Over lockdown, I started making cocktail recipe videos and now have put together the ultimate Homemade Cocktail Recipes guide. I do love good cocktails and have made them for many years. My earliest memories of homemade cocktails are some spirit, tropical juice and Angostura bitters with a cocktail cherry. I remember making them for my dad in Kenya. At that time I had no idea how fancy cocktails could get.

Here area my homemade cocktail recipes. I will keep updating this as I make more. Hope you enjoy them and get to make some too.

GIN COCKTAILS

STRAWBERRY & APEROL GIN SOURS

• 3 big juicy strawberries
• 15 ml sugar syrup
• 25 ml lemon juice
• 25 ml Aperol
• 30 ml Gin
• 1 egg white
• Ice
• Strawberry for garnish

In a shaker muddle the strawberries to get as much juice out of them. Add in the simple syrup, lemon juice, aperol, gin and muddle again. Leave aside (if you have time ) for 30 minutes for the ingredients to infuse.

Add in the egg white and dry shake. Now add in ice and shake again. Strain into your glass & garnish.

To make a strawberry rose, place your pointed strawberry on a toothpick or fork. Then make a v shaped cut inwards about a 1/4 of the way from the bottom of the strawberry. The V shape should not be all the way down or else the petal will fall off.

You want it thick enough so it doesn’t fall out but thin enough so you can fan out the petals. Once you make the four bottom ones, cut some more in between these and made your way to the top. At the top make a cut in the middle. You can watch the video here.

PINEAPPLE & APRICOT PUNCH

• 25 ml lime juice
• 75 ml pineapple juice
• 25 ml apricot syrup
• 50 ml gin

Fresh pineapple juice tastes amazing in this cocktail. To make the syrup I just simmered some dried apricots with water and sugar until the apricots were really mushy. I then blitzed it together to form a thick syrup.

Shake all the above with some ice. Pour through a strainer and enjoy.

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MARMALADE SOUR

• Heaped teaspoon marmalade
• 50ml orange juice
• 30ml gin
• 1 egg white

Shake all the above ingredients until blended. Then add in ice and shake again. Strain into a glass and garnish with a dry orange

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ELDERFLOWER & GRAPEFRUIT COCKTAIL

• Juice of half a pink grapefruit
• 25ml elderflower syrup
• 50ml gin
• Soda water to top the glass

Shake the juice, syrup and gin with some ice. Pour into a glass with the ice. Top with soda water or have it as is.

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SOLAR ECLIPSE

• 25ml Gin
• 25ml triple sec
• 50ml orange juice
• flavoured black ice

For the black ice, boil some water, sugar, blueberries and charred rosemary sprig. Add some black food colouring to get it black. Once ingredients have infused, take the rosemary sprigs out, blitz the ingredients and place into round ice moulds before freezing.

Shake the gin, triple sec and orange juice with some ice. Strain into a glass and add in the ice cube. The flavours all blend together as the ice melts.

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ROSE AND ELDERFLOWER COCKTAIL

• 25ml lime
• 50ml gin
• 25 ml triple sec
• 12.5ml rose water
• Ice for shaking
• Rose ice cubes
• Sparkling Elderflower

To make the rose ice cubes, fill (up to 3/4) some silicone half-sphere moulds with water and then top them with some rose syrup (I use Kiat rose syrup) followed by rose petals. Freeze.

Shake the lime juice, gin, triple sec, rose water and ice together. Strain into a glass and top with some sparkling elderflower or ginger ale. Top with your ice cubes and watch the magic happen. As the cubes melt the drink becomes sweeter with the taste of the rose syrup. It also starts to look very floral with the petals.

BLOOD ORANGE GIN SOUR

Ingredients for cocktail 

• 60 ml gin
• 25 ml agave syrup 
• 60 ml blood orange juice 
• 15 ml lemon juice
• 1 egg white
• ice

Ingredients for garnish

Slice of blood orange, Sugar & Blow Torch

 

Method

• Once you slice your blood orange, place on a heat proof surface and sprinkle sugar. Using a blow torch heat the sugar until it starts to caramelises
• You can do this in the oven too. Set the brûléed slice to one side to harden. The less juice on the orange the better it caramelises.
• Shake all the ingredients for the cocktail apart from the ice. This is called dry shake and used with egg whites so the ingredients blend well and you get the froth.
• Now add in ice and shake again.
• Pour into a glass and top with your brûléed slice. 

DIWALI COCKTAILS (INDIAN INSPIRED)

INDIAN ROSE

• 50ml Vodka
• 50ml Cointreu
• Couple of drops rose essence
• 1 tsp rose syrup (Root Azra)
• 100ml Cranberry Juice
  

Shake all the above with ice then serve in a chilled glass. Top with dried roses

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CHAI MARTINI

• 50ml Vodka
• 50ml Baileys
• 25ml Chai Syrup

To make the chai syrup, mix equal portions of sugar and water and add a tea bag and chai masala mix to it and let it simmer. Shake the above with some ice and serve in a chilled glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg or cinnamon

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CARDAMOM & HONEY SOURS

• 50ml gin
• 25ml lemon juice
• 25ml cardamom & honey syrup
• 1 egg white

To make the cardamom syrup, simmer equal portions of sugar and water and add some honey and bruised cardamom pods. Shake the above without ice first (dry shake) so the egg white combines properly. Then add some ice and shake again before pouring in a chilled glass. Garnish with cardamom pods

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MASALA CHAI MULE

• Ice
• 30ml Masala Chai Syrup
• 20ml Lime Juice
• 50ml Vodka
• Ginger Beer
• Lime slice, crystalised ginger and sparkler for garnish

For the masala chai syrup: Bring to boil about 100ml a tea bag with a heaped tsp of chai masala powder and 2 tbsp of sugar. Once the tea starts to boil reduce heat and let this simmer until is halved in quantity. You want this to be quite spicy and sweet so the flavours come through on the cocktail. If you love ginger, add some 1/2 tsp minced ginger to the chai mix while simmering.

In your glass add some crushed ice, strain your cocktail in and top with ginger beer or ginger ale

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ROSE & PISTACHIO COCKTAIL

Pistachio & Rose Syrup

• 1/4 cup roasted pistachio
• 1/4 cup rose petals 
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup honey (or more if you like it sweeter)
  

Warm the above ingredients in a pan until the honey is melted. Once it comes to simmer, take it off the heat. Once cool, blitz it together then sieve it to form the syrup.

The cocktail (shake the below)

• 50ml gin
• 25ml lemon juice
• 30ml pistachio & rose syrup•dash or rose syrup (optional)The rose syrup intensifies the colour and add a bit more sweetness

Glass

• Dip the rim of the glass with some honey
• Then dip it in some crushed roasted pistachios and rose petals

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SAFFRON, CARDAMOM & ROSE COCKTAIL

I was trying to create a cocktail recipe that had the flavours of the classic Indian sugar syrup used in desserts like Jalebi and Gulab Jamun. The famous “chasni”.

To make the syrup 

• 50 g granulated sugar
• 50ml water
• 4-5 open cardamom pods 
• 5-8 saffron strands 
• 1/2 tsp lime or lemon juice to stop the syrup from crystallising 
• 1/2 tsp rosewater

Ingredients for the cocktail 

• 50ml gin
• 30ml cardamom syrup
• 20ml lime juice 
• Ice 
• Soda water 
• Rose syrup 

Garnish

• Dry flowers
• Lime juice 

Start by simmering the ingredients for the sugar syrup together until the sugar is melted. Let this steep for about an hour. You will notice the colour change and the fragrance becoming more intense. You can store the extra syrup for 2 weeks in the fridge. 

Prepare the glass by rubbing some lime on one part of the outside of the glass then sprinkle on some dried flowers. I went with saffron flowers. Place the glass in the fridge to chill (optional). 

To make the cocktail, shake together the gin, syrup and lime juice with some ice. Pour this into your prepared glass. Top with soda water then to finish it off and give the cocktail layers, add a few drops of rose syrup. It will sink to the bottom due to its weight.

TROPICAL COCKTAILS (INSPIRED BY KENYA)

HAKUNA MATATA

• 50ml spiced rum
• 75ml passion fruit juice (Rubicon)
• 25ml Vimto

Shake with ice and strain the cocktail. I served it in a pineapple shell to give it that tropical feel.

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MOMBASA RAHA

• 50ml Malibu
• 50ml pineapple juice
• 25ml Vodka
• Splash of blue sugar syrup

Shake all the above with some ice. I was going for the sea colours. Coat the rim of a glass with some honey and then stick dried coconut flakes. Strain the cocktail into the glass.

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LALA SALAMA

• 25ml Brandy
• 25ml Bourbon
• 25ml lemon juice
• 25ml lavender syrup

Shake with ice, strain into a glass and garnish with lavender.

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BLUE COCKTAILS (INSPIRED BY LEICESTER CITY AND VE DAY)

BLUE MOSCOW MULE

• 50ml Vodka
• 25ml Triple Sec
• 25ml lime juice
• 10ml blue sugar syrup (normal sugar syrup with blue food colouring)
• handful of blueberries
• ginger beer

Muddle the blueberries in a glass. Add the vodka, triple sec, lime juice and sugar syrup with some ice and shake. Pour in the cocktail and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a slice of lime.

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MILK PUNCH

• 50ml white or spiced rum
• 50ml creme de cacao
• 1 cup milk

Shake all the above with some ice. Strain into a glass and top with blue candy/ coloured candy.

If you want a spicy creamy twist on the milk punch, add a dash of cinnamon syrup and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

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ROYAL BLUE

• 50ml white rum
• 25ml lime juice
• 25ml blue sugar syrup

I mixed some rum, lime juice and ice in a jam jar and poured it into a glass that was rimmed with sugar. Pour in the blue sugar syrup to give a bit of a dramatic effect.

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VE DAY COCKTAIL

• 50ml gin
• 12.5ml blue sugar syrup
• 12.5ml lime juice
• 12.5ml lemon juice
• splash of grenadine
• soda water

Put some grenadine over some ice in a glass. Top with soda water until almost 3/4 full. Shake the gin, blue sugar syrup, lime and lemon juice with some ice then strain into the glass. This will give you some layers.

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MOCKTAILS

PINESTRAW

• 5 strawberries
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 200ml pineapple juice
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• lemonade

Muddle the strawberries in the glass you are going to serve your mocktail in. Shake some maple syrup, pineapple juice and lime juice with some ice then pour this into the glass with the strawberries. Mix and top with lemonade.

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BLUEMARY

• 10 blueberries
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• ginger beer
• sprig of rosemary

Light the rosemary and once it starts burning, blow away the flames and cover it with the glass you are going to use so the smoky flavour. Muddle the blueberries with the maple syrup and lime juice. Pour into the smoky glass. Top with ginger beer and garnish with a rosemary sprig.

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GINGO

• 250ml mango juice
• 2 tbsp ginger juice (fresh ginger juice tastes better)
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Shake all the ingredients with some ice and serve in a tall glass.

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VANISSION

• 250ml passion fruit juice
• 2 tbsp vanilla syrup
• splash of grenadine

Shake the passion fruit juice and vanilla syrup with some ice. Pour into a glass and top with a splash of grenadine.

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FROZEN COCKTAILS

BARNAMINT BAILEYS (FROZEN)

• 100ml baileys
• 50ml creme de menthe
• 2 scoops of vanilla icecream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Oreos
• Dash of cream
• ice

Blend this all together

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STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

• 50ml Amaretto
• 50ml Creme de Cacao
• 8 strawberries
• 2 scoops vanilla icecream
• 1/2 cup milk
• drop of vanilla essence
• dash of cream

Blend this all together

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PASSION AND PINEAPPLE LADA

• 50ml White Rum
• 50ml Malibu
• 8-10 pieces pineapple
• Pulp from a passion fruit
• 2 schools of vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• dash of cream

Blend this all together

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FRUIT SMOOTHIE COCKTAILS

FROZEN NECTARINE & WHISKEY

• 50ml Whiskey
• 25ml Caramel Syrup
• 10ml lime juice
• 10ml lemon juice
• 1 Nectarine (destoned and frozen if possible)
• Ice

Blitz all the above together

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FROZEN AVOCADO & RUM

• 25ml White Rum
• 25ml Creme de Cacao
• 25ml Vanilla Syrup
• 15ml Lime Juice
• 2 cubes of chocolate
• 1 small avocado (frozen flesh if possible)
• Ice

Blitz the above together and garnish with grated chocolate or milk buttons.

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FROZEN BERRY & GIN

• 50ML Gin
• 25ML Lime Juice
• 30ML Grenadine
• Handful of mixed berries (frozen if possible)
• Ice

Blitz these all together. Garnish with a berry

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APEROL COCKTAILS

GIN APEROL

• 25ml gin
• 25ml Aperol
• 25ml triple sec
• juice of 1/4 orange
• ice
• tonic water

Shake the gin, Aperol, and triple sec with some ice. Pour into a glass, squeeze the orange juice straight into the glass and put the orange in too then top with some tonic water.Stir with a sprig of rosemary.

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BOURBON APEROL

• 40ml Aperol
• 25ml bourbon
• 25ml lemon juice
• 15ml maple syrup
• ice
• soda water

Shake the Aperol, bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup and ice together. Pour into a glass, top with soda water and garnish with mint and lemon.

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POMEGRANATE APEROL SPRITZ

• 50ml Aperol
• 50ml Prosecco
• 25ml pomegranate juice

Pour Aperol and pomegranate juice in a glass and stir. Top with prosecco and garnish with rosemary & pomegranate seeds.

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CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS

CHAI SPICED ESPRESSO MARTINI

• 45ml vodka
• 30ml espresso
• 25ml chai syrup
• 10ml coffee liquor 

Make the chai syrup. In a pan, gently heat 250g caster sugar, 500ml water, 2 heaped tablespoon chai mix, 1/2 lemon & 1/2 orange (optional) . Let this simmer until all the sugar has melted and flavours are combined.

Add the vodka, espresso, chai syrup and coffee liquor to a shaker with some ice. Give it a good shake then pour into a glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

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CHOCOLATE ALMOND JOY

• 60ml Disaronno velvet
• 25 ml Creme De Cacao
• Squirty cream
• Melted chocolate
• Crushed candy cane

Dip the rim of your glass in melted chocolate and follow this by dipping it in crushed candy cane. 

In a shaker mix ice, Disaronno and Creme De Cacao. Pour into a glass, top with cream & garnish with crushed candy. This is Christmas in a glass.

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FESTIVE GIN

• 50ml Gin
• 25 ml Triple Sec
• 30ml Tangerine/Clementine/Orange Juice
• 30ml Cranberry Juice
• Handful of cranberries
• Ginger Ale OR Ginger Beer if you like it with a bit more ginger fire

Put the gin & cranberries in the shaker and muddle together. For that extra flavour, you can leave this for a few hours. Add in Triple Sec, tangerine juice, cranberry juice & ice. Pour into a balloon glass with ice and then top with ginger ale. Serve with a dried orange garnish. 

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GINGERBREAD ESPRESSO MARTINI

• 40ml vodka
• 25ml coffee liqueur
• 25ml coffee (I used instant coffee and it worked fine)
• 20ml gingerbread syrup
• cinnamon & sugar for the rim
• ice

Make 25ml black coffee. If you fancy your espresso martini sweeter add a teaspoon of brown sugar and mix until dissolved. Dip the rim of your glass in gingerbread syrup followed by a sugar & cinnamon mixture. To add that extra festive twist I stuck on an edible gingerbread.

Shake vodka, coffee, coffee liqueur, gingerbread syrup for a minute if possible or at least 30 secs. Instant coffee works fine but the key is to shake it.

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FERRERO MARTINI

• 50ml Vodka
• 25ml Frangelico
• 30ml Chocolate cream liquer
• 50ml milk

Shake all the above with some ice. Strain into your glass and garnish with your favourite Ferraro Rocher.

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SANTA SHOT

The easiest minty shot and one of my favourites. Pour half a shot of creme de menthe and top with squirty cream. Garnish with a slice of strawberry and festive sprinkles.

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CAMPFIRE APEROL

• 175ML Apple Juice
• 100ML White Wine
• 50ML Aperol
• Orange Slices & Cinnamon Sticks

Warm the apple juice then add in the wine, aperol, orange and spices and warm to create a lovely warm festive drink. I do prefer this to mulled wine and is something I tried a while back in Copenhagen.

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PROSPERITY COCKTAIL

• 50ml Gin
• 25ml Chamboard
• 25ml Orange juice
• 15 ml Lime juice
• 15ml Ginger juice
• Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer if you like it fiery
• Ice

Shake all the above together. In a glass put a big cube of ice. Strain in the cocktail. Top with ginger ale/beer. Garnish with orange peel. Carefully place a sparkler on there, light it and bring in the new year with some sparkle.

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BLOOD ORANGE LOVE

• 50ml bourbon (Jack Daniels)
• 25ml Maple Syrup
• 100ml blood orange juice
• 25ml lime juice
• Ice
• Rosemary

Light a rosemary sprig (on a heatproof surface) and place a glass on top to let the smoke infuse into the glass. Shake all the ingredients together. Put a big cube of ice in your smoked glass. Strain in your shaken cocktail. Garnish with the rosemary and blood orange slice.

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MINT CREAM LOVE

• 100ml baileys
• 25 ml creme de cacao
• 25 ml creme de menthe
• ice
• flake for garnish

Shake the baileys and creme de cacao and menthe with some ice. Strain into a glass and garnish with crushed flake

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CRANBERRY BRANDY

• Cinnamon Sticks
• 50ML Cranberry Juice
• 50ML Orange Juice
• 50ML Brandy (I used @beehive_brandy honey one)
• 1 TSP Cranberry Sauce

Light a cinnamon stick. Once it starts smoking, cover it with your cocktail glass.**Be careful and use a heatproof surface. Also only out the glass one once the flame is out **Shake all the above and pour into your smoked glass. Garnish with sugared cranberries.

CRANBERRY AND ORANGE HOT TODDY

• 50ML Cranberry Juice
• 50ML Fresh Orange Juice
• 75ML Spiced Rum
• 1 TSP Cranberry Sauce
• Mixed whole spices (Star Anise, Cinnamon, Clove)

In a warmer or a stock pot add the above ingredients. Let them simmer then serve warm.

You can sieve the ingredients into your glass or have it with the bits. Whatever you prefer.

For garnishing you can push some cloves into an orange slice. You can also add on sugar coated cranberries with some rosemary.

CREME EGG EASTER COCKTAIL

• 40ml milk
• 10ml cream
• 25ml creme de cacao
• 15ml vanilla syrup
• 50ml vodka
• melted chocolate for the rim of the glass
• creme egg for garnishing

Dip the rim of your glass in melted chocolate and chill so it hardens. In a shaker mix all the ingredients with some ice. Strain into a glass then garnish with half a creme egg. Create that extra look on the cocktail by dipping a toothpick in some yellow food colouring and swirl the top of the cocktail.

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FROZEN PINA COLADA (WITH SOLERO ICE CREAM)

• First layer: Frozen berries & Ice blitzed then topped with Grenadine
• Second layer: Tropical Solero ice cream, 50ml Malibu & frozen pineapple pieces blitzed. I did add some yellow colouring to brighten it up 
• Third layer: 50ml Midori, 25ml lime juice & ice blitzed 

I did try to layer this but it didn’t work to plan however this is sooo delicious and you need to try it out. For a mocktail tropical colada, blitz Solero, lime juice & frozen pineapple pieces.

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PASSION AND STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI

• 1 big juicy strawberry
• 50 ml passion fruit purée 
• 25 ml strawberry purée
• 25 ml triple sec
• 50 ml white rum 
• 25 ml lime juice 
• 25 ml caramel syrup

Add all this along with ice to a shaker. Sieve into a chilled glass and serve with half a passion fruit.

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MANGO INFUSION COCKTAIL

• 150ml mango purée (I used KTC and it’s like a £1 from the Indian shops)
• 25ml fresh lemon juice
• 25ml fresh lime juice 
• 50ml spiced rum
• Thyme

For the glass

1. Use an egg carton or cupcake tray to balance your glass to get the slanted ice shape.
2. Fill less than half a glass with water and add some thyme sprigs to it.
3. Place in a freezer to set **Ensure you don’t leave it in the freezer too long cause the glass may crack. A couple of hours should do it** 

The cocktail

1. Shake the ingredients for the cocktail. You can make this while the ice is being set and then keep it in the fridge 
2. Once the ice is ready, give the cocktail a final shake and pour it into the glass

As you sip the thyme flavours the mango and it works a treat.

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STRAWBERRY, BASIL & PEPPERCORN COOLER

• 25ml lime juice
• 70ml strawberry juice (puree)
• 50ml gin
• basil & peppercorn for glass
• tonic water to top the drink

For the glass

1. Use an egg carton or cupcake tray to balance your glass to get the slanted ice shape.
2. Fill less than half a glass with water and add some basil and peppercorn
3. Place in a freezer to set **Ensure you don’t leave it in the freezer too long cause the glass may crack. A couple of hours should do it** 

The cocktail

1. Shake the lime juice, strawberry puree and gin with some ice
2. Strain into the ice glass and top with tonic water

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MILLION DOLLAR COCKTAIL

• 25ml pineapple juice
• 15ml grenadine
• 40ml vermouth (i used the Rosso Vermouth)
• 50ml gin

Shake all the above with some ice. Garnish with physalis.

HIBISCUS AND ROSE FIZZ

This is great for Valentines and adds a nice touch to many other drinks. Flavoured ice cubes lift many drinks including a glass of Fizz.

For the Hibiscus & Rose Syrup

Boil 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup sugar until dissolved. Then add in 1/4 cup dried hibiscus & rose petals and let this steep for about 30 minutes. Strain the syrup so you don’t have the bits.

For the ice moulds

Into your mould fill 70 % with the syrup then top with 10% lemon juice and a dash of vodka. Remember you don’t want too much vodka or gin cause alcohol does not freeze. You can skip the alcohol all together if you want. 

To assemble 

• Place one of two of the heart shape ice moulds into your glass. It depends on how big your moulds are. 
• Top with your chilled fizz.
• Add in a mini edible rose and finish off with a dusting of gold.
• It’s so simple and yet to tasty.
• As the ice melts you get the beautiful hints of hibiscus and rose. Stir lightly to enjoy it the most.

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All of these are on my Instagram Page too if you want to watch the videos. Some holiday cocktails are here too.

Neha
x

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Please drink responsibly! Any questions, drop me a message.