Ever get bored of your usual glass of red or the oh-so-typical vodka -cranberry? Then it’s time to bring on some classics! I have narrowed it down to 5 cocktails that everyone should know how to make. It’s always good to be able to change up your palette once in a while and, with this knowledge handy, it won’t be hard. Keep an eye out for a Halloween twist on some of the recipes below to get a trick and treat out of your favourite cocktails. Make sure to enjoy responsibly!
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice, then pour in the gin and vermouth. Shake vigorously for about 20-30 seconds. Strain the liquid into a chilled martini glass and garnish with either an olive or a lemon twist. Martinis are my personal favourite –I like to add a splash of lemon juice since they are a bit of an aquired taste.
*For a spirit of the season Martini, try this recipe for a “Black Devil Martini”!
What you’ll need: iIce, 2 ounces dark rum, ½ ounce dry vermouth, black olive, and orange sugar.
Shake the rum and vermouth together in a cocktail shaker with ice, pour into a chilled martini glass that is rimmed with orange sugar, then garnish with black olives.
2. Cosmopolitan
What you’ll need: ice, 2 ounces vodka, ½ ounce triple sec, ¾ ounce cranberry juice, ¼ ounce lime juice, and an orange twist for garnish.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, and then add all of the liquids. Shake for about 20-30 seconds until it is well chilled and then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with the orange twist and, for an extra burst of flavour, peel the orange twist over your drink.
3. Margarita
What you’ll need: ice, 2 ounces tequila, 1 ounce Cointreau, 1 ounce lime juice, ¼ ounce agave syrup, coarse sea salt, and a lime wedge for garnish.
Fill a cocktail shaker partway with ice and pour in the tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and agave syrup. Shake until thoroughly chilled. Spread the coarse salt on a plate and rub the rim of the rock glass with a lime wedge. Turn the glass upside down into the salt, then fill the glass with ice and pour in the margarita. Add the lime wedge into your drink to garnish.
*For a Halloween twist on the margarita, try a “Morgue-A-Rita”!
What you’ll need (serves four): ¼ cup light corn syrup and green food colouring for the goo, ½ cup lime juice, 1 cup club soda, ¾ cup tequila, 3 ounces triple sec, 4 cherries, and 4 teaspoons maraschino cherry syrup.
For the goo, mix together the corn syrup and food dye. Place your glass in the freezer. Once frozen enough, dip each glass into the goo and then let it drip down the side of the glass, and then return the glass to the freezer. Combine all the liquids, except the cherry syrup, into a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Pour one teaspoon of the cherry syrup into the bottom of the glass and add a cherry and stirrer. Fill the glass with the “Morgue-A-Rita” mixture carefully to ensure the cherry syrup is left undisturbed. Top your drink with club soda and serve.
Shake all the ingredients, except club soda, in a cocktail shaker vigorously until chilled. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice and top with the club soda. Garnish with a lemon slice and/or cherry if desired.
5. Bloody Mary
What you’ll need: ice, 1 ½ ounce vodka, 3 ounces tomato juice, 1 ounce lime juice, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 3 drops of Tabasco sauce, salt, pepper, ¼ teaspoon celery salt and a celery stick, a lime wedge and pickled beans for garnish, and margarita salt or Tony Chachere’s seasoning for the rim.
Rub lime wedge around the rim of the glass and place the rim in margarita salt or Tony Chachere’s seasoning. Add ice into the glass and mix in the vodka, tomato juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt, pepper, and celery salt. Garnish with the lime wedge, celery stick, and pickled green bean for an extravagant Bloody Mary.
*Try making an “Extra Bloody”- Bloody Mary to get in the Halloween spirit!
Make the same goo as you did for the Morgue-A-Rita, but use red food colouring instead. For some spooky garnishing, hit up your local dollar store or Halloween store and add decorations such as eyeballs and skeletons to float around in your Extra Bloody, Bloody Mary!
Before you go off on a cocktail-making-spree, keep this message from MADD in mind:
“Every year, hundreds of people are killed and tens of thousands are injured in impaired driving crashes, affecting not only those in the crashes but all of their families and friends as well.