How To Make The Best Cocktails
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When you're entertaining friends for dinner or throwing a party, there's nothing like a really good cocktail to get the evening rocking!
So here are my top tips for the perfect cocktails, great fun to make and guaranteed to impress your friends!
First, and most important, is to make sure you have shed loads of ice to hand, as this is one of the most important ingredients in any cocktail. Ice cubes and cracked and crushed ice are a must for any cocktail drink. Cracked ice is cubes of ice broken up, where as crushed ice needs to be more finely broken. If you don't have an ice crushing machine, then a plastic bag and a rolling pin will do just as well.
If you want to make a really good cocktail it helps to have the right equipment. The main things you will need are a cocktail shaker, a measure for the spirits, a strainer, a juicer, and an assortment of glasses to pour your cocktails in. The most popular ones are: champagne flutes, highball glasses, martini glasses and tumblers. Also ,it's a good idea to have a bowl of warm water handy to quickly rinse your equipment. If you have room, keep the cocktail glasses nicely chilled until, you're ready to use them and make sure you have all the ingredients you will need to hand. It's a good idea to juice in advance any fruit you may need such as lemons and limes.
One other thing worth remembering, but easy to overlook, is to make sure you have something available for anyone who may not be drinking alcohol.
Here are some of my favorite cocktails, guaranteed to make any party swing!
1. Champagne Cocktails. Put a sugar cube in each glass and a few drops of Angostura bitters. Then pour in some brandy, just enough to cover the sugar cubes and top up with your favorite brand of Champers! Garnish with a slice of orange if you wish and Voila! The perfect Champagne cocktail!
2. Margherita. Ah yes...my favorite summer drink. You need 1.5 measures of tequila, 1 measure of lime juice, 1 measure of Cointreau or other triple sec spirit, salt, and cracked ice.
Put the tequila, lime juice and Cointreau into your shaker with the cracked ice. Shake well and then drain into a cocktail that you have rimmed with salt. Decorate with a slice of lime. On the other hand, if you can't be bothered with that, just go for a Tequila Slammer. Sprinkle some salt on the back of your hand, neck the tequila, lick the salt and suck on a lime wedge. Drink several of these and wait for the hangover!
3. B 52. Half a measure of Kahlua, (coffee flavoured liqueur from Mexico), half a measure of Bailey's Irish Cream and half a measure of Grand Marnier.
Pour the Kahlua into a liqueur glass and then slowly pour the Bailey's over the back of a spoon and then do the same with the Grand Marnier for a 3 layered shooter! Fantastic!
4. Tequila Sunrise. 1 measure tequila, 2.5 measures orange juice and 2 teaspoons of grenadine, plus 6 ice cubes.
Crack half the ice and put it in a cocktail shaker. Then put in the tequila and juice and shake well. Put the other ice in a tall glass and strain the tequila from the shaker. Pour in the grenadine slowly and stir once.
5. Manhattan. 5 ice cubes, 1 measure sweet vermouth, 3 measures bourbon.
Place the ice in a glass to mix. then pour in the vermouth and bourbon and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and decorate with a cocktail cherry. Simple...but hits the spot!
6. Gin Sling. Absolutely one of the best, most refreshing summer drinks in my opinion and so simple to make. You need, half a dozen ice cubes, juice of half a lemon, 1 measure of cherry brandy, 3 measures of gin and some soda water. Cocktail cherries are optional to decorate.
Put the ice in the shaker, add the lemon juice, cherry brandy and gin and shake well. Pour into a tall glass and top up with soda water. Serve with straws...mmmm.
7. Vodka Martini. For this, all you will need is 5-6 ice cubes, half a measure of dry vermouth, 3 measures of vodka.
Put the ice in a mixing glass and pour the vermouth and vodka over it and stir, then strain into a cocktail glass. Decorate with a green olive.
Although this is reputedly 007's favorite drink, James Bond actually drank more champagne than anything else in Ian Fleming's novels.
8. Mai Tai. The most elaborate concoction, but well worth the effort. Ingredients are as follows: A beaten egg white, caster sugar (superfine), 1 measure white rum, ( à la Captain Jack Sparrow), half measure of orange juice, half measure of lime juice, 3 crushed ice cubes.
Using a tall glass, coat the edge with the egg white and dip into the caster sugar. Put the rum, orange juice and lime juice into a shaker and shake well. Put ice in the glass and simply pour over the cocktail. If you wish, decorate with cherries and slices of orange.
9. Daiquiri. This is a cocktail that takes a little more effort as you need to make some sugar syrup which is really easy. To do this, put 4 tablespoons of caster sugar, (superfine) in a pan with 4 tablespoons of water and slowly bring to boiling point, stirring all the time to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved, continue to boil for a further 2 minutes without stirring. Allow to cool before using. You can keep the sugar syrup in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Now for the Daquiri. In your cocktail shaker put lots of cracked ice with the juice of 2 limes, a teaspoon of sugar syrup and 3 measures of white rum. Then shake well and strain into your cocktail glass.
10. Pina Colada. It had to be on the list somewhere! This is so easy to make and still such a popular cocktail. So, take lots of cracked ice and put it in the cocktail shaker with 1 measure of white rum, 2 measures of coconut cream and 2 measures of pineapple juice. Shake to mix and pour into a tall glass and then if you wish decorate with slices of orange and some cherries. Perfect!
Have fun making cocktails and have a great party!
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This article helps me in experimenting with alcohol elements.... Thanks.
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