Seven of the best Easter cocktails to try over the Bank Holiday weekend

What’s not to like about the Easter week? The long weekend is perfect for entertaining and catching up with mates and family.

And you get two, four-day weeks if you’re a Monday to Friday worker bee.  Even the weather may shine us, it is officially Spring after all.

To whet your appetite, VIVA has rounded up some inspo for you, whether you’re hosting cocktails, looking for some boozy puddings or want to try a gin with some serious attitude!

VIVA loves the Soho Street Cocktails who are revolutionising the ready-to-serve market with their small-batch, craft cocktails which deliver on bar-standard flavour for a fraction of the effort and price.

The range, which includes the Cosmopolitan, Piña Colada, Strawberry Daiquiri, Pornstar Martini, and Espresso Martini, is made using the finest ingredients and purest fruit purees. What’s more it’s mixed in recyclable pouches, which stay fresh for up to six weeks after opening.

Just pour in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously for seven to 10 seconds and serve in your glass of choice with ice and garnish!  Founded by Paul Scarratt, who has over 27 years of experience in the drinks industry, Soho Street Cocktails aims to bring about the ‘premiumisation’ of at-home cocktails.

Paul told VIVA: “Soho Street Cocktails came about as an inspired alternative to the overly sweet and low-quality cocktails available on the market. They are perfect for anyone who wants a first-class drink without all the ingredients and equipment that comes alongside it.”

Each pouch creates 10 x 150ml serves, that’s just £2.89 to drink the world’s most famous and finest cocktails anywhere you want.  All Soho Street Cocktails are available in a 1.5L pouch and are between 9.5 – 12% ABV and are available to buy for £28.99 from Master of Malt.

Looking for a new gin? Well, here’s one with bags of attitude. Blood Monkey Gin says it is here to cut the bull when everyone else is full of it. OOO fighting talk!

Their bold and versatile gins are the inaugural product from Dublin-based Outcast Brands and the range currently includes Blood Monkey Irish Gin and Blood Monkey Irish Spice Storm.

The name ‘Blood Monkey’ and signature drill bit design are a nod to the act of ‘bleeding the monkey’, when sailors drilled into the officers’ barrel of grog to steal the liquor inside.

It’s their spirit that inspires how the gin is made, expanding on the traditional gin recipe, which hails from The Netherlands in the 17th century, and which was acquired by Irish and English sailors and brought back to key maritime centres of the time. Blood Monkey Gin goes against the grain, unlike most, these gins are created to be enjoyed straight up, without a cucumber in sight.

The gin is distilled by West Cork Distiller’s Master Distiller, Deirdre Bohane in Skibbereen, and is wholly Irish owned.  Blood Monkey Irish Gin is made from a blend of botanicals including lime leaf, almond, juniper berry, orris root, Irish rosemary, liquorice, coriander seed, chamomile, and angelica root.

This selection creates a rich and nuanced flavour profile that unfolds with each sip. Bohane notes, “It is a sophisticated spirit with a complex character that reveals various details as it evolves on the palate. It hits you with a smooth, warm citrus spice followed with a slight hint of floral entwined with smoky, caramel flavours of whiskey”.

And for those looking for a gin with a zesty balance of orange and cardamom, they also offer Blood Monkey Irish Spice Storm, which imbues a striking depth of aromatic spice.

Whilst both gins can be enjoyed as a traditional gin and tonic, or in gin and whiskey cocktails, these are one of only a few gins that are designed to be drunk neat with the versatile liquid drinking like a white whiskey. Available from Celtic Whisky Shop from €45 for 70cl.

If you’re looking for delicious cocktails to make this Easter weekend, why not shake up this range of chocolate and dessert inspired rum, gin, whisky and amaretto cocktails

You need:  35ml Mermaid Spiced Rum | 20ml Banana Liqueur | 15ml Chocolate Liqueur | 75ml Oat Milk

All you do is:  Roll ingredients in an ice-filled shaker until frosted. Fine strain into a coupe and garnish.

Mermaid Spiced Rum RRP from £38 for 70 cl. ABV 40%. And you can buy online at Isle of Wight Distillery.

You need: 50ml Duppy Share XO Rum | 15ml Sugar Syrup | 3 Dashes Chocolate Bitters. Garnish: Burnt Orange Peel

You just stir all ingredients with ice and serve in a rocks glass with a cube of ice.

Duppy Share XO Rum RRP: £40.50 for 70cl. ABV: 40%. Available from: The Duppy Share Rum.

You need: 30ml ADRIATICO Bianco Amaretto | 40ml Vodka | 20ml Espresso | 20ml Coffee Liqueur | 10ml White Chocolate Syrup.

You just shake all ingredients over ice, and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with cocoa powder

Adriatico Amaretto Bianco RRP £28.99 for 70cl. ABV 16%. Available from: Amazon.

You need: 35ml Micil Irish Poitín | 15ml Micil Connemara Irish Cream | 15ml Coffee Liqueur | 1 shot of Freshly Brewed Espresso

You just, combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, fill with ice and shake vigorously. Double strain in a chilled glass

Micil Connemara Irish Cream RRP £23.95 for 70cl | ABV 17%. Available from Master of Malt.