3 unusual cocktails

Definition of a cocktail: “Any of various mixed alcoholic drinks consisting usually of brandy, whisky, vodka, or gin combined with fruit juices or other liquors and often served chilled.” That’s according to Google anyway and I think most people would generally agree with that.

But here are three other, slightly different suggestions which have come my way and might be worth trying out this party season.

Millers Beer Cocktail – A Miller’s Summer Storm
This arrived with all the ingredients so even a klutz like me could make it. I must be honest, neither I nor my husband expected to like this, but actually, it was quite nice!

Ingredients:
12 mint leaves
25ml honey
50ml pineapple juice
dash of lemon
1 bottle of Miller beer.

Muddle the mint and honey together, then add cubed ice, pineapple juice and lemon. Stir well. Pour the beer into a glass and then strain the infused liquid into the beer. Garnish with mint.

Leopard’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc Cooler
Leopard’s Leap have introduced a whole new range of cocktails made with their wines. They list 10 cocktails in all including a Chardonnay Margarita and a Rose Cosmopolitan but this Cooler sounds the perfect thing for a hot summer’s day. Love the sage sugar!

Ingredients:
150 ml Leopard’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc
50 ml Triple Sec
50 ml fresh pineapple
5 ml juice of half a lime (or lime juice)
100 ml soda water
10 ml sage sugar (see recipe below)
Crushed ice
Sage sugar: ¾ cup sugar, ½ cup fresh sage. Blend sugar and herbs in a blender until herbs are properly combined

Blend the Sauvignon, the Triple Sec, fresh pineapple, lime and sage sugar then add the soda water and serve in a tall Pilsener glass.

The Blue Train – a South African MCC Cocktail?
I include the question mark because I don’t know if it really is South African but it certainly sounds like it could be and it also sounds delicious!

Ingredients:
Brandy
Pineapple juice
Champagne/MCC.

Shake well together with cracked ice, 1/4 brandy and 1/4 lightly sweetened pineapple juice. Fill glass 1/2 full with this mixture and top with well-chilled champagne or sparkling wine.

Not a real suggestion but…..
Whilst I was investigating champagne cocktails, I came across this one which I thought I’d share. ‘Everything in excess’ as they say!!!

Regent’s Punch
Ingredients:
3 bottles of Champagne
2 bottles of Madeira
1 bottle of German white wine
1 ounce of Curacao,
1 quart of brandy
1 pint of run
2 bottles of seltzer
2 kg of raisin, oranges and lemons,
Sugar and all diluted with green tea.

Good luck!!!