It seems 2020 has given everyone a good excuse to pour an extra bevie for themselves at the end of a long week or perhaps a long Tuesday. With the holidays approaching, there is no better time to start perfecting your mixology skills than with some simple, quick, and delicious cocktails!
Here are a few of my favorites along with some great recommendations to outfit your bar without breaking the bank.
1. Moscow Mule
Contrary to their trendy nature and ever-growing popularity, Moscow Mules date back to the 1940s. Vodka wasn’t a popular spirit in America and people would often joke that it was a Russian drink and thus, the Moscow Mule was created.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Grey Goose vodka
- 1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
- 6 oz. Crabbie’s Ginger Beer
- limes
Directions:
- squeeze lime juice into ice filled mug and drop in the lime wedge
- pour in vodka
- add ginger beer
- garnish with lime wedge
Tip:
Don’t forget to use a copper mug to present your cocktail. After all, it’s not a Moscow Mule unless it comes in one of those! Click here to order your copper mug set.
2. Mojito
While the Mojito’s history is a bit of a debate, it is widely believed that this drink originated in Cuba. Cubans would mix a rum-like moonshine with mint, lime, and sugar cane syrup to ward off illnesses.
Ingredients:
- mint leaves
- 2 oz. Bacardi white rum
- 2 tsp of cane sugar
- 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 5 oz. soda
Directions:
- put mint leaves, rum, cane sugar, and lime juice in a small glass and crush them with a muddler. (note: be careful not to break the mint leaves)
- add soda
Click here to pick up my favorite muddler!
The nice thing about Mojitos is that they are a very versatile cocktail. You have countless options for flavor profiles such as blueberry, cranberry, peach, etc. Get creative!
3. Sangria
I don’t care what season it is, it’s ALWAYS a good time for a batch of Sangria! What I like best about Sangria is there never seems to be any rules. Pick some of your favorite fruits, juices, wine, liquor, and away you go!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced
- 1 peach, cubed
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 apple, sliced
- 1 cup soda
- 1/4 cup of a spirit/liqueur of your choice (Grand Marnier, vodka, rum)
- bottle of white wine, chilled
Directions:
- combine fruit with spirit of your choice in a pitcher and chill for 1 hour
- add wine and soda to your pitcher and serve well chilled
I love a pretty pitcher for my Sangria. Click here to pick up one of these beauties!
Tips:
- substitute champagne instead of the wine for a classier experience
- make your Sangria ahead of time. The longer it sits, the better it tastes!
- do not add ice to the pitcher, this will dilute your Sangria over time and that’s not fun for anyone
4. G&T (aka Gin & Tonic)
This classic cocktail staple goes back to the early 1800s when British soldiers would add gin to their daily quinine tonic in an attempt to make it a bit easier to swallow.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. of your favorite gin (I like Bombay Sapphire because of the bottle)
- 3 oz. tonic water
- limes
Directions:
- fill shaker with ice
- add gin and tonic water
- squeeze some lime juice into the shaker
- shake it!
- strain and pour into ice filled glass
- garnish with lime wedge
It’s so much easier to mix your drinks with a shaker. Click here for my top choice!
5. Margarita
The history of the margarita is a little bit of a mystery with a few different people laying claim to being its creator. Whether you like it on the rocks or blended, margaritas are a classic go-to choice!
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. of tequila
- 1 oz. Triple Sec or Grand Marnier
- 3/4 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
- coarse kosher salt
- limes
Directions:
- prep your glasses: run a lime wedge around the rim, dip the rim in the salt
- place alcohol and lime juice in a shaker with ice
- shake it!
- strain and pour into ice filled glasses
- garnish with lime wedge
You could make your own rimmer set-up, but for a minimal investment you can be fancy and make it easier on yourself. Click here for my choice salt/sugar rimmer.
What better way to have some fun by getting busy channelling your inner mixologist. Let’s come out on the other end of this craziness with some new skills! Cheers everyone!
Bright & Bare Sassed 