10 Cocktails to try during World Cocktail Week 2021
If there were ever an excuse to try your hand at some exciting new cocktails, World Cocktail Week is surely it. We’ve listed some of our favourite, easy to follow cocktail recipes below. Why not try a few (and be sure to let us know how you get on on Instagram or Facebook)?
World Cocktail Week is a week-long, global celebration of cocktails, starting on 6th May and culminating on World Cocktail Day on 13th – which marks the publication date of the first definition of a cocktail in 1806 as "a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters".
We’ve decided to take the occasion as an opportunity to share 10 of our best loved cocktail recipes using some of our most exciting and innovative craft spirits. Whether you’re a pro mixologist or a novice home bartender, you’ll be sure to find something to tickle your taste buds.
1. The Southside
Like many cocktails, its origin is the subject of some speculation. Some say it came out of the prohibition era, others claim it was created in New York city at the 21 Club. This version brings extra complexity to the classic, thanks to the unusual Argentinian botanicals present in the innovative Principe de Los Apostoles Gin (a spirit devised by one of the world’s best bartenders).
Difficulty: **
Strength: Sipper
Fresh, Mint, Herbal
INGREDIENTS (Serves 1)
60 ml Principe de Los Apostoles Gin
30 ml fresh lemon juice
15 ml simple syrup
6 mint leaves
Garnish – mint leaf
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker
- Add ice and shake to combine, dilute, and chill
- Fine strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a sprig of mint
2. Affinity
A gorgeous, old school variation on a Perfect Manhattan, marrying the complexities of Scotch and Vermouth, before brightening them with a touch of orange.
Difficulty: **
Strength: Boozy
Rich, Round, Powerful
INGREDIENTS (Serves 1)
45 ml Hunter Laing Highland Journey Whisky
15 ml Baldoria Rosso Vermouth
15 ml Baldoria Dry Vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters
Garnish – lemon zest twist and Maraschino cherry (optional)
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes
- Stir well to combine, dilute, and chill
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish
3. Piña Cowlada
Who doesn’t love a Piña Colada?! Our version celebrates the tropical notes of El Destilado rum from the Mexican cloud forest, and ups the creaminess with the addition of a coconut-infused, cow milk liqueur.
Difficulty: **
Strength: Easy Drinker
Creamy, Coconut, Tropical
INGREDIENTS (Serves 1)
50 ml Rum El Destilado
15 ml La Capricieuse Coconut
45 ml cream of coconut
45 ml pineapple juice
15 ml fresh lime juice
Garnish – pineapple wedge
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- Add all the ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously
- Strain into a Hurricane glass over pebble ice
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge
4. Caveira
A delightfully decadent aged cachaça cocktail combining heady coffee notes with warming cinnamon and a chili kick. The perfect slow sipper to round off an evening.
Difficulty: ***
Strength: Sipper
Deep, Rich, Spicy
INGREDIENTS (Serves 1)
45 ml Novo Fogo Barrel-Aged Cachaça
15 ml chili liqueur
15 ml cold coffee
10 ml cinnamon syrup
2 dashes of aromatic bitters
Garnish – orange zest twist (optional)
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice cubes
- Stir everything together until it’s chilled
- Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with a orange zest twist
5. Vecindad Margarita
One of North America’s most beloved cocktails. It’s also one of our favourite ways to enjoy bittersweet flavours of Tequila Vecindad.
Difficulty: **
Strength: Sipper
Bright, Fresh, Citrus
INGREDIENTS (Serves 1)
60 ml Tequila Vecindad
25 ml fresh lime juice
25 ml simple syrup
Garnish – lime wheel and salt rim (optional)
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- If you’re adding a salt rim, rub the rim of your glass with lime and dip it into sea salt
- Fill a shaker with ice and the ingredients, and shake vigorously
- Add crushed ice to your glass and strain your cocktail into it. Garnish with a lime wheel and enjoy
6. Djin and Tonic (No Alcohol)
A cocktail with all of the flavour but none of the hangover. Djin is a delicious, herbal alternative to a classic gin, made with over 20 organoleptic botanicals using a patented aroma extraction technique (read more about it here).
Difficulty: *
Strength: Non-alcoholic
Delicate, Spicy, Lychee
INGREDIENTS (Serves 1)
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- Pour Djin over ice in a highball glass
- Top up with tonic water
- Garnish with a twist of lime and savour your D&T non-alcoholic cocktail
7. AMMericano
A vamped up version of the classic Americano cocktail, featuring Argalà’s Amaro Alpino – a rich bitter flavoured with over 30 local mountain herbs and botanicals. This adds extra aromatic richness to this refreshing summer highball.
Difficulty: **
Strength: Easy Drinker
Bitter, Herbal, Refreshing
INGREDIENTS (Serves 1)
40 ml Argalà Aperitivo Bitter
40 ml Argalà Amaro Alpino
40 ml Baldoria Rosso Vermouth
100 ml soda water
Garnish – slice of orange and lemon zest twist
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- Fill a glass with ice before adding the ingredients
- Top up with soda water and stir gently to combine
- Garnish and enjoy in the sun
8. Pisco Sour
A classic for a reason! Gorgeously fresh with a brightly fruity, grassy palate, and a frothy head, it’s a firm favourite of ours that is easy to make and even easier to drink.
Difficulty: ***
Strength: Easy Drinker
Grassy, Fruity, Bright
INGREDIENTS (Serves 1)
60 ml La Caravedo Quebranta Pisco
30 ml fresh lime juice
30 ml simple syrup
1 egg white
3 drops Angostura bitters (optional)
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- Add the pisco, lime juice, simple syrup and egg white to a shaker
- Shake without ice (dry shake) for about 15 seconds to give the drink that famous frothy mousse. Then add ice and shake again
- Strain into a coupe glass and let the foam settle, before dropping the Angostura artistically on top to complete. Et voilà!
9. Cabaret
If “life is a cabaret, old chum”, this Caperitif cocktail is the perfect accompaniment. The original Caperitif was once a staple ingredient in many of the Prohibition-era cocktails from the 1920s. This is a classic recipe that will bring you back to flapper girls and old-school jazz.
Difficulty: **
Strength: Boozy
Aromatic, Herbal, Balanced
INGREDIENTS (Serves 1)
30 ml Caperitif Vermouth
30 ml Erika Dry Gin
Dash of absinthe
Dash of Angostura bitters
Garnish – Maraschino cherry
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice
- Stir briskly until the contents are well chilled
- Strain into a glass and drop a cherry into the bottom to complete
10. La Jeannette Spritz
Looking for something light and sassy? La Jeannette – a contemporary gentian liqueur – makes a beautiful base for a refreshing spritz that will tickle the tongue and liven up your palate.
Difficulty: *
Strength: Easy Drinker
Floral, Citrus, Herbal
INGREDIENTS (Serves 1)
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- Pour La Jeannette over ice in a spritz glass
- Top with chilled Prosecco and sparkling water
- Garnish with a slice of orange and a lemon zest twist
