5 cocktails you could serve at home for a festive get together
A sure shot way to entertain all the guests you're going to have over the festive season is by serving up a variety of lip smacking cocktails. There’s no better way to get into the festive mood than with a colourful array of delicious drinks. You don’t even need a bartender or fancy equipment to whip up some neat house party cocktails. Making cocktails is quite easy to get a hang of, one needs to simply keep in mind to use mixers and garnish that accentuate the flavour of the base spirit/spirits. Fortunately there are countless ways to do this from the comfort of your home kitchen. To help you up your cocktail game, we’re going to look at five such ways.
Old Fashioned:
As far as cocktails go, it doesn’t really get more classic than an Old Fashioned. It is quite literally the cocktail that started it all off and as a matter of fact is the first recipe to appear alongside the word cocktail on print all the way back in 1806. Close to a century later the name “Old Fashioned” seemingly fashioned itself into existence in bars all over the United States and later worldwide as a word used to describe this timeless cocktail. Making one is as easy as it gets.
Ingredients:
- 45 ml Single Malt Whisky
- 2 dashes of bitters
- 1 Sugar cube
- A dash of club soda
- Orange peel(garnish)
Direction:
- Place the sugar cube in an old fashioned glass.
- Wet it down with bitters and a short splash of club soda.
- Crush the sugar with a wooden muddler, then rotate the glass
- So that the sugar grains and bitters give it a lining.
- Add a large ice cube and pour in the whisky.
- Garnish with an orange twist and serve with a stirring rod if you’re so inclined.
Whisky Sour:
The whisky Sour is traditionally made with whisky, lemon juice, sugar and egg white but today adding the egg is kind of optional. A few bitters really compliment the notes of spice. Few drinks are as quick to satisfy as a whisky sour. As is imaginable this classic drink has led to the birth of countless variations using different citrus and sweeteners.
What You’ll need:
- 60 ml Whisky
- 20 ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 10 ml Sugar syrup
- 20ml egg white(optional)
- Bitters for garnish
How to make:
- Add bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white, if using, to a shaker and dry-shake for 30 seconds without ice.
- Add ice and shake again till well chilled.
- Strain into a midball glass.
- Garnish with a dash of bitters.
- Serve.
The French 75:
The french 75 is a nice light alternative meaning you can have plenty of this delicious drink. It’s gin-based and super refreshing. The french 75 is also super simple to make, making it a perfect choice for house parties.
What you’ll need:
- 10ml gin
- 10ml orang liqueur
- 10ml orange juice
- 5ml sugar syrup
- Club soda
How to make:
- Mix the Gin and orange liqueur well.
- Add the mixture into a champagne flute.
- Add orange juice and stir well.
- Top up with club soda and serve
Gimlet:
Doesn't get more refreshing or much simpler than the Gimlet. A drink that uses Gin but that can also be made with vodka. The Gimlet is considered a Gin Sour putting it in great company of other tried and tested hit cocktails like the Daiquiri.
What You’ll Need:
- 60ml Gin
- 30ml Fresh lime juice
- 10ml Sugar syrup
- Lime wedge for garnish
How To Make:
- Add the Gin/Vodka, lime juice and sugar syrup to a shaker with ice and shake until nicely chilled.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or a rocks glass with ice.
- Garnish with the lime wedge and serve.
John Collins:
Another cocktail that’s an excellent choice to entertain guests with as they're incredibly easy to make. Simply top a whisky sour with club soda and you have a John Collins. It's incredibly refreshing and perfect to enjoy with friends. You can also try variations with the base spirit, for instance try making one with gin or tequila.
What You’ll need:
- 60ml Whisky
- 30ml Fresh Lime Juice
- 10 ml Sugar syrup
- 1 tsp sugar syrup
- 2 cups ice divided
- 60ml club soda
- 1 Orange wedge
- 1 Lime wedge for garnish
How to make:
- Add the whisky, lemon juice and sugar syrup into a shaker
- Add 1 cup of ice and shake until chilled
- Strain into a Collins glass filled with the other cup of ice.
- Top it up with club soda and stir
- Serve
