Three Summer Cocktails To Kick The BBQ off

If you are anything like me, most parties require a bellyful of liquor to get through. With these three cocktails, you too can be the most popular person at the BBQ with an excuse to keep disappearing to make them*

*Wine straight out of the bottle from the fridge.

I’ve picked a few classics with the odd Bristol twist, let me know if you make them.

Somerset 75

This is my take on the traditional, champagne and gin-based cocktail that I love with a wee Bristol twist

• 60ml of Thatchers Family Reserve 
• 15ml Lemon Juice
• 30ml Gin
• 1 Dash of Sugar Syrup

Combine the gin, syrup and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice. Shake it vigorously and strain into an iced flute. Top up with Thatchers Family Reserve and stir gently.

Thatchers Family Reserve 

Gimlet

This is a traditional gin cocktail but we are going to use some non-traditional Bristol gins. Hopefully, this will knock you on arse but with enough sweetness and lime that you won’t be that sad about it.

• 50ml Lime cordial*
• 50ml of either Bristol Dry Gin Dockers Strength or Espensen Spirit’s Pump up the Jam raspberry gin
• Ice

Pop the gin of choice and lime cordial into a large glass with plenty of ice and stir until properly cold. Strain into a cocktail class with come fresh cubes of ice and a slice of lime.

*Zest 2 limes into a pan and add 60ml of lime juice and 40ml of water. To this add 200ml sugar and cook gently until the sugar has dissolved. Strain and put in an airtight container. You could also buy lime cordial if you want to miss this step but it’s SO MUCH BETTER to put the effort in.

Espensen Spirits Pump Up The Jam 

White Sangria

If you want to spend less time making cocktails and more time just topping things up, you can do worse than a big punch style drink for people to help themselves to.

• 3 Tbls Caster Sugar
• 150m Of Somerset Cider Brandy 
• 1 Sliced Lime
• 1 Sliced Lemon
• 2 Firm Peaches, Sliced Into Wedges
• 3 Green Apples, Sliced Into Wedges
• 1 Bottle Of Dry White Wine
• Punnet of Raspberries, Frozen
• Ice

Throw everything together in a big punch bowl bar the raspberries and pop in the fridge for at least 2 hours to chill it down. Serve in glasses with the frozen raspberries and top up with soda water. *Note* this recipe is a Rachel Ray recipe I have tweaked.

White Sangria