Cocktail inspo to leave you shaken and stirred
| 17th November 2020
| 17th November 2020
And just like that, we’re back in lockdown…
It doesn’t seem 2 minutes ago since the sun was shining, the bars were slowly beginning to open up again and we could sit outside and sip on our favourite cocktails.
The world felt like it was slowly returning to normality, and then quicker than you can say ‘Pornstar Martini’ we’re back to lockdown like we were in March.
If you’re struggling with that weekend cocktail fix and fed up of those pesky zoom quizzes, we’ve pulled together the best easy home-recipes so you can get creative this month, featuring some of the best spirits around at the moment that you can get your hands on.
Didsbury Gin’s Blood Orange & Ginger
Made using the eleven botanicals of their classic citrus led original Didsbury Gin and infused with fresh blood orange and ginger- this flavoured gin was certainly one that we had to feature in the roundup.
The deep fruitiness of the blood orange works really well alongside the kick of the ginger spice that follows after, reminding me of fallen leaves and gingerbread cookies in front of a fire on a chilly autumnal day.
Stocked at Didsbury Gin Website RRP £15.
The Cocktail: Blood Orange Gin & Tonic
Kopparberg Mixed Fruit Gin
This year we’ve waved goodbye to the standard Hot Toddy and said a big HELLO to Kopparberg’s inviting winter fruit hot toddy. Combining the sweet berry flavours of Kopparberg with lemon and cranberry to balance, this is a perfect and punchy warming serve; fantastic for cosy Winter nights.
In fact I’m half temped to get the firepit out and sit in the garden with one of these and spice up those winter nights in lockdown 2.0!
Stocked in all good retailers RRP £20.
The Cocktail: Kopparberg Winter Fruit Hot Toddy
Campari
There’s just something about a Negroni cocktail that reminds me of Autumn. Maybe it’s the rich orange colour that reminds me of the gorgeous colours of the leaves on the trees at this time of year, or perhaps it’s the rich deep orange flavour that pairs so well with a hearty Italian pasta dish that would warm anyone up on a cold and crisp Autumnal day.
As a key component to this cocktail, we’d be missing a trick if we didn’t include the staple of Campari in our Autumn round up. Not only does it work well in a Negroni, but it can also be easily made into the Americano, or if that isn’t to your taste, try a shot in your G & T for that little sparkling hint of orange.
Campari can be found at all good retailers RRP £17.
The Cocktail: Americano
Absolut Passion Fruit
If you’re like me and trying to hang onto every last ounce of summer by a thread, then this is our excuse to hold onto it just that little bit longer! Absolut vodka has released their passion fruit edition and it transports me back to those summery sunny days that seem like a distant memory now.
If you’re not quite ready to pull that mulled wine out from the back of the cupboard yet, then it seems only right to whip the shaker back out and rustle up a Pornstar Martini and watch Mamma Mia; we can forget about autumn for at least two hours, right?
Stocked at Sainsbury’s & Tesco’s RRP £20.
The Cocktail: Pornstar Martini
Gosling’s Black Seal Rum
I absolutely love summer months, so when it comes to autumn there’s only one Dark ‘n Stormy that I’m interested in… and funnily enough it’s not the cold grey Manchester skies I’m talking about!
The iconic Dark ‘n Stormy is Bermuda’s national drink and is a perfect pairing of Gosling’s Black Seal Rum and Gosling’s Stormy Ginger Beer. The name is said to have originated when an old salt observed that the rum floating on top of the ginger beer was the “colour of a cloud only a fool or a dead man would sail under.
Gosling’s rum are celebrating 40 years of the ‘Dark n Stormy’ cocktail this year, and if you’re after something to clear the cobwebs this autumn and transport you to the Bermuda seas then this is the cocktail for you- it’s really easy to make too so I’ll definitely be having one… or five!
Gosling’s Black Seal Rum can be found on Masters of Malt RRP £24
The Cocktail: Dark ‘n’ Stormy
Copper Dog
Your standard hot toddy is a thing of the past with this new Autumnal whisky cocktail on the scene. With a hot toddy renowned for its Winter spice kick, the company has introduced an actual chilli into the equation for their Dog & The City concoction that’ll certainly have you spicing up your mixologist skills. It’s just a shame you can’t show it off your friends until we’re out of Lockdown 2.0! RRP £30.
The Cocktail: Dog & The City
Jaffa Cake Gin
Gin and Jaffa cakes are two of my favourite things in the world, so when I tried this gin it’s safe to say that I was immediately hooked! It’s chocolatey, it’s orangey, it’s zingy and it’s beautiful. Who would have thought we could have a Jaffa cake in liquid form?! It’s even distilled with REAL JAFFA CAKES!
You can serve this gin with your favourite tonic or lemonade, but I was a particular fan of the Jaffa Cake Negroni.
Jaffa Cake Gin can be found on Firebox RRP £29.99.
The Cocktail: Jaffa Cake Negroni
Vermò Vermouth
As I’ve seemed to *unofficially* announce that the cocktail of Autumn is the Negroni throughout, you’re going to need a perfect versatile and sweet vermouth for trying out these cocktails aren’t you?!
We’ve scoured high and low for the best fit and found that the Vermouth from Vermò is just the ticket. Vermò is made with a blend of trebianno and chardonnay grapes alongside 31 high quality botanicals, resulting in a light, crisp and fruity taste that perfectly compliments your gin of choice and Campari.
Vermò Vermouth can be found at Ocado RRP £27.95.
The Cocktail: Negroni
RedLeg Original Spiced Rum
This final cocktail of our Autumnal round up SLAPS HARD; in fact it’s very fitting to it’s name: Hot Rum Slap. This one is a little more time consuming than the previous hot cocktails featured, but when I say it’s definitely worth it, I mean it.
If you’re in for the evening and have time on your hands (and let’s face it, who doesn’t at the moment) then you need to give this a whirl. Infusing cinnamon sticks in cloudy apple and ginger beer, this beautiful sweet and spiced liquid goes hand in hand with Red Leg original spiced.
Asda, Sainsbury’s or Tesco RRP £20.
The Cocktail: Hot Rum Slap