Recipes: Cheers to the long weekend!
Mix up Summer drinks by trying one of these delicious cocktails with a twist
Watermelon martini
Who could forget the immortal line of Baby in DirtyDancing: ‘I carried a watermelon’? Why not keep out of the heat and watch a feel-good Summer movie while sipping this deliciously refreshing cocktail?
SERVES 1
160g cubed ripe watermelon 60ml vodka
Sugar syrup, to taste
A small watermelon slice, to garnish
Muddle the watermelon flesh in a cocktail shaker, add the vodka and a handful of ice cubes and shake sharply. Taste and add sugar syrup if you’d like it sweeter. Strain into a Martini glass, garnish with a slice of watermelon and serve at once.
Spicy green Margarita
A tropical, herby, citrusy, spicy Margarita, but be warned – it’s hot, hot, hot!
SERVES 1
A lime wedge
Sea salt flakes, to rim the glass 8 fresh mint leaves, plus a small sprig to garnish
10 coriander leaves
A tiny piece of habanero chilli 15ml mixed agave syrup (a 75:25 mix of agave syrup and water, to make pouring easier)
35ml blanco tequila
25ml fresh pineapple juice
25ml freshly squeezed lime juice
Rim a Margarita glass with the salt by first running the lime wedge around the rim and then placing the glass upside down on a saucer of the salt, leaving a light covering around the edge of the glass. Muddle together the mint, coriander, chilli and the mixed agave syrup in a cocktail shaker. Combine with the remaining ingredients and shake with some ice cubes. Strain into the glass, garnish with mint and serve at once.
Tommy’s Margarita
This twist on the classic Margarita removes the orange liqueur element and adds agave syrup.
SERVES 1
A lime wedge
Sea salt flakes, to rim the glass
50ml blanco tequila 30ml freshly squeezed lime juice
30ml mixed agave syrup (a 75:25 mix of agave syrup and water, to make pouring easier)
Rim a Margarita glass with the salt by first running the lime wedge around the rim and then placing the glass upside down on a saucer of the salt, leaving a light covering around the edge of the glass. Put all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and add a good handful of ice cubes. Shake hard, then strain into the prepared glass. To garnish, cut a small nick in the lime wedge and slide it onto the rim of the glass. Serve at once.
Strawberry spritz
A gentler version of the perfect spritz, that is deliciously light, fresh and fruity with an enticing strawberry scent.
SERVES 1
15ml strawberry syrup 50ml Aperol
75ml chilled fruity rosé
Rosé spritz
This recipe peps up the popular Aperol spritz with the addition of sparkling rosé prosecco, fragrant passion fruit juice and just a hint of zesty lime juice. The perfect refreshment on a hot Summer’s day.
SERVES 1
50ml Aperol
25 ml passion fruit juice (such as Rubicon)
1tsp freshly squeezed lime juice 75ml chilled rosé prosecco Lime wedges, to serve
Half-fill a large balloon/copa glass (or large wine glass) with ice cubes. Pour in the Aperol, passion fruit juice and lime juice. Stir and top up with the rosé prosecco. Garnish with a couple of wedges of lime and serve at once.
wine (a Chilean Cabernetbased blend works well) 15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice About 200ml cup of soda water Strawberry and lemon slices, to garnish
Pour the strawberry syrup into a highball glass. Add the Aperol, rosé and lemon juice and stir. Add plenty of ice cubes and top with up with soda water to taste, but no more than 200ml. Garnish with strawberry and lemon slices and serve at once.