Here are the tools you need for at home mixology. Hobnob has gathered fantastic cocktails recipes made easy by using the right mixers.
As part two of Hobnob’s mixer story, I’ve compiled some easy concoctions that you can choose to serve at your next gathering. See the details and review of each brand at these links: Instant Cocktails and At Home Mixology to see all the great benefits of using better mixers. Then peruse the ways you can be creative below.
To follow is a range of cocktails that are super easy to create. I start with the making of an excellent Gin and Tonic, this one is bearing light pink tones. (photo at the top of this post)
Fever-Tree
If you are a fan of tonic cocktails the good news is Fever-Tree has compiled an entire book with cocktails from mixologists around the world in Fever-Tree: The Art of Mixing. We share three of them here, to give you a taste, and admire the photos by Paul Winch-Furness.
Ultimate Pink G&T
2 oz juniper-rich premium gin (we recommend Plymouth Gin, Sipsmith VJOP or a navy strength such as Bathtub)
Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic Water, to top up
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Generous piece of lemon peel, to garnish
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Fill a highball glass with plenty of ice cubes and pour in the gin. Top up with the tonic water, then twist the lemon peel over to release the essential oils and aromas, before dropping it into the glass to garnish. (photo at the top of this post)
Nueva Paloma
Sea salt, to frost the glass rim
2 oz Tequila Ocho Blanco
1 TB fresh lime juice
2 tsp agave nectar
2 oz fresh pink grapefruit juice
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Fever-Tree Sicilian Lemon Tonic, to top up
Pink grapefruit wedge, to garnish
Mint sprig, to garnish (optional)
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Frost the rim of a highball glass with the sea salt. Fill the glass with ice cubes and pour in all the ingredients except the tonic, stir. Top up with the tonic. Garnish with a pink grapefruit wedge and a mint sprig, if desired.
—recipe by Jesse Estes El Nivel, London, UK
New Pink Gin
4 TB Tanqueray No. Ten Gin
4 TB fresh ruby grapefruit juice
4 TB Fever-Tree Indian
Tonic Water
2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
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Lemon wedge, to garnish
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Pour all the ingredients in order into a highball glass over ice. Stir to mix and add a lemon wedge to garnish.
—recipe by Jeppe Nothlev of Ruby, Copenhagen, Denmark
Mingle
Blackberry Hibiscus Bellini Mocktail
4 oz Mingle Blackberry Bellini
Fresh berries
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Fill champagne flute with chilled Mingle Bellini. Garnish with fresh berries. (Add 2 oz Prosecco to create cocktail)
Cranberry Cosmo Mocktail
4 oz Mingle Cranberry Cosmo
Lime wheel or lemon twist
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Pour chilled Mingle Cranberry Cosmo into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with lime wheel or lemon twist. (Add 1 oz vodka to create cocktail)
Moscow Mule Mocktail
5 oz Mingle Moscow Mule
sprig of mint
lime wedge
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Pour chilled Mingle Moscow Mule into copper mug or double old fashioned, add ice. Drop in a lime wedge and a sprig of mint. (Add 1 oz vodka to create cocktail)
Melon Mojito Mocktail
5 oz Mingle Melon Mojito
mint, muddled
melon or cucumber
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Pour chilled Mingle Melon Mojito in small pitcher. Add muddled mint. Serve in highball glass over ice. Garnish with mint, cucumber slices or melon balls. (Add 1 oz rum to create a cocktail)
Sap!
Maple Woodlands
Make the Cinnamon Clove Syrup:
1 CUP water
.75 CUP sugar
4-5 cinnamon sticks
pinch of whole cloves
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Heat on low for 10-15 min, never letting it boil, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool.
Make the Cocktail:
cinnamon sugar, for rim
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2 oz Barr Hill Tom Cat Gin
1.5 tsp cinnamon clove syrup
1.5 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
1.5 oz organic unsweetened cranberry juice
5 drops Urban Moonshine Maple Bitters
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3 oz Sap Maple Soda
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garnish: thin slice of orange
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Rim glass with cinnamon sugar. Add all ingredients over ice, except the soda, and stir. Top with Sap Maple Soda, garnish with orange.
Morris Kitchen
Charcoal Dark & Stormy
2 oz Morris Kitchen Ginger Spice Mixer
1 oz Aged Rum
1 oz Aquafaba
1 bar spoon Activated Charcoal
Lime Wheel
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Combine aquafaba with ice, charcoal and rum and shake with ice. Strain into a short glass over fresh ice. Combine .5 aquafaba with ice, ginger spice mixer, shake and strain. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Citrus Agave Margarita
2 oz Morris Kitchen Citrus Agave
1 oz Tequila
Lime Wheel or Cucumber
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Combine ingredients shake and strain into a short glass. garnish with a lime wedge or cucumber.
Turmeric Margarita
2 oz Morris Kitchen Grapefruit Honey Mixer
1 oz Tequila
1 Bar spoon Turmeric Powder
Black Salt
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Rub a short glass with citrus and dip into black salt. Combine all other ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain over fresh ice.
Grapefruit Hibiscus
2 oz Morris Kitchen Grapefruit Honey Mixer
2 oz Seltzer
1 oz Aquafaba
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Combine aquafaba with ice, and mixer in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice. Strain into a short glass over fresh hibiscus ice and top with seltzer.
Be Mixed
Blackberry Mint Mojito
3 mint sprigs
4 blackberries
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4 oz Be Mixed Cucumber Mint
1.5 oz white rum
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soda water
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Muddle mint and blackberries. Add Be Mixed and rum to shaker with ice and shake. Pour into a glass over ice and top with soda water.
Ginger Peach Spritz
1/2 ripe peach, diced
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4 oz Be Mixed Ginger Lime
1.5 oz vodka
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1.5 oz club soda
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Muddle peach in a glass. Add Be Mixed and vodka. Add ice and stir until cold. Top with club soda.
Navy Hill Tonics
Navy Hill Ginger and Cucumber
1 part vodka
2 parts Navy Hill Ginger
sliced cucumber
fresh mint
Ice
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Mix and stir
The Seven Hills (no photo)
1.5 oz Milagro Reposado Tequila
1.5 oz Navy Hill Juniper
1 oz pineapple juice
freshly squeezed lime
2-3 sage leaves
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Mix and serve over crush ice. Float sage leaf on top.
—recipe by Michelle Shriver at Dutch and Company
Navy Hill Paloma (no photo)
1.5 oz top shelf tequila
2 oz Navy Hill Original
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
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Squeeze lime juice into the cocktail and run the lime across the rim of the glass. Mix and serve over ice.
Dry Soda
Watermelon Rosé Spritzer
Halfway rosé makes for a delicious drink all day.
3 oz rosé
3 oz Watermelon DRY Sparkling, chilled
garnish: watermelon slice or cubes
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Chill rosé and Watermelon DRY Sparkling. Pour both ingredients into your favorite wine glass and enjoy immediately.
Porch Sipper
4 oz Ginger DRY Sparkling
2 oz Grey Goose La Poire Vodka
fresh lemon juice
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garnish: lemon twist
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Add vodka and lemon juice to ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake 5 – 7 seconds. Strain into cocktail glass. Top with Ginger DRY Sparkling and garnish with lemon twist.
Töst
Spicy Spiked Peach Lemonade
1 oz Silo Distillery Vodka
.5 cup lemonade plus fresh lemon juice
2 oz pureed peaches
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Töst
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garnish charred peach slice and chili pepper.
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Shake together first three ingredients, pour into tall glass. Top with Töst. Garnish with charred peach slice and chili pepper.
Töst Mojito
12 fresh mint leaves
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2 oz fresh lime juice
2 tsp Dorset Maple Reserve Smoked Maple Syrup
2 oz light rum
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3 oz Töst
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garnish: 5 small sprigs mint + candied ginger
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Pour over crushed ice, stir. Add Töst. Garnish with mint and candied ginger.
Classic Töst Mock Bellini (no photo)
2 parts Töst
1 part Peach Puree (or Pear)
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Pour puree into champagne flute, top with Töst
“TösTed” Cranberry-Apple Mocktail (no photo)
2 oz apple cider, chilled
1 oz cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
1 oz fresh-squeezed orange juice, chilled
(Add 1.25 oz Vodka to spike)
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2 oz Töst, chilled
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garnish: thin-sliced apple slices
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In a shaker glass, combine the chilled juices. Pour over ice in a Double Old-Fashioned glass. Just before serving, add chilled Töst and stir gently. Garnish with apple slices.