzige Wermutstropfen war, dass ich mich erkältet habe.
• There wasn't much alcohol at the party as such, but what was there was very potent.
  An sich gab es nicht so viel Alkohol auf der Party, aber was da war, war sehr stark.