In previous blogs we’ve looked at how to brighten up your basic G&T, and then we followed up by looking at some gin based cocktails.
Here we look at some of our favourite non-gin based cocktails. Try some out, and please leave any comments in the section below. Also please pass on any you think I should know about.
CLASSIC MARGARITA
- 40 ml tequila (we like Tequila Reposado)
- 20 ml cointreau
- 40 ml lime juice
- 10 ml sugar syrup
- chopped ice
METHOD
- With chilled martini glass, rub the rim with a lime wedge and dip rim into medium fine Himalayan rock salt, or salt of choice
- Shake all ingredients in Boston Shaker till really cold and strain into martini glass
NAUTILUS
- 50 ml Reposado Tequila
- 50 ml cranberry juice
- 25 ml fresh lime juice
- 20 ml sugar syrup
METHOD
- Shake and strain into a rocks/old fashioned glass
- Garnish with a mint sprig
- Can make in a large jug for parties
This cocktail is rapidly turning into a crowd favourite; the tequila shines through just enough to give it real interest.
REPOSADO NEGRONI
- 30 ml reposado tequila
- 30 ml aperol
- 30 ml vermouth rossoMETHOD
- Build over lots of ice in a rocks/old fashioned glass
- Stir with a bar spoon till cold
- Garnish with orange twist
- Can top with soda if desired
Introduced to us at a tequila and food pairing at the quirky Tequila Mockingbird restaurant in Sydney’s Paddington. Much smoother and easier to drink than the regular negroni, so beware.
MOSCOW MULE
- 45 ml vodka
- half a large lime
- top up with ginger beer
METHOD
- Cut the lime into 8 wedges and muddle in a highball glass
- Add the ice, vodka and top up with ginger beer
- Stir and serve
PAMA MOJITO
- 30 Pama Pomegranate Liqueur
- 30 ml white rum
- 20 ml lime juice
- 10 ml sugar syrup
- 6 mint leaves
METHOD
- In a highball glass muddle sugar syrup and mint leaves, then add ice and other ingredients.
- Top up with club soda.
- Can back off on the lime juice if it’s too sharp.
POMEGRANATE MOJITO
- 35 ml white rum
- 20 ml Cointreau
- 20 ml lime juice
- 15 ml pomegranate concentrate
- 6 mint leaves
METHOD
- in a higball glass gently bruise the mint leaves with a muddler
- add ice and rest of the ingredients
- stir with a bar spoon till all is well mixed and cold
- top up with soda water and gently stir
This is an alternative to the Pama Mojito when Pama Liquour is too expensive or too hard to find. Pomegranate concentrate is readily available and inexpensive.
VLM (Vodka Lime Martini)
- 10 ml extra dry vermouth
- 50 ml Absolut vodka
- 10 ml Cointreau
- lime slices
METHOD
- Swirl the vermouth to coat the glass and leave in
- Add the vodka and Cointreau
- Squeeze the lime slices and drop in
- Swirl gently to mix
Can be made in a Boston Shaker, or just in a boston glass
I came up with this one myself some time back, but since then have seen many similar recipes. It’s a wonderful drink.
CAIPIROSKA
- 60 ml vodka
- half a lime (or whole smaller lime)
- 5 ml sugar syrup
METHOD
- Cut the lime into eights and add to a rocks glass with the sugar syrup
- Muddle the lime and SS until you get plenty of juice
- Fill remainder of glass with ice and add the vodka
- Stir carefully with a bar spoon until vodka and lime is blended
- Heap on more ice till glass is full
CAIPIRINHA
As for CAIPIROSKA but use White Rum
MANHATTAN
- 60 ml rye (or bourbon) whisky
- 20 ml sweet vermouth
- 2/3 dashes Angostura Bitters, or bitters of your choice
METHOD
- In a mixing glass with ice, pour in the bourbon and vermouth and stir down until very cold
- Add the bitters and stir gently
- Strain into a cocktail or martini glass
- Another option is to add the bitters now
- Garnish with a twist of orange
MANHATTAN STORY
It’s said that the the Manhattan was the most famous cocktail in the world shortly after it was invented in New York City’s Manhattan Club, some time around 1880. And there are many other stories as to its origin. No matter, it has remained a world favourite and, like great music and great art, the reason is because it is timeless and the people love it.
BLACK RUSSIAN
- 40 ml vodka
- 20 ml Kahlua
- Coca Cola
METHOD
- Build in an ice filled highball glass
- Top up with Coca Cola
- Garnish with lemon or lime
ESPRESSO MARTINI
- 30ml Kahlua
- 45ml vodka
- 60ml chilled espresso coffee
- 10ml simple syrup
Shake all ingredients in a Boston shaker with ice and strain into a martini glass.
RUDE COSMOPOLITAN
- 40 ml Reposado Tequila (can use silver)
- 20 ml Cointreau
- 5 ml fresh lime juice
- 30 ml cranberry juice
METHOD
- Shake and strain into martini glass
- Garnish with orange twist
- Easy to make in a large jug for parties
COSMOPOLITAN
- 35 ml vodka
- 20 ml cointreau
- 35 ml cranberry juice
- 20 ml fresh lime juice
METHOD
- Shake over lots of ice into a chilled highball glass
- Can be easily made in a large jug for parties
FAST TRAIN TO MEXICO
- 45 ml Reposado Tequila
- 30 ml fresh white grapefruit juice
- 10 ml Lillet Blanc (could sub with extra dry vermouth)
- 10 ml Bols White Cacao
METHOD
- Add all ingredients to a BS and shake vigorously with ice till cold
- Strain into a chilled martini glass
- Garnish with grapefruit twist
This looks very interesting, even just for the name, but till we can find the white grapefruit juice we will not know.
MAI TAI
- 40 ml white rum
- 20 ml orange curacao (use blue for a My Blue Tai, or can use use cointreau)
- 2.5 ml orgeat syrup (almond)
- 25 ml lime juice
- 3 dashes angostura bitters
- 20 ml dark rum
- (10 ml sugar syrup if needs sweetening)
METHOD
- Mix all ingredients except dark rum in cocktail shaker, strain over ice.
- Use a rocks/old fashioned glass, float dark rum on top, garnish with maraschino cherry, pineapple slice etc.
There are more methods for Mai Tai than there are pineapples in Hawaii. Pineapple makes it way too sweet for our liking so suggest you leave it out.
BETWEEN THE SHEETS
- 30 ml cognac
- 30 ml white rum
- 30 ml Cointreau
- 30 ml lemon juice
METHOD
- Shake the ingredients together in a shaker with lots of ice
- Strain into a cocktail or martini glass
- Garnish with a lemon slice
Said to have been invented in Harry’s Bar in Paris during the prohibition years. It is named such for good reason; if you have just two of these that’s where you will end up.
LYCHEE MARTINI
- 50 ml vodka
- 25/30 ml lychee juice
- splash of vermouth (white)
- 2 lychees for garnish
METHOD
- Shake with ice in a BS and pour into a chilled martini glass
- Can be easily made in a large jug for parties
MUDSLIDE
- 30 ml Kahlua
- 30 ml Vodka
- 45 ml Baileys Irish Cream
METHOD
- Use lots of ice in a rocks/old fashioned glass
- Can add ice cream and save on dessert
OLD FASHIONED
- 5 ml sugar syrup
- 3 dashes Angostura or Fee Brothers bitters
- 60 ml bourbon (can also use Irish, Scotch, dark rum)
METHOD
- Place ice (one large ice block works well), SS, bitters, then the whisky/bourbon in a rocks/old fashioned glass
- Orange peel to garnish, express some oil from the orange peel, then drop it in the glass.
APEROL SPRITZ
- Equal parts Aperol and Prosecco
- One part soda water if desired
- Serve in a rosé glass
APEROL, LIME AND SODA
- 50 ml Aperol
- Two lime wedges
- Top up with soda water
- Serve in highball glass
ROB ROY
- Same as a MANHATTAN but using SCOTCH whisky.
- Use the best SCOTCH you can afford
BOULEVARDIER
- 45 ml bourbon
- 30 ml sweet vermouth
- 30 ml campari
- orange peel
METHOD
- Add all the ingredients to a Boston glass with ice.
- Stir with a bar spoon till very cold,
- Strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with ice
- Garnish with an orange twist
BOULEVARDIER STORY
Loosely translated, apparently a boulevardier is a man-about-town. It’s said the cocktail by the same name was created by Erskine Gwynne, the publisher of “Boulevardier,” a magazine for expats living in Paris in the 1920s. It’s quite simply a Negroni with Bourbon substituted for Gin, although we are using a higher percentage of Bourbon than we would gin.
LANGKAWI SURPRISE
- 45 ml vodka
- 45 ml tequila
- mint leaves
- slice of lemon
METHOD
- lightly muddle mint leaves into a rocks or highball glass
- add all other ingredients over ice
- stir with a bar spoon and serve
- garnish with a wheel of lemon
Our thanks To Jo Hipkiss, who invented this for us one night at a dinner party. We have tried it since and it is delicious.
PORT ANTONIO
- 50 ml gold rum
- 25 ml fresh lime juice
- 15 ml Kahlua
- 5 ml pomegranate syrup (grenadine)
- Cocktail cherry for garnish
METHOD
- In a cocktail glass with ice add the gold rum, lime juice and Kahlua.
- Shake or stir till very cold.
- Strain into chilled cocktail glass.
- Drop a teaspoon of pomegranate syrup into each glass and garnish with cocktail cherries
