Refreshing cocktail recipes to keep you quenched through the Easter bank holiday weekend

Though most people tend to have an Easter menu laid out in their mind – traditionally starting with a Friday fish pie before an abundance of chocolate eggs and a hearty roast dinner come Sunday lunch – it can be easy to forget that preparing the drinks is just as important. To prevent you committing the cardinal sin of finding yourself without a glass in your hand at the beginning of the bank holiday, we’ve rounded up a selection of our favourite spring-themed cocktail recipes. 

Grey Goose Le Grand Fizze La Russe

To bring a bit of zing to your garden party (and a touch of class), try this bittersweet spritz packed full of zesty citrus notes.

Ingredients:

30ml Grey Goose vodka (available here)
15ml peach liqueur
15ml fresh grapefruit juice
60ml premium tonic water
Thyme
Grapefruit wedge

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients except the tonic water over ice cubes in a large wine glass.
2. Stir and top with tonic.
3. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge and a sprig of thyme for added flavour.

Honey Bee

Looking to add a dash of the Scottish Highlands to your Easter tipples? This delicious cocktail recipe using Ceann Loch Citrus Gin, Campbeltown’s first small batch gin, is sweet refreshing, ideal for welcoming in a spring breeze and the first buds of the season.

Ingredients:

35ml Ceann Loch Citrus Gin (available here)
15ml lemon juice
15ml raspberry syrup
A dash of honey

Method:

1. Shake ingredients with ice cubes.
2. Fine strain into a highball glass over ice.
3. Top up with a dash of lemonade or soda (optional).
4. Garnish with dried raspberries.

Coco-de-Pear

This indulgent rum-based option pays homage to the classic marriage between sweet pear and creamy chocolate. Featuring Bacardi Reserva Ocho, a complex golden rum with a deep, layered and mellow flavour of dried fruits, spices and oaky vanilla, it’s the perfect after-dinner treat for adults this Easter.

Ingredients:

35ml Bacardi Reserva Ocho (available here)
15ml pear liqueur
2 dashes of chocolate bitters
7ml demerara syrup

Method:

1. Pour ingredients into a rocks glass over cubed ice and stir well.
2. Garnish with two chocolate balls.

Grey Goose Salty Dog

Some of the best mixes are the most simplistic, so here is a fresh classic perfect for a sunny day. The sharp grapefruit and salted glass are a guaranteed al fresco cocktail hour favourite.

Ingredients:

20ml Grey Goose vodka
40ml fresh grapefruit juice
A lime quarter

Method:

1. Combine the spirit and juice in a cocktail mixer.
2. Shake and pour over ice in a salted-rim collins glass.
3. Garnish with a lime quarter.

Easter Bunny Negroni

If you want to upgrade from your classic chocolate Easter egg, this heavenly concoction from Kintyre Gin will hit the spot. Kintyre Pink Gin is uniquely distilled with Scottish raspberries and oats, giving it a delicate fruity flavour with a creamy finish, redolent of that most Scottish of desserts, Cranachan. Paired with chocolate, it’s a surefire winner.

Ingredients:

35ml Kintyre Pink Gin (available here)
35ml creme de cacao
15ml Campari
15ml sweet vermouth
A dash of chocolate bitters

Method:

1. Shake ingredients with ice cubes.
2. Fine strain into a chilled martini glass, rimmed with grated chocolate.

Hot Cross Rum

This delicious festive tipple is the perfect drink to enjoy with your family, friends or quarantine comrades this Easter. Its sharp citrus notes are offset by the indulgent creamy texture and the hot cross bun flavour will have you dreaming of Easters past.

Ingredients:

50ml Bacardi Spiced (available at Tesco and other major retailers for just £15)
20ml lemon juice
10ml lime juice
25ml cinnamon syrup
50ml cream
50ml soda water

Method:

1. Shake ingredients with ice cubes.
2. Fine strain into a highball glass over ice.
3. Garnish with grated nutmeg on top.

Grey Goose Bloody Mary

For those looking for something a little less sickly after overindulging on Easter eggs, here is a beloved Brunch classic that is part spicy and part savoury.

Ingredients:

50ml Grey Goose vodka
100ml premium organic tomato juice
25ml fresh lemon juice
5ml Worcestershire sauce
5ml hot sauce
A pinch of fleur de sel
A pinch of black pepper
Celery
Ground black pepper
Fresh aromatic herbs

Method:

1. Build ingredients in a Boston glass.
2. Top up with ice cubes.
3. Roll the cocktail by pouring it back and forth between Boston glass and tin.
4. Strain into a highball glass and garnish with fresh cut celery, ground pepper and sprigs of aromatic herbs.

Spring in Your Step

This cocktail will certainly add some Scottish flare to your festivities. Winner of the High Strength Gin of the Year at the Scottish Gin Awards 2020, Tarbert Legbiter Navy Strength Gin is made in the grounds of the Torrisdale Castle Estate and though it packs a punch, it’s smooth and flavoursome, with delicate floral notes.

Ingredients:

35ml Legbiter gin (available here)
15ml lime juice
10ml grenadine
50ml grapefruit juice

Method:

1. Pour ingredients into a rocks glass over ice cubes and stir well.
2. Garnish with dried pink grapefruit.

Grey Goose Lavender Pressé

Finally, a light and aromatic garden cocktail that captures the essence of the season, crafted with Grey Goose, freshly squeezed lemon juice and soda water. If you don’t have any lavender, try adding some fresh rosemary instead.

Ingredients:

30ml Grey Goose Le Citron vodka
15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp fine granulated white sugar
70ml soda water

Method:

1. Fill glass 2/3 full with ice, pour ingredients over and stir.
2. Garnish with fresh lavender and a wedge of fresh lemon.

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