Base Mix
Popular Alcohol Recipes
Rhubarb gin
STEP 1 Wash the rhubarb, trim the stalks and discard the base and any leaves. Cut the stalks into 3cm lengths. Put in a large jar with the sugar. Shake everything around, put the lid on and leave overnight. The sugar will draw the juice out of the rhubarb. STEP 2 After 24 hrs, add the gin, seal and shake everything around. Leave for about 4 weeks before drinking. You can strain the liquor off through a muslin-lined sieve and transfer to a bottle, but I often just leave the rhubarb and booze in the jar and ladle it into drinks that way. Over time the rhubarb and the gin go a much paler colour – this doesn’t look as dramatic. The upside is you that have to get through it fairly quickly!
View MorePink negroni
STEP 1 Combine the pink gin, vermouth and Aperol in a tumbler with a small handful of ice. Stir until the outside of the glass feels cold. STEP 2 Garnish with a wedge of pink grapefruit and a basil leaf.
View MoreGin Martini
STEP 1 Stir the gin or vodka, dry vermouth and a little ice together or put them in a cocktail shaker to combine. STEP 2 Strain into a chilled martini glass. Serve with an olive on a cocktail stick or a twist of lemon peel.
View MoreElderflower & cucumber G&Ts
STEP 1 Peel 2 long strips from the piece of cucumber and put in a small tupperware for transporting. Grate the remaining cucumber into a sieve set over a bowl and press down on it with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Add the elderflower cordial and gin to the cucumber juice and put in a bottle ready for travelling. At your picnic, wind the strips of cucumber around inside 2 glasses, pour in a quarter of the cucumber gin mixture, and top up with with a quarter of the bottle of tonic water to serve.
View MoreChicory collins
STEP 1 To make the chicory syrup, put the caster sugar and 200ml water in a saucepan and add the caraway seeds, fennel seeds and the chicory head. STEP 2 Warm the ingredients over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves then bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and leave the syrup to cool completely before straining through a sieve lined with muslin or a coffee filter paper. STEP 3 To make the cocktail, chill 4 tall glasses in the fridge and put the gin, lemon juice and 100ml of the chicory syrup into a large cocktail shaker along with a good handful of ice. Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker feels icy cold then strain into your prepared glasses. STEP 4 Add a few more ice cubes, put a chicory leaf into each glass then top up with soda water and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.
View MoreSpiced G&T
STEP 1 Put a large handful of ice in a big glass, then pour over 50ml cardamom-spiced gin. Crush 2-3 whole cardamom pods so they just split open and drop those in too. Pour over 100ml classic tonic water, then garnish with fresh or dried rose petals
View MoreElderflower gin
STEP 1 Shake any obvious bugs off the elderflower heads then put them into a large jar or jug. Add the lemon peel, caster sugar and pour over the gin. Cover and leave to infuse for 24hrs. STEP 2 Strain through coffee filter paper or 2 sheets of kitchen paper into a clean bottle. Keeps for up to 1 month. Serve with tonic water, lots of ice and a dash of sugar syrup if you like.
View MoreMed red snapper
STEP 1 Pour all the ingredients into a shaker with six grinds of black pepper and a couple of handfuls of ice, and ‘throw’ the cocktail between two shakers (or jugs) until chilled. STEP 2 Strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a tomato slice, celery ribbon, the salt and olive oil.
View MoreCourgette martini
STEP 1 Mix the courgette with the lemon juice and sugar and leave to steep for 1 hr. In the meantime, place a martini glass in the fridge to chill. STEP 2 Strain the courgette mixture through a sieve into a jug. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice then add 25ml of the courgette syrup followed by the vermouth and gin. Stir gently a few times then strain into your chilled glass. Garnish with a mint leaf and serve.
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