You don’t have to go all out to have fun on NYE. (But if you’re into it and haven’t made plans yet, here’s our guide to the best events.) But back to staying in. Sometimes it can be even more fun to just have people around, get some board games. out and drinks in. With that in mind, we’ve put together some festive (and above all, simple) cocktail recipes to serve up, whether you’re over with friends to see in the New Year or you just want a brighter bath time treat.
Here at BOTI, it’s all about gin, and we’re particularly fond of the Laverstoke cocktail created by Bombay Sapphire’s Sam Carter. We think it has just the right amount of kick to kick off the new year with a bang. Or leave out the alcohol (or switch to non-alcoholic spirits and wine) for refreshing hangover-free versions. See what you think!
Here’s what you need for each glass:
50ml gin (anything will do)
15 ml Martini rosso (we’ve switched to Bianco rosso because it’s more wintry)
10 ml elderflower cordial
1 lime
85 ml of ginger beer
fresh ginger
sprigs of mint
lots of ice cubes
Method:
1. Squeeze two lime wedges into a balloon glass, drop them in, then add a ginger wedge, Martini, cordial and gin.
2. Mix well by swirling and infuse, then fill the glass with ice cubes.
3. Top with ginger beer and stir/fold gently to combine.
4. Finally, take a sprig of mint and rub it over your hand to wake it up, then pop it into the glass to garnish.
Tom goes through the cocktail making step by step in the video below.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be a pro or have expensive equipment to make an amazing cocktail. All you need is a large cutting board, a serrated knife, something for measuring liquid ingredients in portions (an egg cup works well!), a chopstick (or similar) for mixing, and a jar (a Kilner jar is ideal) to shake it all together.
If you want to indulge in your own creations, Sam’s top tip for a balanced cocktail is to follow this basic recipe to make sure you get something to drink:
1 part sweet
2 parts sour
3 parts alcohol
4 parts weak
Lighten up
And if you’re massively indulging over Christmas (holla), you might like these two easy-to-make but impressive-looking drinks that offer lighter twists on cocktail classics. When everyone weighs less than 95 calories, we don’t care if we do.
The first one is Mandarin Mulelow-calorie festive version of the classic Moscow Mule:
25 ml of vodka
20ml mandarin juice (these are left over from Christmas)
5 ml sugar syrup (it’s easy to make yourself, or you can buy it here)
2 drops of chocolate bitters
ginger ale (London Essence is lovely)
mandarin slice and star anise for decoration
Pour all ingredients into a highball glass, stir and set aside a slice of tangerine and star anise to serve.
Next up in your cocktail arsenal is one of our favorite refreshments, the delicate Peach and Verbena Spritz.
60 ml Sauvignon Blanc
2 drops Peychaud’s Bitters (slightly sweeter than Angostura, but would also work)
10 ml of peach syrup
London Essence Grapefruit and Lemon Verbena Soda
lemon for garnish
Pour all the ingredients into a highball glass, mix at the same time and garnish with a lemon peel.
Whether you’re going out or staying in this New Year’s Eve, we want to wish everyone a wonderful time tonight. See you on the other side! Chin-chin!
