Autumn has arrived, and with it comes an abundance of worries about how we’re going to afford the heating bills and weekly food shop, let alone going out for drinks.
But fear not. Staying in is most definitely the new going out, especially when you’re armed with some easy – and super fast – cocktail recipes.
Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley – authors of new book 60 Second Cocktails – are passionate about mixing up a delicious drink, but maintain they “can be made by anyone, anywhere, and with minimal fuss, knowledge or equipment”. So far, so Friday night.
“If there’s one sage piece of advice we’ve picked up from the professional bartenders we know, it’s about being as best prepared as possible: line up everything you possibly need in advance of making your drinks,” the duo note. “This is especially vital if you’re only giving yourself a short amount of time to make your drink!”
With a little practice and prep, here are four cocktails you can whizz up in the time it takes you to choose and open a bottle of wine…
Easy-Peasy Paloma
A classic Mexican cocktail with a magical mix of silver (blanco) tequila, citrus notes and effervescent soda. The original calls for grapefruit soda, but you can use a lemonade for a more rounded and sweet citrusy punch. Alternatively, you can use a blood orange soda.
You will need:
1 part silver (blanco) tequila
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
5 parts pink grapefruit soda
A highball or other tall glass
A fresh grapefruit slice for the garnish – pink grapefruit looks fabulous!
A jigger measure and bar spoon
A glass of ice cubes
Method:
Add the ice to the glass, then add the tequila and lime juice and top up with the soda. Give the drink a quick stir with the bar spoon and garnish with the grapefruit slice.
Douro Spritz
This drink comes from a wonderful trip Harrison and Ridley took to Porto in Northern Portugal, and takes its name from the majestic Douro Valley, the heartland of port production. It plays very much on the aperitivo hour – that superbly chilled time where you take a moment to enliven the senses before dinner, truly waking up the taste buds…
You will need:
3 parts fruity ruby port – or for a drier, richer drink, use tawny port
1 dash freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 dash sparkling water
3 parts sparkling wine, such as Prosecco – or for a low-ABV version, use 1 dash sparkling wine and 3 parts sparkling water instead
A large wine glass
A fresh or dried orange slice to garnish
A jigger measure and bar spoon
Plenty of ice cubes
Method:
Add the port and lemon juice to the glass, then add the ice and sparkling water. Top up with the sparkling wine. Stir a few times with the bar spoon and garnish with the orange slice.
Quick Sloe Gin and Soda
Sloe gin is a marvellous concoction – a combination of fresh and fragrant ripe berry aromas with a hint of sharpness and dryness coming from the juniper and other gin botanicals. Simply lengthening it with sparkling water leads to a long, fruity and seriously refreshing drink.
You will need:
2 parts sloe gin, such as Sipsmith or Elephant
5 parts sparkling water
A highball or other tall glass
A fresh orange slice to garnish
A jigger measure and bar spoon
Ice cubes
Method:
Add the ice to the glass, then add the sloe gin and top up with the sparkling water. Give the drink a quick stir with the bar spoon and garnish with the orange slice.
Wicked Whisky Highball
The whisky highball is currently topping the charts around the world as the most fashionable bar call. A refreshing mix of a great blended Scotch – such as Johnnie Walker Black Label – and sparkling water, this is a great way to drink whisky. The addition of cracked black pepper to the top of the drink accentuates the smoky notes.
You will need:
2 parts Scotch whisky – blended works perfectly here
5 parts sparkling water
Sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper (optional)
A tall highball glass
A thin piece of lemon peel to garnish
A jigger measure and bar spoon
A glass of ice cubes
Method:
Add the ice to the glass and then the whisky, giving a few stirs with the bar spoon to ‘wake up’ the whisky. Add the sparkling water and, if you like, sprinkle the cracked black pepper on top of the drink. Stir again seven to eight times and squeeze the lemon peel over the top of the drink to express the oils before adding to the glass to garnish.
60 Second Cocktails by Joel Harrison and Neil Ridley is published by Mitchell Beazley. Available now
