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CosmopolitanCosmopolitan cocktail

The cosmo became the “it” cocktail for the 90s, and will forever after be associated with Carrie and the Sex and the City gals. Actually, the recipe originated in the 70s, but its gorgeous colour and delicious taste ensure its ongoing popularity as a chick drink!

  •       - 2 parts vodka
  •       - 1 part Cointreau or triple sec
  •       - 2 ½ parts cranberry juice
  •       - ice
  •       - lemon or lime to decorate
  •       - 1 part lime juice or dash of lime cordial (adjust to taste depending on whether you like it slightly tart or more sweet)

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker, and shake well. Strain the ice and pour into chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a swirl of lemon or lime (use a vegetable peeler) or more simply with a slice or wedge of lime.

Champagne spiderChampagne-spider

Ice cream and alcohol – does it get any better than this? Warning – it will fizz, but that is the delight of this grown-up version of the ubiquitous childhood “spider” !

  • Pink champagne or sparkling wine
  • Strawberry sorbet ice cream

Partially fill a tall champagne flute with sparkling wine, then top with a dollop of sorbet.

Merry berry cocktail 

  • 2 cups of mixed berries – strawberries, blackberries, raspberries
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • Vodka (or liqueur of choice for soaking berries in)
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • 1 cup cranberry juice
  • 1 bottle lemonade
  • 4 shots of vodka (or liqueur of choice eg Cointreau, Chambord, gin etc)
  • fresh mint sprigs – keep some aside for garnishing

Put berries in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar and cover halfway with vodka. Chill in fridge for 4 hours, turning fruit occasionally so it all gets soaked in the alcohol.  Place berries and liquid, ice cubes, cranberry juice, and some of the mint leaves in a blender and process until ice is crushed and berries are pureed. Pour into a tall jug, and add 4 shots of alcohol of choice, top up with lemonade and stir. Serve in tall glasses with a sprig of mint as garnish.  A refreshing non-alcoholic version can be created by soaking the berries in pineapple juice and omitting the extra shots of liqueur.

Pina-colada-icy-popsPina Colada icy pops

If you like pina colada and getting caught in the rain, you’ll love this frozen icy pops that can also be made without alcohol.

  •    - 3 cups fresh pineapple – peeled and roughly chopped
  •    - ½ cup light rum
  •    - ½ cup light unsweetened coconut milk – well stirred
  •    - superfine granulated sugar – (optional) add to sweeten to taste

Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth, then push through a fine sieve to strain into a large jug, and discard the solids. Pour into icy pop moulds and add sticks. Freeze for 24 hours.

For a non-alcoholic version, replace the rum with pineapple juice.

mandarin-champagne-cocktailMandarin champagne cocktail

  • Mandarin vodka
  • Mandarin – pith and seeds removed and segmented
  • Sugar cubes
  • Champagne or sparkling white wine

Pour 1 measure of vodka into each champagne flute. Add a mandarin segment and 1 sugar cube. Top with champagne. Serve immediately.  Can be garnished with a thin swirl of mandarin peel (use a vegetable peeler.)

Lemon zing martini

  • 1 ½ cups citron vodka
  • ½ cup dry vermouth
  • ½ cup ice
  • ¼ cup lemon juice

Place ingredients in a chilled cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 1 minute. Strain and pour into glasses. Can be garnished with a thin swirl of lemon peel (use a vegetable peeler.) Serves 6.

Apple and mint granita 

  • 3 ripe granny smith apples – core but leave skin on and dice into cubes
  • 50ml sugar syrup*
  • 100 grams caster sugar
  • ¼ fresh mint – roughly chopped

Put apple and mint in blender and puree. Blend in the syrup and sugar. Pour into a shallow dish and place in the freezer. Stir with a fork every 30 minutes until it has formed into large crystals, between 2 – 3 hours.

*To make sugar syrup, place 100 grams caster sugar, 80ml water and 25 grams liquid glucose in to a saucepan. Boil for 30 minutes, skimming off any impurities. Remove and cool.

Melon-champagne-cocktailMelon champagne cocktail

  •    - Mango – seeded, peeled and diced
  •    - 60ml Midori
  •    - 60ml clear apple juice
  •    - Champagne or sparkling white wine

Place diced mango pieces in an ice tray. Pour over combined Midori and apple juice and freeze. Place 1 to 2 frozen cubes in a flute and pour champagne over. Serve immediately.

White nights cocktail

   - 30ml white curacao
   - 30ml vodka
   - 60ml coconut cream
   - Juice of 1 ½ limes
   - 1 lime leaf
   - ¼ cup ice chips

Combine all ingredients except ice and let stand for 1 hour. Remove the lime leaf. Put into a shaker with the ice chips and shake vigorously for 1 minute. Pour into martini glasses and decorate with a tiny lime leaf. Makes 1.