Are you ready to step up your cocktail game? Use these unique ideas to help inspire you and maybe even impress a date, party guests, or just yourself! During this uncanny time of a pandemic, I found making drinks as a fun and riveting way to spend my time. Here are some ideas encompassing different ingredients, garnishes, and restyling classic cocktails.
For this recipe, it may seem a bit too far fetched but I guarantee you the spicy and sweet are a perfect combination. You can prepare this any way you like. I recommend using two ounces of tequila, 2 ounces of freshly squeezed limes, 1 ounce of simple syrup, a couple of sliced jalapeño, a couple of pieces of thawed out mango. Add these all to a shaker, fill with ice and shake away. Chill your glass and add salt to the rim if you prefer, then strain your glass and pour your mango jalapeño drink. Add slices of jalapeño as a garnish and enjoy.
If you haven’t heard of this wonderful tea yet, let me introduce you to this color fun changing ingredient for your next cocktail. This tea starts as blue and when acidity is added such as lemon juice it turns purple! You can experiment and make drinks with pink, purple, and blue shades. Butterfly Tea has a bland taste so I suggest adding in a flavorful syrup. A simple recipe to try out is using prosecco or champagne, some type of liquor such as strawberry or Aperol, and lemon juice. Lavender and gin is also a popular way to use Butterfly Pea Tea. You can add fruits such as berries for garnish, mint, lavender, or edible flowers as a garnish.
This is visibly an obvious and simple creation of using champagne or prosecco and garnishing cotton candy to the top. Providing a beautiful touch. I suggest using your favorite rose to match the pink color of the cotton candy. Or you can get crazy and add the Butterfly Pea Tea! Creating a blue hue and using blue cotton candy or vice versa with purple cotton candy. This concept would be perfect for bridal showers, birthday parties, or any gathering to showcase an Instagram worthy picture.
One of my favorite ways of having a mojito is with some coconut. The most basic way for this recipe is 2 ounces of white rum, tonic water, 2 ounces of lime juice, mint, and coconut cream. You can be pretty flexible here and first make how you would prefer your mojito and add as much coconut cream to your liking. One recipe you can easily replicate, use a highball glass, muddle in 3-4 slices of limes, 5-6 mint leaves, simple syrup is optional because the coconut cream can be sweet enough. Then add in 2 ounces of rum, fill the glass with ice, fill the rest with tonic water, and add coconut cream to your liking. For garnish add a sprig of mint.
The classic Aperol spritz can easily be concocted in different ways. It’s known for using Aperol, prosecco, a splash of soda water, and an orange slice for garnish. If you happen to not have any prosecco, you can use white wine and either a hard seltzer or soda water. Add your Aperol or make a fun syrup if you don’t have any Aperol. The making of any syrup is a one to one ratio, using one cup of sugar and water, then boil and let cool. While the ingredients are boiling you can add anything to create a yummy syrup to add to your own unique Aperol Spritz. Instead of adding a fresh orange slice you can dehydrate orange slices, use blood oranges for a vibrant look. You can also use these for other cocktails as well.
You’ll need 2 ounces of vodka, 1 ounce of Lillet, 1 ounce of rose liquor, a squeeze of fresh lime and ice. Add them all in a shaker and pour in a chilled martini glass. For this recipe, you can get creative and really add anything you would like. I suggest checking out the liquor store and see what kind of fancy new liquors they have and experiment to find out your new favorite martini.
Simply add amaretto and maraschino cherry juice to your glass of champagne/prosecco to your liking, then garnish with a cherry. The wonderful brunch drink we call mimosas can be so diverse. If you’re tired of using orange juice try guava juice! I guarantee you that this cherry almond mimosa is a unique and delightful drink that will make your taste buds very happy.
For a clover club, you can either use gin or vodka and easily create your own syrup. The original clover club entails raspberry syrup but you can get crafty and make a strawberry, blackberry, rhubarb, or any syrup your heart desires. The fun part is the egg whites. In a shaker add 2 ounces of gin or vodka, 1ounces of your show of syrup, half an ounce of lemon juice, and one egg white. Add ice and shake. Use a strainer and pour into a chilled coupe glass. The egg white creates a beautiful foam top where you can play with garnish such as fruits, bitters forming swirls, mint, or spices.
This cocktail is also very flexible and based on what you have in your kitchen and garden. Start off with a highball glass and muddle in mint, rosemary, tarragon, and simple syrup or a ginger syrup does an exceptional touch. Add in about 2 ounces of gin or vodka, add the ice and fill the rest with soda water. You can experiment with flavored spritzers and muddle in some peaches as well to mix it up.
Lastly, this may seem an odd thing to do but trust me it’s a thing, and a delicious thing it is! Simply open up a miller lite, pour in some Aperol, and add in a sliced lime. This is such a refreshing summer drink that I did not know I needed.
In conclusion, there is no right or wrong way to make a cocktail, well unless it tastes bad then maybe. But the idea is how there are copious options when making a unique, fun, fresh cocktail. It’s all about trial and error and seeing what you like in the end. I would love to hear about your favorite creations!
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