4 Easy Yet Impressive Cocktails Recipes For When You’ve Worn Out The G&T
There are plenty of things we need more of in 2020 — vaccines for pandemics, people wearing their goddamn masks, etc etc — but while we wait, at least we can have more cocktails from the socially distanced sensibility of our own homes.
When you’re done with the humble G&T — a decidedly delish drink and I’m not knocking it, it’s just getting a little old at this point — SodaStream have been kind enough to share some recipes from their book.
I’ve gone through and picked a few of my favourites and made sure they’re fairly simple to put together. Obviously I’ve been using my Sodastream to make the soda water — it’s no secret I was already a big fan.
If you’re in a state where you can have friends over, trust me, these will make you seem way fancier than you are at dinner parties.
Blushing Lemonade
According to the recipe book, “this sparkling sip of lemony sophistication is filled with lavender love. Just stir, serve and enjoy the inevitable compliments (they’ll definitely make you blush)”.
Ingredients
- 200ml lavender syrup
- 200ml fresh lemon juice
- 600ml sparkling water
Preparation:
- Pour all the ingredients into a pitcher and serve.
- Garnish with Lemon and fresh lavender
- Serve in a Pitcher and Lowballs
To Make Lavender Syrup
- Ingredients: 100g dried lavender flower buds, 500ml sugar, 500ml water
- Preparation: In a saucepan, bring the water and lavender to a boil. Stir in sugar until it fully dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Steep for one hour. Strain and refrigerate.
Watermellow
“If we had to choose what’s more refreshing – watermelon or this cool cocktail, guess what we’d go for? Sweet, sour, a tad spicy, with a touch of basil, it’s summer’s ultimate chill by the grill”.
Ingredients
- 4-5 medium-sized watermelon cubes
- 6-8 basil leaves
- 25ml simple syrup
- 30ml lime juice
- 60ml Pisco
- Fresh ground peppercorn
- sparkling water
Preparation
- In a shaker, muddle watermelon, basil and simple syrup.
- Add lime juice, Pisco and ice and shake vigorously.
- Double strain through a fine sieve and top with sparkling water.
- Sprinkle a pinch of peppercorn on top.
- Garnish with a basil leaf boat and four seasons peppercorns.
- Serve in a martini glass
For Simple Syrup
- Use equal parts granulated white sugar to hot water and stir until fully dissolved.
Island in the Sky
“Life’s too short for boring cocktails. This ultimate refresher goes perfectly with your daydream of lying on the beach and listening to the waves crashing at your feet”.
Ingredients
- Handful of sage
- 25ml simple syrup
- 25ml lime juice
- 25ml pineapple puree
- 45ml aged Rum
- 15ml yellow Chartreuse
- sparkling water
Preparation
- In a cocktail shaker, shake all of the ingredients vigorously.
- Double strain through a fine sieve and top with sparkling water.
- Garnish with sage and edible flowers.
- Serve in highball glasses.
Kiss the Cook
“If you can grill a steak and chop a salad, you can make this perfect punch for your weekend BBQ. With its very berry sweet demeanour, you’ll be getting a ‘yes, yes, yes!’ every time”.
Ingredients
- 6 limes – diced
- 200g red currants
- 200g raspberries
- 200g blueberries
- 20 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 bottle of Cachaça or Rhum Agricole
- 100ml Triple sec
- 60ml SodaStream Berry Mix syrup
- sparkling water
Preparation
- In a reusable container, muddle the diced limes with the sugar and half of the berries. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Pour the entire contents into a punch bowl.
- Add Cachaça (or Rhum) and Triple sec.
- Fill punch bowl with ice, SodaStream Berry Mix syrup and top with sparkling water.
- Add the rest of the berries and stir gently.
- Serve in a punch bowl and punch glasses.
(All Images: Provided / Sodastream)
