10 Easy Cocktails To Make At Home

What’s up guys, welcome back to the Educated Barfly. Today we’re doing a special episode for you, 10 easy summer cocktails.

It is party season and it is the summer time and if you are a cocktail enthusiast like me, you are probably the one that everyone goes to to create the cocktails for your parties.

First one up, Modern Cosmo. The Modern Cosmo was created by Tony Cecchini at Odeon in 1988, which is a bar in New York City and it was made globally famous by its inclusion in the show Sex and the City on HBO.

All right, let’s get into the drink

It also was one of the first craft cocktails to use Absolute Citron, which was a new product at the time that it came out. All right, let’s get into the drink. First thing we’re going to do is one ounce of lime juice. One ounce of cranberry juice, the original used ocean spray. I’m using Shishi organic cranberry juice, but you can do what you like.

• One ounce of Cointreau and then we’re going to do two ounces of Absolute Citron.

Next one up is an Ivy Gimlet

I always like to give it a little double strain and then I do like a little lemon spritz and there you have it, the Modern Cosmo. Next one up is an Ivy Gimlet.

This is a light refreshing cocktail playing with daiquiri specs, just subbing out some vodka and putting in a small handful of mint. First we’ll do is add the mint.

Then we’re going to take a muddler and we’re just going to give the mint a light press.

Then all you’ve got to do is add your ice

Just give it a nice light press to release those oils into the cocktail. Then all you’ve got to do is add your ice. Just take a little mint leaf, give it a nice little slap to release those oils and just… The Ivy Gimlet.

For our third cocktail we’re moving into the gin category. We’re going to be doing a Floradora.

All you’ve got to do is half an ounce of simple syrup, four fresh raspberries. If you have raspberry syrup and you want to just sub out for raspberry syrup, just do three quarters of an ounce of raspberry syrup. Three quarters of an ounce of lime juice, two ounces of gin. We’re just going to give this a light little tamp to break up those raspberries. We’re doing a whip shake on this cocktail.

Some people don’t like those seeds

We’re just going to give it a light whip shake. If you would like to, you can strain out the little bits of raspberry. Some people don’t like those seeds.

Today we’re just going to be doing a shake and dump, keeping it really nice and simple. We’re just going to add that into our glass with crushed ice or pebble ice is what we’re using today. I like to press it to make it go all the way down to the bottom.

A nice little snow cap on top. Then we’re just going to garnish with a little lime raspberry flag. There you have it my friends, the Floradora.

For our next cocktail, we’re going to be doing a fresh berry adaptation of Dick Bradsell’s very popular bramble. First thing we’re going to do is take three blackberries, put them in the bottom of a glass and just give them a light muddle, just like a light little press.

There you have it my friends, the fresh berry bramble

Then as we do for our crushed ice cocktails, we’re just going to add a little bit of ice in here, a little skoshe and we’re going to give it a nice whip shake. Add it in on top of the blackberries, top up with crushed ice and just garnish with a blackberry on top. There you have it my friends, the fresh berry bramble. Cocktail number five moves us into the agave spirits category with the highly satisfying Tijuana Rocket.

Then two ounces of reposado tequila

Then two ounces of reposado tequila. We’re going to give these ingredients a light muddle, add our ice and our cocktail, give it a nice shake. And there you have it my friends, the Tijuana Rocket.

For cocktail number six we’re just doing a really refreshing take on a sour with a mezcal. So first thing we’re going to do is three quarters of an ounce of lime juice, three quarters of an ounce of honey syrup and two ounces of mezcal. We’re going to try and use some mezcal that’s light and citrusy as well as smoky.

Then we’re just going to add our ice, give it a nice shake and give it a nice little double strain.

Cocktail number seven brings us into the rum category

Cocktail number seven brings us into the rum category. We are going to be making a cocktail called Iax Punch. I love this type of cocktail because it’s built right in the glass.

So first thing we’re going to do is just a couple of watermelon and cucumber slices, just a small handful. We’re going to add three quarters of an ounce of lime juice and a quarter ounce of simple syrup and then we’re going to give it a little muddle until everything is juiced down in there.

Make sure everything is combined. Then we’re going to add one and a half ounces of white rum. Add our ice cubes and then we’re just going to top it off with sparkling wine or Prosecco. Another light little stir.

This one you can build in the glass

And there you have it my friends, the Iax Punch. All right, next cocktail up is a super easy one, Dark and Stormy. This one you can build in the glass. Just three quarters of an ounce of lime juice. I like to build this a really specific way.

Then I add my ice, top it up with ginger beer and then two ounces of Gosling’s Black Seal Rum. I just like to layer that on top. Now when you go to drink this you’re going to have to mix it, but for presentation this is beautiful. There you have it, Dark and Stormy. Next up we’ve got a Mamie Taylor.

This cocktail is just one that you can throw, again you can just throw it together.

We’re doing two ounces of blended scotch

We’re doing two ounces of blended scotch. We’re going to add our ice. Try not to spill too much. Then just top it up with ginger beer. Then we’re just going to garnish it with a lime wheel, the Mamie Taylor. All right, for the last cocktail we’re going to be making a Pimm’s Number One Cup. First thing we’re going to do is just a little handful of mint in the bottom of the glass.

• Then we’re going to add our citrus.
• Then we’re going to add cucumber slices on top.
• Basically what you want to do is you want to separate the muddler from the mint just so that you don’t shred it.