Summer days, relaxing in the great outdoors are best paired with a refreshing cocktail… or two. We’ve picked four classic summer cocktail recipes for you to try at home, for those days when you want something a bit more than a glass of your favourite Rosé. We’ve got a cocktail to suit all taste buds and all palates. From a simple Tom Collins to the more advanced and stronger Negroni. Sit back and take note of these cocktails to next enjoy with your friends and family on a warm, summers day.
Mojito
Originating from Cuba, the Mojito is an all-time classic cocktail. It’s also a favourite of ours here at Laithwaite’s.
Ingredients
- 50ml White rum
- 15ml Simple syrup
- 25ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
- 100ml Soda water
- Fresh mint leaves
- Ice
- Free poured golden or dark rum (optional)
Method
- Put your mint leaves into a glass, tearing and slapping some of the leaves to release their minty flavours.
- Add your white rum on top of the mint leaves as well as the freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Fill your glass to the top with ice and then add the soda water.
- Mix together your ingredients with a bar spoon, lifting the ingredients up as you stir.
- Garnish with a mint sprig. You can also free pour in golden or dark rum at this stage, this adds and extra dimension to the Mojito.
Watch our in-house Wine & Spirits Educator, Greg Roberts, in his step by step tutorial on how to make a Mojito.
Tom Collins
The Tom Collins is a great alternative to a Gin & Tonic.
Ingredients
- 50ml Gin
- 25ml Lemon juice
- 12ml Simple syrup
- Soda water
- Ice
- Orange and cherry to garnish
Method
- Take a Hi Ball glass and fill to the top with ice.
- Pour your gin, lemon juice and simple syrup into a mixing glass and fill with ice.
- Put the lid on the glass and shake for 12 seconds.
- Take a sieve and pour the mix into the Hi Ball glass filled with ice. You should be left with a little gap at the top.
- Top up the glass with soda water.
- Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.
Negroni
With just a handful of ingredients, the Negroni will be on your list to try this summer.
Ingredients
- 25ml Chase GB Gin
- 25ml Campari
- 25ml Sweet vermouth
- Ice
- Orange wedge to garnish
Method
- Add your gin, Campari and sweet vermouth to a mixing glass.
- Add ice to the top of your mixing glass and stir together the ingredients with a bar spoon for 20-30 seconds.
- Place a large cube of ice into a rocks glass and pour the mixed drink with a strainer over the large cube of ice.
- Finish off the drink by placing an orange wedge inside the glass.
For a video tutorial on how to make a classic Negroni, head over to our YouTube.
English Garden
Summer is the perfect time to open a bottle of fizz! But the English Garden is a bit more than just prosecco. This cocktail blends together some great British flavours and we think you’ll love it.
Ingredients
- 20ml Hendrick’s Gin
- 20ml Elderflower Cordial
- Allesandro Gallici Prosecco
- Ice
- Fresh mint
Method
- Place the ice, elderflower cordial and gin into your service glass of choice.
- Top up the glass with ice cold Allesandro Gallici Prosecco.
- Add in a sprig or two of fresh mint and enjoy.
Will you be trying one of these cocktails? If you give any of these summer cocktails a go yourself at home, do tag us in your pictures on Instagram.
