Mixing cocktails Party tricks Let's talk about wine Ideas for cocktail evenings Sporty snacks

Food in focus

You often need a basic sugar syrup for cocktails. Heat 125ml water and 125ml sugar. Boil until the sugar dissolves. Cool and store in the fridge until needed.

Alcoholic cocktails

Cardinal

Stir together 60ml gin, 10ml dry vermouth and 30ml Campari with a few ice cubes in a mixing glass. Strain into a serving glass.

Pineapple daiquiri

Blend together 15ml light rum, 25ml lime or lemon juice, 10ml Cointreau and two slices cubed pineapple, until smooth. Half-fill a serving glass with crushed ice and pour blended mixture into the glass.

Tall islander

Pour 25ml light rum, 5ml dark Jamaican rum, 25ml pineapple juice, 5ml lemon juice and 5ml sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker. Add a few ice cubes and shake well. Strain into a tall glass and top up with chilled soda water.

Martini

Pour 45ml vodka or gin and 15ml dry vermouth into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir, then strain into a serving glass.

Sweet martini

Pour 45ml vodka or gin and 15ml rosso vermouth into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir, then strain into serving glass.

Margarita

Rub the rim of the serving glass with a slice of lemon. Dip into a saucer filled with salt. Pour 30ml tequila, 15ml lemon juice and 30ml triple sec or Cointreau into a cocktail shaker. Add a few ice cubes and shake well. Strain into the serving glass.

Whisky sour

Pour 45ml whisky, 30ml lemon juice and 15ml sugar syrup into a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a serving glass.

Manhattan

Pour 45ml whisky, 15ml rosso vermouth and a dash of angostura bitters into a mixing glass.

Bloody Mary

Pour 30ml vodka, a dash of Tabasco sauce, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce over ice in a tall glass. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir, then add 120ml tomato juice and stir well.

Pina colada

Pour 30ml Bacardi, 120ml pineapple juice, 30ml coconut liqueur and 15ml sugar syrup into a blender and blend until smooth. Add 125ml crushed ice and blend again. Pour into serving glasses.

Screwdriver

Pour 60ml vodka into a glass with ice. Add 60ml orange juice.

Harvey wallbanger

Pour 30ml vodka, 120ml orange juice and 15ml Galliano, one after the other, into a glass filled with ice.

Tequila sunrise

Fill a glass with ice, add 30ml tequila and 120ml orange juice. Pour 7ml grenadine into the middle of the glass slowly.

Blue lagoon

Pour 30ml gin, 120ml lemonade and 30ml blue Curaçao one after the other into a tall glass filled with ice. Stir just before serving.

Stinger

Place a few ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Add 30ml brandy and 15ml white crème de menthe. Shake well, then strain into a serving glass. filled with ice cubes. Stir well, then strain into a serving glass.

Rusty nail

Pour 45ml Scotch whisky into a glass filled with ice. Top with 20ml Drambuie.

Kir royale

Fill a champagne flute about three-quarters full with chilled dry sparkling wine. Add 20ml crème de cassis and serve.

Black velvet

Half-fill a champagne flute with Guinness stout. Top up with chilled dry sparkling wine.

Non-alcoholic cocktails

Shirley Temple

Fill a glass with ice. Pour in 30ml grenadine and top up with chilled lemonade. Mix well and top with a spoonful of fresh cream.

Cinderella

Pour 60ml orange juice, 60ml pineapple juice and 60ml lemon juice into a cocktail shaker with crushed ice. Shake well and pour into glasses.

Cairns cooler

Half-fill a tall glass with ice. Add 60ml pineapple juice, 60ml orange juice, 30ml coconut milk and 15ml sugar syrup.

8 more cocktails to try

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