Makes 450-500ml
Inspired by my favourite drink on my trip to Thailand in April (watermelon shake) this is the most refreshing little watermelon mocktail and with only 3 ingredients!
You could freeze the watermelon for extra coldness!
Ingredients:
300g Watermelon, large chunks
60ml sugar syrup
10 ice cubes
Garnish: mint
Blitz together in a blender the watermelon, ice cubes and sugar syrup. Decant into glasses and garnish with mint. Drink immediately.
Makes 1
This is a cocktail that is rarely not seen on a drinks menu. Here’s how to make your own at home, you’re going to love it!
Ingredients:
Mint leaves
50ml/ 2 shots white rum
30ml/ 1 shot lime juice
15ml/ 1/2 shot simple sugar syrup
Soda water
Ice
Garnish: mint leaves and lime wedges/slices
Begin by muddling (bruising) 5 mint leaves in your cocktail shaker. Next add the rum, lime juice, sugar syrup and ice, and shake together. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice and then top up with soda water. Garnish with mint and lime as desired.
Makes 1
This refreshing cocktail is a Mexican classic. The alcohol base is tequila (use a good quality one please!) and it is flavoured with grapefruit. You could also add a squeeze of lime if you fancy it. Rimming the glass with salt is a fun addition. If you do this, before filling the glass with ice, either run a cut lime around the rim of the glass or dip in sugar syrup, then dip in a plate of salt.
Ingredients:
45ml/ 1 1/2 shots tequila
1/2 ruby grapefuit, juiced
15ml/ 1/2 shot simple sugar syrup (or agave)
75ml/ 2 1/2 shots Soda water
Optional: squeeze of lime
Garnish: salt rimmed glass and a slice of grapefruit or lime
Fill a glass with ice (already rimmed with salt if using). In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake the tequila, grapefruit and sugar syrup (and lime if using) together until very cold. Pour into the iced glass and top up with the soda water and garnish with a slice of grapefruit.
As Christmas approaches, festive parties might well be on the calendar and so here are a few cocktail recipes to have up your sleeve for when it’s your turn to do the entertaining.
I’ve chosen two classic alcohol-based cocktails and then a non-alcohol festive twist on a Moscow Mule to get everyone in the party spirit.
A French 75 makes the perfect welcome drink whilst the Godfather Sour is my go-to as an evening progresses. The Cranberry Mule will save any non-drinkers from missing out!
All recipes make one drink.
Big thanks to Grant Walker for being a most excellent bar man at our cocktail evening and to Anna Place for being on camera duty.
French 75
Ingredients:
30ml/1 shot gin
15ml/1/2 shot fresh lemon juice
15ml/ 1/2 shot simple sugar syrup
90ml/3 shots sparking wine
Garnish: lemon twist
Put the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup in a shaker with ice, and shake until chilled.
Pour in to a flute/coupe glass and top with the sparkling wine.
Garnish with a twist of lemon.
Godfather Sour
Ingredients:
1 shot/30ml whisky
1 shot/30ml Amaretto
1 shot/30ml fresh lemon juice
1/4 shot/7.5ml sugar syrup (2:1 sugar:water ratio)
1/2 shot/15ml egg white
Garnish: orange twist
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
Close and shake for 30 seconds, then strain into a short glass, with ice.
Garnish with an orange twist.
Cranberry Mule Mocktail
Ingredients:
45ml/ 1 1/2 shot of cranberry juice
15ml/ 1/2 shot fresh lime juice
180ml / 6 shots ginger ale
Garnish: lime slice
Fill a high ball glass half full with ice.
Add the ingredients in the order of cranberry, lime and finally ginger ale.
Garnish with a slice of lime.
Makes 1 pitcher
Rosé Sangria! Summery and refreshing and a great way to use up the odd bottle of rosé and make it go a little further…
You can garnish it with strawberries, orange, peach and nectarines and mint leaves. I’ve just used peaches as that’s what I had.
Mix 75ml of Grand Marnier or Cointreau, 10g sugar, a chilled bottle of rosé, 300ml of soda water and if you like 100ml of cranberry juice. Lots of ice and your fruit garnish.
Give it all a stir and serve, ideally in sunshine!