Learn how to make classic cocktails

Simple Cocktail Recipes to try At Home

You might already be a pro in drinking cocktails, but wouldn’t it be great if you could master the art of mixing cocktails in your own house? Here is a simple guide of what bar tools, type of alcohol and ingredients you need to start making professional cocktails in the comfort of your own home! Cocktails can be created based on how strong you like it, how sweet or sour you want it. Think of it like a little experiment, where you’ll be rewarded no matter the results.

The most important thing is to experiment and have fun. Try building your own cocktails based on the foundations above. Next, try making some of your favorite cocktails, starting with the simpler ones with fewer ingredients and working your way up.

The essential bar tools that you will need are a jigger cup, cocktail shaker, muddler, juicer, mixing spoon and a strainer. These bar tools can easily be bought online or substituted for everyday household items. However, if you are planning on making cocktails regularly at home, it is recommended that you invest in a decent shaker, juicer, jigger and strainer.

The 5 classic cocktails that everyone should start making at home are the mojito, dark and stormy, martini, margarita and a mint julep.

Mojito

You will need

  1. 50ml rum
  2. 25ml gomme syrup or 2tsp brown sugar
  3. A lime
  4. 4 mint sprigs
  5. Soda water
  6. Crushed ice
  7. Highball Glass

Cut a lime into eight quarters and place seven quarters into the glass. Add the gomme syrup or sugar and rum and muddle together, making sure you squeeze the juice out of the limes. Fill with crushed ice and top up with soda (or apple juice for an apple mojito). Add the sprigs of mint and tease to the bottom of the glass with a spoon, at the same time as gently lifting the lime, sugar and rum upwards. Garnish with a mint sprig and the last quarter of lime. If you prefer, you can adjust the sweetness by reducing and increasing the syrup or sugar and adjust the sourness by adjusting the number of lime wedges.

Dark and Stormy

You will need

  1. 50ml dark rum
  2. 20ml lime juice
  3. Ginger beer
  4. Ice cubes
  5. Highball Glass

Add rum and lime juice to the glass. Rub lime around the rim. Fill with ice cubes. Top up with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge. Simple and tasty!

Martini

You will need

  1. 90ml gin or vodka
  2. 15ml dry vermouth
  3. Crushed ice
  4. Ice cubes
  5. Martini Glass

Fill a cocktail glass with ice and leave to one side. Fill a large glass with crushed ice and water/soda water. This is to help make the glass as cold as possible. Once the glass is very cold to the touch, discard the ice and water. Pour the gin (or vodka) and vermouth into the glass and fill with ice cubes. Slowly stir until the ice dilutes the drink to your taste. Discard the ice from the cocktail glass and strain in the drink, adding your choice of garnish: fruit zest, cherry, caper berry, olive … Martinis taste best when cold, so should be polished off within 7-10 minutes.

Mint Julep

You will need

  1. 60ml Bourbon
  2. 2 teaspoons of caster sugar or 15ml simple syrup
  3. 4 mint sprigs
  4. Crushed ice
  5. Highball Glass or Julep Cup

Add the mint sprigs, caster sugar and a couple of tablespoons of crushed ice. Begin ‘massaging’ the mix together with a spoon. The caster sugar helps to bring out the flavour of the mint. Breaking or crushing the mint makes the taste sour, hence the need to gently fold and stir. Add 30ml of Bourbon, more crushed ice and continue ‘massaging’. Fill with ice, pour in the second 30ml of Bourbon. Continue stirring until the glass is frosty, garnish with a mint sprig and you are good to go!

Margarita

You will need

  1. 60ml tequila
  2. 30ml of Cointreau or triple sec
  3. 30ml of lime juice
  4. Ice cubes
  5. Salt
  6. Margarita Glass

Fill a glass with ice and leave to one side. Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously for 45 seconds to a minute. If using a tumbler, leave the ice in the glass. If using a cocktail glass, discard the ice. To salt the rim, pour either table salt or sea salt onto a small plate, rub the rim with lime and roll into the salt. Strain the drink into the glass. Garnish with a lime wheel or lime rind.

Now that we have some basic recipes up and running, feel free to play around with the ingredients. Syrups don’t necessary have to be simple syrup, if you chance upon flavored syrups like hibiscus or rose, you can incorporate them to see how it changes a flavor. Bonus points if you can brew your own syrup. Same for citrus, other than the usual lime and lemon, we can also opt for grapefruit and yuzu juice. These will create many different flavors and scents that will help in discovering your palate!

If you would like some specially customized cocktails for your wedding or event, do check out our bespoke and customized menu options. Or if you already have an idea in your mind, drop us an enquiry and we will reach out to you shortly.