3 smashing summer cocktail recipes to celebrate Brighton Cocktail Week

It’s Brighton Cocktail Week! For those of you who didn’t get on board last year, it’s a chance to drink quality cocktails in a number of quality establishments across the Brighton area for only a fiver each. You buy your wrist band, check the list of venues and off you go. Responsibly of course.

So as our thoughts turn to cocktails, what better way to get prepared than to have a think about some of our summer faves? Limber up before Cocktail Week kicks off on 6 July where it launches in the beautiful Paganini Ballroom at the Old Ship Hotel.

Get yourself a Cocktail Week wristband chop chop – you can find them here (or win some from us – details at bottom)

In the meantime, here’s three absolute bangers…

Margarita

Method below is for a frozen margarita…. Perfect for those hot, hot, hot evenings! Makes one serving. If you don’t have a food processor, shake everything in a cocktail shaker instead and pour. Worth using decent tequila for this.

What you need:
• 1 part tequila
• ½ part triple sec liqueur (Cointreau is also cool)
• ½ part lime juice
• 1 lime wedge
• Sea salt
• Cubed ice

How to make:
• Rub a wedge of lime around your chosen margarita glass, roll the rim into some sea salt
• Put the ice, lime juice, tequila and sugar syrup in a food processor and pulse until slushy
• Pour into your salted glass and garnish with a wedge of lime

 

Rhubarb gin and tonic – try making your own rhubarb gin!

Nothing quite says summer like a gin and tonic, and with gin taking the world by storm we’ve fallen in love with rhubarb gin. Here’s a recipe for making your own, and then creating the perfect G&T to complete it.

For the gin
Makes roughly 2 litres

What you need:
• 1 kg of pink rhubarb
• 1 litre of gin
• 400g caster sugar (not brown sugar)

How to make:
• Trim and wash the rhubarb, discarding any leaves
• Cut the stalks, around 3cm in length
• Put in a large jar with the sugar – shake it all around and leave for 24 hours
• Add the gin, shake some more and seal the jar, leave for about 4 weeks
• Either strain all at once of strain as you use it

For the G&T

What you need:
• 1 measure (50ml) of home made rhubarb gin, or Warner Edward’s rhubarb gin is great too
• 1 serving of tonic water (150ml) – our favourite is Fever Tree Indian Tonic
• Ice cubes
• Lime

How to make:
• Put the ice cubes into a glass
• Add the gin
• Add the tonic
• Run the wedge of lime around the rim of the glass and drop it in

Espresso Martini

One of our absolute favourites, sophisticated yet delicious, bitter yet sweet, a grown up Jaeger bomb! Perfect for the start to an evening to set the pace or one to replace your post meal espresso shot. Makes 2 servings.

What you need:
• 125 ml of Kahlua or another coffee liqueur
• 125 ml of espresso or strong coffee
• 250 ml of vodka, or 125ml vodka and 125ml caramel vodka (for those sweet tooths out here)
• Ice cubes
• A few coffee beans to garnish (optional)

How to make:
• Place two martini glasses in the fridge to chill
• Put the Kalua, espresso, vodka, and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake until it feels icey cold
• Strain into the glasses, garnish with coffee beans

And there you have it, our favourite cocktail recipes in celebration of Brighton Cocktail Week. If you’d like a chance to win one of three pairs of wristbands we have to give away please head to our Facebook page where you can see the pinned post for entering. Comp closes 1 July.

If you’re out and about enjoying supping some cool libations, don’t forget to post a pic and tag #BCW18

Cheers!