BAZ Home Baked Cocktails
Look, we all have our specialised skills. Dad’s is doing Churchill impressions Mum’s is that unfinished essay on family history, Pete’s is a niche bit of Germany history that is Extremely Important and mine is my capacity to repeat everything several times. I’m also very good at the double ring - don’t pick up the first time? No worries, I’ll immediately call you again. I’m also incredibly good at spacing one text message over, oh I don’t know, 19 single messages. The point I’m making is this - if there is one thing Baz can do (and it might be that he’s only good at one thing*) it is serving alcohol.
*Baz is also very good at consuming alcohol.
BAZ
The bathroom is sparkling, the dining room is pristine and the bedroom looks like a display home.
The kitchen, however, is a bomb-site.
Upon going through the cupboards, there is an Alibaba’s cave of half-drunk spirits and some suspicious looking tins of beans from 1998. But what to do with the leftover booze you have discovered and the rest of the good stuff in the booze cabinet you already have?! Its always time for a cocktail!!!!
You might as well learn how to make some of the classics and simple building techniques with all the free time you have, in time for the next dinner party, once this all blows over.
Well this is an easy list, of some easy cocktails, for some easy drinking. Its easy…. The recipes all work on the basis that you don’t have a jig for proper measurements so you can just eyeball it.
METHOD
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Margarita (not Margherita, though they do go well together… party suggestion number 1) is an easy start given its sunny at the moment, and you might as well get rid of that bottle of tequila with a hat on it. Booze should never be wearing a Barbie sized hat as a general rule.
This is a shaker cocktail, so everything needs to go into a sealable container and yes, an old jam jars work a treat, and yes you can do a slushie version in a blender for the aforementioned party.
White tequila – two parts
Lime – one part
Curacoa – one part
Chuck it all in a shaker/blender with ice. Shake till your hands hurt from the cold. Pour over ice into your vessel of choice. Salt over the top or a salt rim if your feeling fancy.
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Rosita. One of the very classic aperitif drinks is a Negroni or Americano (depending on where in the world you hail from), designed to get you ready for dinner. The Rosita is a spin where you swap out the gin of choice to your tequila/mescal for a smokier version.
This is a drink which is built in the glass which makes it an easy clean up afterwards.
Campari – one part
Gin/Tequila/Mescal – one part
Sweet/Red Vermouth – one part
Everything in one glass over ice, stir a bit so they get to know each other and drink.
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Martini. Noël Coward famously said "A perfect martini should be made by filling a glass with gin, then waving it in the general direction of Italy”. There is a bit more too a home baked martini than that, but he’s not far off. This will require another glass for some chilling and mixing, I always end up making jar-tini’s because of the extra glasses needed to chill and serve and I have lots of empties around the house.
Gin/Vodka - two parts
Dry Vermouth – whatever is left in the bottle
Garnish of choice
Grab your glass of choice, fill with ice and let chill. Chill spirit of choice (it’s a safe space here, no judgment if you like a vodka martini). Once cold, dump out the ice and rinse the glass with your vermouth, fill your glass with your chilled spirit and top with olive/orange or lemon rind of choice.
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Manhattan is essentially, a rye whisky martini. Monroe’s favourite drink, is made in a very similar way to a martini, by prepping spirits as needed and building into the glass the finished product.
Rye Whiskey/Bourbon – two parts
Sweet/Red Vermouth – whatever is left in the bottle
Bitters
Grab your glass of choice, fill with ice and let chill. Chill spirit and of choice and vermouth. Once cold, dump out the ice and rinse the glass with your bitters, fill your glass with your chilled spirit mix and top with cherry/orange or lemon rind of choice
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Old Fashioned. The way in which an old fashioned is made is similar to a Negroni, in that it’s built within the serving glass. It is a little bit of work but it’s super delicious and it works with most dark spirits.
Whiskey of choice/Rum/Cognac even!
Sugar – a teaspoon or less
Bitters
Sugar (cube or teaspoon) into the bottom on the serving glass. Add enough bitters to make the sugar damp and mix still its paste. Add your booze of choice and ice and stir till the sugar mix is dissolved,
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Daiquiri or a Rum Sour is one cocktail which you can substitute the spirit to anything you have handy. Amaretto from that cake you made for your auntie? Yes! Whisky which was a gift from the previously mentioned auntie? Yes! Sours are really versatile like that. They are built in a similar way to a margarita, in that everything goes into a shaker and you do your worst, just remember to put the lid on tight.
White Rum– two parts – or spirit of choice
Simple syrup or even honey/agave – a solid dollop
Lime– two parts
Chuck it all in a shaker/jar with ice. Shake till your hands hurt from the cold. Pour into your vessel of choice but keep the ice out. If your feeling fancy, add an egg white and the finished product will have beautiful and light head and the drink will be less watery and more velvety
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Some special mentions of extra cocktails to make with minimal ingredients include a Side Car or a Tom Collins. Go forth with this new found knowledge of how to make and build cocktails in the comfort of your own home.
Good luck taking out the recycling once this is all over…
Editors Note - we finished our Christmas bottle of champagne last night so if someone could please send an emergency bottle over, I’d be very grateful
