A DIY guide to making cocktails at home

Every cocktail lover should feel empowered to mix quick and simple cocktails at home. For anyone who’s never shaken up some spirits to enter the fabulous world of mixology, it’s time to add classic cocktails to that DIY drinks list. Being able to rustle up a favourite tipple of an evening is easy with the aid of this guide to making cocktails at home (recipes make enough for two). From coffee cocktails to fruity fizz, these selections should be on everyone’s drinks menu!

• Porn Star Martini

This simple passionfruit cocktail is alive with zingy flavours, and it can be topped up with prosecco for an even more special drink. The ingredients are:

Two ripe passionfruit, cut in half
30ml Passoa passionfruit liqueur
60ml vanilla vodka
One tbsp sugar syrup
One tbsp lime juice
Ice
Prosecco (if needed)

To make it, all the mixer needs to do is scoop the seeds from one passionfruit into the cocktail shaker, and add the vodka, sugar syrup, passionfruit liqueur and lime juice. Then, add a handful of ice and shake well. The drink is then strained into two Martini glasses, topped up with prosecco to taste, with half a passionfruit added to each drink to finish. For the best results, it should be served immediately!

• Espresso Martini

One of the most popular cocktail ingredients is coffee, and there are dozens of popular coffee cocktails on bar menus, including the classic Espresso Martini. What’s needed:

100g golden caster sugar to make sugar syrup
50ml fresh espresso coffee
100ml vodka
Four coffee beans
50ml coffee liqueur
Ice

First, two Martini glasses should be put in the fridge to chill. Next, it’s time to put the caster sugar in a pan on medium heat with 50ml of water. It should stirred as it comes to the boil, which will make sugar syrup – then it must be left to cool properly before pouring one tablespoon into a cocktail shaker with the vodka, ice, espresso and coffee liqueur. The mixture needs to be shaken until the cocktail shaker is icy cold to the touch, then strained into the chilled glasses and garnished with one coffee bean each.

• Irish Coffee Affogato

This cocktail is almost like a dessert, as it combines the Italian dessert, affogato, with Irish coffee, creating a smooth, ice-cold, after-dinner drink. It’s ideal for whiskey lovers who want a cocktail with a kick! This cocktail calls for:

Small pot freshly brewed strong coffee
Two tbsp Irish whiskey
Two scoops vanilla ice cream
Chocolate covered coffee beans

First, a pot of coffee needs to be made (just as it normally would), and the ice cream should be scooped onto a baking sheet and popped in the freezer till it’s time to use it. When the coffee has brewed, one scoop of ice cream can be added into each glass before the coffee. Then, the whiskey is poured over it, along with a shot of coffee for each glass. Finally, the chocolate-covered coffee beans should be scattered over the top and the drink served right away.

• Mojito

The mojito is one of the classic party cocktails that has white rum as the main ingredient. It needs:

120ml white rum
Soda water according to taste
Juice of two limes
Two tsp granulated sugar
A handful of mint leaves, plus extra sprigs to garnish

The mint must be crushed using the end of a rolling pin, then put in a jug with the sugar and lime juice. Next, the mixture goes into a tall glass along with a handful of ice. Then, rum is poured over it and stirred with a long-handled spoon. The glass can be topped up with soda water, depending on how strong the drink needs to be. Finally, a sprig of mint provides the finishing touch to serve right away.

• Piña Colada

The ever-popular piña colada is a tropical blend of white rum, rich coconut cream and tangy pineapple. The ingredients include:

240ml pineapple juice
120ml white rum
120ml coconut cream
A wedge of pineapple

This is one of the easiest cocktails to make: all the ingredients are popped into a blender with a handful of ice and mixed together until smooth. Then all that’s left to do is serve by pouring it into a tall glass and garnishing with fresh pineapple.

• Margarita

Tequila and triple sec are combined to make this fabulous, punchy cocktail. The rim of the glass can be edged with salt for extra taste. A margarita has:

Ice
100ml tequila
50ml lime juice
40ml triple sec (such as Cointreau)
Four lime wedges
A little salt

A few teaspoons of salt are sprinkled onto a small plate. Then, one wedge of lime is run along the rim of each glass to coat it in juice, and then the glass is dipped it into the salt, covering the entire rim. Plenty of ice goes in a cocktail shaker with the tequila, triple sec and lime juice. It should be shaken until the exterior of the shaker feels icy cold, then strained into the prepared glasses over fresh ice and served with a wedge of lime.

• Daiquiri

The daiquiri is another popular cocktail, made with white rum, lime and sugar. The ingredients:

100ml white rum
20ml sugar syrup
50ml lime juice
Ice

All the ingredients are shaken together in a cocktail shaker until the outside of the shaker feels cold, and then strained into a cocktail glass.

As an added twist, a strawberry daiquiri can be made using ripe, sweet fresh fruit. One handful of strawberries goes into each cocktail. They go in the empty shaker first to be crushed gently before the other ingredients are added. Then, the cocktail is shaken as normal and poured into a cocktail glass for an easy crowd-pleaser!

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