Five cocktails to add a little flavour to your New Year

 

New Year’s Eve is upon us. Translation, there is an excuse for anyone to party and let out their wild side. What better way to do this than with some delicious cocktails. Let your taste buds explore the different flavours of five amazing drinks.

A classic Mojito – this is the perfect cocktail for a hot, sunny day. It is refreshing, tasty and guaranteed to make the summer heat manageable. This easy, two-step recipe is for one serving, but it can be adjusted to make more and the quantities of the ingredients can be played with to suit your personal taste.

You will need:

•The juice of one lime

•5ml granulated sugar

•A small handful of mint leaves

•60 ml white rum

•Soda water or Sprite if you prefer your mojito a bit sweeter

Method:

Muddle the lime juice, sugar and mint leaves in a small jug, crushing the mint as you go. Pour the mixture into a tall glass and add a bit of ice.

Pour over the rum and stir it in with a long spoon. Add the soda water or Sprite and garnish with mint.

That’s it, an easy recipe for a hot summer’s day.

Next is Sangria; another easy and refreshing cocktail recipe for the summer months. This two-step recipe will make six servings.

You will need:

• Two oranges, chopped

• Two pears, chopped

• Two lemons, one chopped and one juiced

• 200g red berries, chopped (strawberries, cherries, etc)

• 45ml castor sugar

• 5ml cinnamon

• Ice

• 750ml bottle of light red wine

•100ml brandy

•300ml sparkling water

Method:

Put all of the chopped fruit in a bowl and sprinkle over the sugar and cinnamon. Stir the mixture and make sure the fruit is covered. Cover the mixture and leave it in the fridge for at least one hour (best to leave it overnight)

Fill a large jug with ice and then stir your fruit and sugar mixture to make sure the sugar has dissolved. Tip the mixture into the jug with the wine and brandy. Lastly, stir and top up with the sparkling water.

A blueberry mojito is a super easy recipe that serves six, uses only a handful of ingredients, and can be whipped up in minutes.

You will need:

• 100g blueberries

• Three chopped lemons

• 30ml granulated sugar

• Two mint sprigs, leaves picked off

• 350ml white rum

• 600ml sparkling water or Sprite

Put the fruit and sugar into a jug and muddle them together. Bruise the mint leaves and add them to the jug with a generous amount of ice. Lastly, pour over the rum and the Sprite or sparkling water and stir together.

The next recipe is for a Frozen Margarita – cold, simple, and delicious, this recipe can be prepared in just five minutes. It only serves one, but you can adjust the quantity of the ingredients as necessary.

You will need:

•50ml tequila

•25ml triple sec (or Cointreau)

•25ml lime juice

•15ml sugar syrup

•Ice

•A lime wedge to garnish

This recipe is extremely simple, all you need to do is put all of the ingredients (except the lime wedge) into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour it into a glass, add your garnish, and you are done.

If your taste for cocktails is a bit more exotic, and you would like themed cocktails, try these.

Confetti Champagne is the perfect New Year’s-themed cocktail; it is colourful, unique, and delicious.

The recipe serves six and you will need:

• One lime wedge

• 175 ml vanilla vodka

• A few bags of assorted pop rocks

• One bottle Champagne

•700ml Sprite

Method:

Place all the pop rocks on a small, shallow plate and mix them together. Wet the rim of each of the six glasses with the lime wedge and dip the glasses into the pop rocks.

Add a small amount of vanilla vodka to each glass and then divide the champagne evenly between the glasses. Top off with Sprite and serve chilled.