I don’t know, dear friends, now that I’ve got into mixing drinks again, I simply can’t stop! All those endless variations and those different tastes and looks… So let me present some more recipes of both short and long drinks to you, for some more home summer parties!
Talking about ingredients, I told you last time about the importance of Cointreau (or indeed any orange liqueur) in mixing; also, it’s always a good idea to have a bottle of vermouth at home, it’s a vital part of a lot of cocktails – I’ve put some of them on this list.
Manhattan
50ml whisky, 20ml sweet vermouth, 1 glace cherry
One of the old classics from the late 19th century, this tasty cocktail is very easy to do: simply pour the whisky into a cocktail glass (or a wine glass, if you haven’t got any cocktail glasses), add the vermouth and stir. Decorate with a glace cherry on a cocktail stick and serve before dinner or as an afternoon refreshment!
Martini
50ml gin, 20ml dry vermouth, 1 green olive
Even people who’ve never mixed a cocktail in their lives know what a Martini is: it’s what James Bond always orders, ‘shaken not stirred’… He wants it shaken, of course, because he wants to always keep a clear head – part of the alcohol vanishes in the shaking process. So, unless you’re a spy, you’d better stir a Martini, not shake it!
Pour the gin into a cocktail (or wine) glass, add the vermouth and stir; decorate with a green olive on a cocktail stick.
Sidecar
20ml brandy, 20ml Cointreau, 20ml lemon juice
Another classic from the early 1920s, actually invented in Paris: Pour the ingredients into a cocktail (or wine) glass and stir. You can decorate the rim with a slice of orange or lemon.
As you can see, those really classic cocktails don’t require any ice; here are some more modern ones that do:
Daiquiri
30ml white rum, 10ml lime juice, 1tsp sugar
Put the lime juice and the sugar into a shaker and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the rum and ice and shake, then pour into a cocktail (or wine) glass. You can decorate the glass with a slice of lime!
Highland Fling
50ml Scotch whisky, 20ml sweet vermouth, 1 green olive
This is what makes Scottish highlanders dance in summer! It’s a variation on the classic Martini, with whisky instead of gin. Simply put the whisky and the vermouth in a cocktail or whisky glass with ice, stir and add the olive skewered on a toothpick.
And here are some more refreshing long drinks:
Mojito
50ml white rum, 8-10 fresh mint leaves, 1tsp sugar, 5cl lime juice, 50-100ml soda water
This famous Cuban speciality is great on a hot summer day, due to the freshness of the mint leaves and the lime juice and the coolness of the soda water. Here’s how to do it: Put the mint leaves, the lime juice and the sugar in a bowl and muddle with a cooking spoon (or you can use a mortar and pestle if you’ve got one!).
Then, add the rum and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into a highball glass with ice and fill up with soda water; you can decorate with more mint leaves and slices of lime.
Paloma
30ml tequila, 100ml grapefruit juice, 5ml lime juice, 1tsp sugar, 50ml soda
Put the grapefruit juice, the lime juice and the sugar into a whisky glass and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the tequila, the soda and ice and stir again; decorate the glass with a slice of lime.
Americano
30ml red vermouth, 30ml Campari, 100ml soda, 1 slice lemon or orange
This grand old Italian long drink (it dates back to the 1860s!) is made in a highball glass with a lot of ice: pour in the Campari and the vermouth and stir, then fill up with soda. Garnish with a slice of lemon or orange.
Country Club Cooler
50ml vermouth, 1tsp grenadine syrup, 100ml soda, 1 wedge lemon
A very light and refreshing summer drink: pout the vermouth, the grenadine syrup (as always, you can replace it with concentrated blackcurrant juice or cherry juice) and the soda water into a highball glass with lots of ice and stir; decorate with a wedge of lemon.
Summer Wind
50ml gin, 20ml lemon juice, 10ml cucumber juice, 1tsp sugar, 100-150ml soda, 1 long slice cucumber
I’ve become a great cucumber fan, so I collect all the drinks recipes with cucumbers that I come across – they’re just so original looking, and very refreshing on hot summer days! So here’s a new one I found recently: Put the gin, the cucumber juice and the sugar in a shaker with ice and shake for 20-30 seconds. Pour into a whisky tumbler or a highball glass that you’ve previously draped a long, thin cucumber slice into; fill up with soda to your taste.
And you should always have a bite to eat with your drink: how about a small plate of Greek mezedakia, for example, like cherry tomatoes, olives and cheese? Or, in case you prefer something more Teutonic, a steak tartare sandwich made of raw mincemeat and egg yolk? (I’ve given you the recipe for that in my sandwich recipe post: https://romanceloversite.com/2020/04/15/robertas-recipes-more-easy-and-tasty-sandwiches/ ) There are endless possibilities for creating little party snacks!
Have fun with your mixing, dear friends, no matter what the weather is like, and remember: there’s no such place like home! And so much fun to have indoors…
Roberta Franklin 