9 Classic Cocktail Recipes to Make at Home
To celebrate the release of our brand new range of cocktail greeting cards & gifts, we thought we'd share with you 9 all-time favourite cocktail recipes for you to make at home.
Whether for a birthday, housewarming or perhaps you've simply got that Friday feeling - bring out your inner mixologist and show off your cocktail-making skills.
Read on to find out how to make delicious drinks that will 'wow' your party guests. You may be pleased to know that a lot of these cocktail recipes are surprisingly easy - a quick blend and voila! Cheers, folks!
Note: We'd recommend investing in a cocktail shaker. You can choose to follow the suggestions for traditional glasses for each drink or just use something similar from your own kitchen cupboards.
1. PIÑA COLADA
One for those who like getting caught in the rain (sorry, had to be done). A deliciously sweet tropical concoction that, with just one sip, will transport you from your garden straight to Puerto Rican beaches. And it's super easy to make!
INGREDIENTS
Ice
120ml Pineapple Juice
60ml White Rum
60ml Coconut Cream
Wedge of Pineapple to Garnish
USUALLY SERVED IN: Poco Grande glass (fluted bowl shape)
HOW TO MAKE
Take a handful of ice plus the rest of the ingredients and pulse in a blender until smooth. Simply pour into a tall glass and garnish with a wedge of pineapple.
Click here to shop our Piña Colada birthday card for your cocktail-loving friends. Free UK delivery. Worldwide shipping.
2. MOJITO
Super refreshing - a popular summer drink. Havana, Cuba is where this fabulous cocktail originated. A recent survey found that this was the most popular drink in the UK and France. What do you think? Are you a fan of mojitos?
INGREDIENTS
50ml White Rum
Juice of 1 Lime
Ice
1tsp Sugar
Soda Water
Small handful of mint leaves
Lime wedges
USUALLY SERVED IN: Collins glass (tumbler)
HOW TO MAKE
In a glass, muddle together the lime juice, sugar and mint leaves. Fill the glass with ice and pour over the rum. Stir, then top up with soda water. Gently stir again. Garnish with mint leaves and lime wedges.
Click here to shop our Mojito birthday card for your cocktail-loving friends. Free UK delivery. Worldwide shipping.
3. Strawberry daiquiri
Fruity and fun. The strawberry daiquiri is basically a refined ice slushie for adults. Daiquiris became popular in the 1940s during World War II when whiskey and vodka were hard to source but (thankfully) you could still get rum aplenty!
INGREDIENTS
One large handful of very ripe strawberries OR strawberry puree
50ml White Rum
25ml Lime Juice
10ml Sugar Syrup
Ice
USUALLY SERVED IN: Traditional stemmed cocktail glass
HOW TO MAKE
Gently muddle the strawberries in a cocktail shaker. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass.
It's really that simple!
Click here to shop our Strawberry Daiquiri card for your cocktail-loving friends. Free UK delivery. Worldwide shipping.
4. COSMOPOLITAN
The name just makes it sound so chic and it has a rather elegant ruby-red hue. Cosmos were made popular in the nineties by the TV show 'Sex and The City'; the main character, Carrie Bradshaw, always ordered this drink.
INGREDIENTS
Ice
45ml Lemon Vodka
15ml Triple Sec
30ml Cranberry Juice
10ml Lime Juice
Orange Zest to garnish
USUALLY SERVED IN: Traditional cocktail glass
HOW TO MAKE A COSMOPOLITAN
Combine the ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with orange zest or a lime wedge.
Click here to shop our Cosmopolitan birthday card for your cocktail-loving friends. Free UK delivery. Worldwide shipping.
5. PASSION FRUIT MARTINI
Also known as... the pornstar martini. In the past couple of years, the name has switched to the slightly less provocative moniker of 'passion fruit martini'. Widely reported to be one of the most loved cocktails in the whole of the UK - and now you can try making one at home...
INGREDIENTS
Ice
1 Passion Fruit
50ml Vanilla Vodka
15ml Passion Fruit Liqueur
15ml Lime Juice
15ml Sugar Syrup
Sparkling Wine
Half of a Passion Fruit to garnish
USUALLY SERVED IN: Traditional cocktail glass
HOW TO MAKE A PASSION FRUIT MARTINI
Slice open the passion fruit and scoop out all of the seeds into a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the rest of the ingredients except the sparkling wine and shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Top up with a little sparkling wine. Garnish with the remaining passion fruit half.
Click here to shop our Passion Fruit Martini card for your cocktail-loving friends. Free UK delivery. Worldwide shipping.
6. ESPRESSO MARTINI
Coffeeholics will love this one. Fun fact! This drink isn't actually considered a true martini as it doesn't contain gin or vermouth. A relatively new creation as far as cocktails go; this one was made in Soho, London in the 1980s.
INGREDIENTS
65ml Vodka
75ml Coffee Liqueur (Kahlúa)
75ml Freshly Brewed Espresso
Coffee Beans to garnish
USUALLY SERVED IN: Traditional cocktail glass
HOW TO MAKE AN ESPRESSO MARTINI
Combine the ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Shake very well. Look for the 'cream' as you would expect on top of a good espresso - built by shaking the drink a little harder than other drinks.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with coffee beans.
Click here to shop our Espresso Martini birthday card for your cocktail-loving friends. Free UK delivery. Worldwide shipping.
7. MARGARITA
Margaritas became popular in the 1920s when U.S. residents began travelling to Mexico for alcohol during prohibition. You can also make a frozen version by blitzing all of the ingredients with ice in a blender. Perfect for those scorching hot summer days.
INGREDIENTS
Ice
50ml Tequila Resposado
25ml Lime Juice
20ml Triple Sec
Salt
Lime Wedges to garnish
USUALLY SERVED IN: Margarita glass
HOW TO MAKE A MARGARITA
Sprinkle a few teaspoons of salt over the surface of a small plate or saucer. Rub one wedge of lime along the rim of the glass and then dip it into the salt so that the entire rim is covered.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice then add the tequila, lime juice and triple sec. Shake well until the outside of the shaker feels cold. Strain the mix into the prepared glass over fresh ice and serve with a wedge of lime.
Click here to shop our Margarita birthday card for your cocktail-loving friends. Free UK delivery. Worldwide shipping.
8. LONG ISLAND ICED TEA
So, a few of us in the Coulson Macleod studio only recently learned that this cocktail does not actually consist of iced tea. It is, in fact, simply named that way due to its warm amber colouring.
INGREDIENTS
Ice
50ml Vanilla Vodka
50ml Dry Gin
50ml Tequila
50ml Rum
50ml Triple Sec
50 to 100ml Fresh Lime Juice
500ml Cola
2 Limes (cut into wedges)
USUALLY SERVED IN: Highball glass
HOW TO MAKE A LONG ISLAND ICED TEA
Pour the vodka, gin, tequila, rum and triple sec into a large (1.5l) jug and add lime juice to taste. Half fill the jug with ice then stir until the outside feels cold. Add the cola then stir to combine. Drop in the lime wedges. Pour the drink into 4 tall glasses filled with ice cubes.
Click here to shop our Long Island Iced Tea card for your cocktail-loving friends. Free UK delivery. Worldwide shipping.
9. NEGRONI
A popular Italian cocktail - a real bartender's drink. This bitter cocktail has just the right amount of sweetness to balance it out. Predominantly made of gin and vermouth, this has a real kick to it.
INGREDIENTS
25ml Gin
25ml Vermouth
5ml Orange Bitters
Ice
Orange Slices to garnish
USUALLY SERVED IN: Rocks glass (whiskey tumbler)
HOW TO MAKE A NEGRONI
Add ice to your glass. Next, add the gin followed by the vermouth and finally the orange bitters. Stir and garnish with the orange slices.
Click here to shop our Negroni birthday card for your cocktail-loving friends. Free UK delivery. Worldwide shipping.
If you like the sound of all these drinks, then why not treat yourself to our classic cocktail recipe card set?
9 individual cards featuring all the recipes listed above - perfectly presented on an FSC-approved Birchwood clipboard. Hand-finished in our Northamptonshire studio. Handy to have in your kitchen or home bar.
