10 easy and impressive cocktails you can make at home

4 October 2018, 11:07

Impress your guests with these no-fuss homemade cocktails at your next drinks party.

It’s London Cocktail Week, hooray!

The boozy festival runs from October 1 to 7, alongside the London Restaurant Festival. It celebrates all the weird and wonderful drinks you can find in the capital.

But if you’d rather save a pretty penny, we’ve gathered the top 10 cocktail recipes you just have to try at home, all year round!

1. Negroni

   

   Recipe

   1 oz London dry gin

   1 oz Campari

   1 oz sweet vermouth

   Orange peel to garnish

   Method: Stir all the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice until well-chilled (about 30 seconds). Strain into a rocks glass full of ice cubes. Garnish with orange peel.

2. Gin & Tonic

   

   Recipe

   2 oz gin

   3 – 4 oz chilled tonic water

   Lime wedges to garnish

   Method: Pour over ice, garnish with a lime wedge, or a slice of cucumber if you’re using Hendrick’s gin.

3. Martini

   

   Recipe

   2 oz gin

   1 oz dry vermouth

   Lemon peel to garnish

   Method: Stir (don’t shake) the gin and vermouth in an ice-filled cocktail shaker for about 10 seconds. Strain into a coupe or cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon peel for a finishing touch.

4. Margarita

   

   Recipe

   2 oz tequila

   1 oz Cointreau

   1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice

   Lime wedge

   Coarse salt

   Method: Rub a lime wedge over the rim of a Margarita glass then twist on a plate of coarse salt so it attaches. Shake the ingredients with cracked ice, then strain into a glass over ice.

5. Bellini

   

   Recipe

   2 oz peach puree

   1 oz sugar syrup

   4 oz prosecco

   Method: Mix the peach puree and sugar syrup together. Add about 20ml of the peach puree mix to a champagne flute, then gently pour prosecco into the glass. Stir to mix the peach and prosecco just before serving.

6. Mimosa

   

   Recipe

   2 oz orange juice

   2 oz sparkling wine

   Method: Add the orange juice to a champagne flute and fill with sparkling wine.

7. Manhattan

   

   Recipe

   2 oz rye whiskey

   1 oz sweet vermouth

   2 dashes Angostura bitters

   Orange twist or brandied cherry to garnish

   Method: Stir the ingredients with cracked ice and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with an orange twist or brandied cherry.

8. Daiquiri

   

   Recipe

   2 oz white rum

   3/4 oz syrup

   1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice

   Method: Shake all the ingredients in a mixing glass until well-mixed, strain into a glass and serve.

9. Gin Fizz

   

   Recipe

   2 oz gin

   1 oz lemon juice

   2 tsp sugar syrup

   Sparkling water to top-up

   Cucumber slice to garnish

   Method: Pour the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup in a cocktail shaker and fill up with ice cubes. Shake well until the outside of the shaker feels cold then strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Top up to the top with sparkling water and garnish with a slice of cucumber.

10. Dark 'n' Stormy

    

    Recipe

    2 oz dark rum

    ½ oz fresh lime juice

    3 oz chilled ginger beer

    Lime wedge / candied ginger slice to garnish (optional)

    Method: Pour all the ingredients over a Collins or Highball glass filled with ice. Stir gently and garnish with a wedge of lime or a candied ginger slice.