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As the weather turns warmer and the nights get longer, there’s nothing I enjoy more than sitting down at the end of a long day with a cocktail in hand.
When we moved into our house we didn’t really have any ideas of what we wanted to do, except we both know we wanted to have a cocktail bar. Given that our house isn’t enormous, we worked with the space we have and our sideboard doubles as a cocktail area.
I wanted to take this opportunity to share a couple of the items I’ve got my eye on to keep my cocktail game up to scratch and also drop the recipes for two of my go-to cocktails!
Inspiration
Sometimes we actually have too much choice and it makes it hard to decide what to create, but with this handy deck of cocktail recipe cards you can make every drink a surprise.
Get The Look
A well-presented cocktail always tastes better than those less aesthetically pleasing – think fancy glasses and well-made garnishes; but if you’re entertaining why not go a step further? A top class cocktail shaker can really elevate your cocktail game and get you looking like Tom Cruise in Cocktail rather than Tom Cruise in 2021.
Guess Who
I haven’t missed those games of Guess Whose Drink throughout that last year, it’s super inconvenient when at house parties or gatherings and you put your glass down only for it to completely disappear. These glass charms are the perfect solution to help you keep track of your drinks throughout the evening. These would actually be perfect for wedding favours or stocking fillers – if you’re super organised!
Stir It Up
You can’t have a fab looking, easily identifiable cocktail and nothing to stir it with! These cocktail stirrers are the absolute cutest. They come in packs of six and in a range of metallic finishes, so whether you’re feeling giraffe-like or you resonate more with the moose, there’s something for everyone.
So, let’s get down to business.
Espresso Martini Recipe
1 tbsp of sugar syrup
100ml vodka
50ml fresh espresso
50ml coffee liqueur
Ice
Add all ingredients into your shaker with some ice – give it a good rattle until you can’t bear the cold any longer, about 30 seconds should be enough.
Strain into two martini glasses and enjoy!
You can shake this up by substituting some of the vodka for caramel flavoured vodka – this gives a much sweeter for those with a sweet tooth!
If you want to garnish, why not a couple of coffee beans or a sprinkling of cocoa powder?
Frozen Margarita
100ml tequila
50ml Cointreau
50ml lime juice
Lime wedges
30ml sugar syrup
Ice
Salt
Pop all ingredients aside from the lime wedge into your blended or food processor and whizz it until smooth.
Prepare your glasses by running your lime around the rim of your glass and dipping into a shallow dish of salt, then pour your frozen margarita mix into the glasses, add the lime wedge as a garnish and enjoy!
You can shop my cocktail faves over at Etsy, and as always, let me know if you try out any of my cocktail suggestions!