Pieces of Eight

Another awesome tart summer cocktail. I hadn't really tried passion fruit syrup before this, thinking it was a tasteless sugary mess. I'm now totally converted!

 Ingredients:

• 1.5oz (45ml) light rum
• 1.5oz (45ml) lemon juice
• 0.5oz (15ml) lime juice
• 1.5oz (45ml) passion fruit syrup*
• Shake - crushed ice
• Glass - collins
• Serve - crushed ice 
• Garnish - lemon wheel

Passion Fruit Syrup
Usually I would advocate that fresh is always best, but for the passion fruit syrup I didn't have a huge amount of luck making it from scratch. The fresh syrup just didn't have the depth of flavor the off the shelf stuff did, so I just go with that. It was suggested by a guest that the type of fruit I had may not be the right type, so I encourage you to give it a go if you have passion fruit coming out of your ears.

That aside, I highly recommend Tasti Passion Fruit Syrup. Pak'n'Save and Countdown both carry it in Christchurch at least, for NZ folks. Just strain the seeds and you're good to go. The typical yield is 150ml of syrup per 230g bottle.

Instructions: 

1. Add all of the ingredients to the tin and shake with crushed ice 
2. Pour unstrained into serving glass 
3. Garnish with a lemon wheel or something else fun.

Tips
This drink has a LOT of citrus (2oz!) plus the syrup, so the dilution from the crushed ice really comes into play here. I have in the past taken a shortcut by shaking over regular ice and serving on crushed ice, but I think it really benefits from doing it right.

The trick with drinks where you pour it unstrained is to make sure that you have the perfect amount of liquid and ice to fill your glass after shaking. I do this by filling the serving glass 3/4 full with ice. That becomes the ices measure, so you just pour that into your shaker full of drink, shake, and pour the whole lot into your glass. 3/4 full should be about the right amount. Fresh crushed ice packs together tightly meaning there's less room in the glass for the drink. It'll also dilute faster than regular ice, meaning you'll have a larger amount of liquid at the end of the shake than most drinks. Adjust the starting amount of ice if you find you still have a bunch of room left in your glass, or top it up at the end.

If making a lot of these in one night I just fill a serving glass 3/4 full of ice, pour it into a clear plastic cup, shake it on a table to get it level, and mark a line with permanent marker.  There you go - instant easy ice measure. Is is a great trick for any 'pour unstrained' style drink.

Notes
What a great drink! It tastes great, it looks great, it's sweet, it's tart, it's tasty. A lower-alcohol crowd-pleaser. Be sure to do the right thing with the crushed ice and you'll have winner.
Like all crushed ice drinks, this one changes a bunch over time with the quick dilution. I recommend leaving it for 30 seconds or so to melt a little before diving in. Often crushed ice is used because there is a really strong element (citrus in this case) that is mellowed into balance with the extra dilution. Try it out by having a quick sip when it's first made and then leaving it for 30/60 sec. You should be able to taste the difference.

Source: Summit Sips
Photo: Jason Atkinson

Firing Squad

Ingredients:

• 2oz (60ml) Blanco Tequila (must be 100% Agave)
• 3/4oz (22ml) Grenadine
• 3/4oz (22ml) Lime Juice
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 1oz (or to taste) Soda Water
• Garnish - Lime wheel
• Glass - Collins

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients, except for the soda, into to a mixing tin and shake over ice.
2. Double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 
3. Top up with soda
4. Garnish with a lime wheel

Notes

I tried this drink with crappy off-the-shelf grenadine and though it was missing some flavor. Since then I've got some sweet home-made grenadine that has a much deeper flavor, so this could still be a winner.

Source: Kindredcocktails.com

Photo: Angosturabitters.com

Tom Collins

Tart, refreshing and so simple to make. It dates back to at least 1860 and is the namesake of a whole style of drink and the glass they're served in. This is my go-to drink when I'm short of ingredients and need a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz (45ml) Gin
• 1/2oz (15ml) Simple Syrup
• 1oz (30ml) Lemon Juice (must be fresh juice)
• 1oz (or to taste) Soda Water
• Garnish - Lemon twist
• Glass - Unsurprising, a Collins glass.

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients, except for the soda, into to a mixing tin and shake over ice.
2. Double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 
3. Top up with soda
4. Garnish with a lemon twist

Notes

A classic drink. This recipe is tart (though sweeter than the original), so adjust the sugar levels to your liking. 

Source and Photo: Liquor.com

The Southside

Hands down one of my favorite cocktails! This twist on a Gin Sour is fresh, minty, sweet and simple to make. It's also a great gateway drink for people who aren't  into gin. So good for summer. Mint is one a favorite cocktail ingredient (a close second behind fresh lime) and I love grabbing fresh sprigs from the huge patch I have in my garden.

Ingredients:

• 2oz (60ml) Gin
• 3/4oz (22ml) Simple Syrup
• 3/4oz (22ml) Lemon Juice (must be fresh juice)
• 5 Mint leaves 
• Garnish - Mint Leaf
• Glass - Cocktail, though it can be adapted into a collins.

Instructions:

1. Chill the glass the drink is being served in.
2. Add all ingredients, except for 1 mint leaf, into to a mixing tin and shake hard over ice
3. Double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Double straining is important here as there are a lot of smashed mint pieces to remove.
4. Garnish with the remaining mint leaf.

Notes

Great drink! This can be quite sweet but chilling the glass helps a lot with that. Using fresh juice will also make for an extra crisp and tasty drink. Optionally you can make this in a collins glass and serve over ice with soda.

Source: Liquor.com
Photo: Pop Sugar

Peach Mojito

Ingredients:

• 2 oz (60ml) White Rum
• 8-12 Mint leaves
• 1 Peach (quartered)
• 3/4 oz (22ml) lime juice
• 1 oz (30ml) Simple Syrup made from white sugar
• 1 oz (30ml) Soda (or to taste)
• Garnish - Peach slice

Instructions:

1. Add peach to a shaker tin and muddle well
2. Add simple syrup, mint, rum and lime juice
3. Shake over ice and strain into an iced collins glass.
4. Add soda water - 1oz (30ml) or to taste.
5. Gently Mix with bar spoon
6. Garnish with a peach quarter (or something more creative)

Source: Adapted from Jim Meehan’s Mojito recipe - PDT

Photo: Phil Anderson

Again the garnish leaves something to be desired, but the drink was outstanding. Not super sophisticated, with the drink just being the standard Mojito with the addition of a peach, but I like it. There was too much pulp to double strain this drink so a single strain does fine.

Strawberry Mojito

Ingredients:

• 2oz (60ml) Light Rum.
• 8-12 Mint leaves
• 3/4oz (22.5ml) lime juice
• 2 Strawberries (halved)
• 1 oz (30ml) Simple Syrup made from white sugar
• 1 oz (30ml) Soda (or to taste)
• Garnish - whole strawberry

Instructions:

1. Add simple syrup and strawberries to a shaker.
2. Muddle until the berries are well broken up.
   
3. Add mint, rum and lime juice
4. Shake over ice and double-strain into an iced collins glass.
5. Add 30ml (or to taste) of soda water
6. Gently Mix with bar spoon
7. Garnish with a strawberry

The garnish could do with some work but these were super tasty. This was a great and a simple twist on the classic Mojito. They were even better when we swapped out the light rum for spiced, though you need to knock back the simple syrup to 3/4oz as spiced rum is pretty sweet already. Cocktail aficionados love to hate spiced rum, but everything has it's place.

Source: Adapted from Jim Meehan’s Mojito recipe - PDT
Photo: Phil Anderson

Spiced Mojito

Ingredients:

• 2 oz (60ml) Spiced Rum (we used Sailor Jerry’s)
• 8-12 Mint leaves
• 3/4 oz (22ml) lime juice
• 3/4 oz (22ml) Simple Syrup made from white sugar
• 1 oz (30ml) Soda (or to taste)
• Garnish - Mint sprig (stemmed if you have it)

Instructions:

1. Add simple syrup and mint to a shaker.
2. Muddle gently. Press lightly so you’re releasing the oils not mashing the mint as that will make the drink bitter.
3. Add rum and lime juice
4. Shake over ice and double-strain into an iced collins glass.
5. Add soda water - 1oz (30ml) or to taste.
6. Gently Mix with bar spoon
7. Garnish with a mint sprig (stemmed if you have it).

Source: Adapted from Jim Meehan’s Mojito recipe - PDT

Photo: Phil Anderson

Gin Gin Mule

Ingredients

• 3/4oz (22ml) fresh lime juice
• 1oz (30ml) simple syrup
• 6 mint leaves
• 1 & 3/4oz (52ml) London Dry style Gin (I love Tanqueray but use whatever you like)
• 1 oz homemade ginger beer (more like a ginger syrup) or replace with carbonated ginger beer, but you're missing out.
• Optional 1-3oz (30-90ml) of Soda water
• Garnish - Mint sprig

Instructions:

1. Add mint and simple syrup to a mixing tin and lightly muddle.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake over ice.
3. Double-strain into an iced collins glass.
4. Top with soda (omit the soda if you're using off the shelf carbonated ginger beer)
5. Garnish with a mint sprig

Homemade Ginger Beer (Syrup)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons grated or chopped fresh ginger
• ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Instructions

1. Peel ginger then grate or finely chop.
2. Ginger is really fibrous so can easily clogs graters. I used a chopping setting on my food processor with good results. Quick and easy.
3. Boil water then remove from heat
4. Add ginger and lime juice
5. Cover and let stand for 1 hour
6. Stir, and strain through a fine mesh sieve, pushing down on ginger solids to express ginger extract.
7. Add sugar and stir.
8. Bottle and refrigerate

I love this drink! Spicing and cooling. Fantastic on a hot day. I’ll use it as a go-to for special event I think. I haven't tried it with commercial ginger beer but I think I wouldn't be the same. The strong hit of fresh ginger is the real star of this drink. It's the same recipe as the mojito but with gin and ginger beer swapped in for rum and soda.

Source: Liquor.com

Photo: Phil Anderson

Cuba Libre (Venezuelan style)

Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz (45ml) White Rum.
• 1/2 oz (15ml) Gin
• 3/4 oz (20ml) Lime Juice
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 3 oz (90ml) or to taste of Coke. I like a little more.
• Garnish - Lime Wedge

Instructions:

1. Shake all ingredients except the coke over ice
2. Strain into an ice filled collins glass
3. Top up with 3oz/90ml of Coke (I like slightly more) and give a slight stir.

Source: Home Bar Basics with Dave Stolte
Photo credit: Something Wicked Cocktails

Dark ‘N’ Stormy

Ingredients:

• 2 oz (60ml) dark or aged rum.
• ½ oz (15ml) lime juice*
• 4-6oz (120-180ml) Ginger Beer
• Garnish - Lime wedge or wheel

 *There's no lime juice in the original recipe but i never make the drink without it.

Instructions:

1. Fill a Collins glass with ice
2. Add rum and lime juice to the glass
3. Add ginger beer and give a slight stir
4. Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge

Photo credit: Liquor.com

Moscow Mule

Ingredients:

• 2 oz (60ml) Vodka.
• ½ oz (15ml) lime
• 4-6oz (120-180ml) Ginger Beer
• Garnish - Lime wheel

Instructions:

1. Fill a Collins glass with ice
2. Add vodka and lime juice directly to the glass
3. Add ginger beer and give a slight stir
4. Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge

A note about the copper mug
Using a copper mug for this drink dates back to when it was created in 1946, where friends with failing businesses combined their products to create the first popular vodka cocktail. You're not missing out if you don't have a mug, though. Like the Mint Julep, it's traditional to use one but won't effect the drink if you don't. 

Photo credit: liquor.com

Mojito (PDT)

Ingredients:

• 2oz (60ml) Light Rum.
• 8-12 Mint leaves
• 3/4oz (22ml) lime juice
• 1 oz (30ml) Simple Syrup made from white sugar
• 1 oz (30ml) Soda (or to taste)
• Garnish - Mint sprig (stemmed if you have it)

Instructions:

1. Add simple syrup and mint to a shaker.
2. Muddle gently. Press lightly so you’re releasing the oils not mashing the mint as that will make the drink bitter.
3. Add rum and lime juice
4. Shake over ice and double-strain into an iced collins glass.
5. Add soda water - 1oz (30ml) or to taste.
6. Gently Mix with bar spoon
7. Garnish with a mint sprig (stemmed if you have it).

Source: Jim Meehan - PDT

Photo: Phil Anderson

Breakfast Collins

Ingredients:

• 1 heaped bar spoon (teaspoon) of Boysenberry or Blackberry jam
• 2 oz (60ml) of Golden Rum.
• 1/2 oz (15ml) lemon Juice
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• 3 oz (90mls) or to taste of Soda Water 
• Garnish - Lemon wheel

Instructions:

1. Shake all the ingredients except the Soda over ice.
2. Fill a collins glass with ice
3. Fine strain into glass to keep any loose bits of jam out of the drink
4. Top up with soda water and give a slight stir
5. Garnish with a lemon wheel

Source and photo credit: Raising the Bar with Jamie Boudreau