Title image from David Stewart of www.homegets.com/
As you may have guessed from my post last week on charcuterie, I like to entertain (or more accurately, I like to eat and drink). While that is a bit more challenging in our studio apartment, M and I like to have people over for dinner and drinks whenever we can. While we usually stick to beer, nothing adds a little spunk to a party like a nice cocktail.
Here are three easy cocktails (and three mocktails!) that you can make to spice up your next dinner party. Let me also say, I am not a bartender, so the exact measurements for these may be a little off (I see you free-pouring over there). I encourage you to find the exact taste you enjoy and go with that!
Cocktails
Whiskey sour
After college, one of my friends and I used to go out to a line dance bar every Friday night. While I can’t say that I was any good at line dancing, drinking a whiskey sour at the bar definitely made me feel like an excellent dancer. While the bar definitely made these cocktails with the Chartreuse green sour mix, a good whiskey sour is actually very simple to make at home.
To make a whiskey sour you need the following ingredients:
2 ounces whiskey (Usually bourbon. You can make this cocktail with scotch though it will have more of a smokey than a sweet taste).
1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup
Optional: Egg White, and lemon peel or cherry for garnishing
To make this cocktail, assemble all the ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake it like a polaroid picture and pour over ice in a glass. Garnish.
Moscow Mule
2 ounces of vodka
1/2 ounce lime juice
6 ounces of ginger beer
To make a Moscow Mule, squeeze the lime juice into a glass (those copper mugs if you have them, but a regular glass is fine if you don’t. Hell, go with a coffee mug). Mix in vodka and ginger beer over ice and stir. Put the lime shell (from the portion you squeezed out) in the drink. Voila!
Not a vodka fan? You can easily switch it for another type of alcohol.
Tequila Sunrise
For those who want a good time, but don’t necessarily wan’t to taste their alcohol, a tequila sunrise is a good option.
1.5 ounces tequila
3/4 cup orange juice
1.5 ounce grenadine
Optional: Orange slice and cherry for garnish
Pour the tequila and orange juice over ice and stir together. Slowly pour in grenadine and let it settle on the bottom of the glass. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
Mocktails
Cuddles on the Beach
Yep! You read that right. Cuddles on the Beach is the non-alcoholic version of the sex on the beach cocktail. So put on your sunglasses and get ready to enjoy this sweet drink.
3 ounces cranberry juice
3 ounces grapefruit juice
2 ounces peach nectar (or peach juice)
Pour all ingredients over ice and stir.
Virgin Mojito
10 mint leaves
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 tea spoon sugar
1/2 ounce simple syrup
Sparking Water
In a glass, muddle together the mint leaves, lime juice, sugar, and simple syrup. Add ice and top with sparkling water.
Virgin Margarita
Margaritas don’t need to be confined to Margarita Monday with this simple non-alcoholic recipe.
2 oz simple syrup
1 ounce lime juice
1 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce orange juice
Pour all ingredients over ice into a cocktail shaker. Shake until sufficiently blended and chilled. Pour into a cocktail glass and enjoy.
What is your favorite drink to make if you are having someone over?