COCKTAIL MADNESS

When you’re in the mood for an easy and fun drink to make for your friends, try these amazing cocktail recipes:

A ‘Jameson and Ginger’ is made with 50 ml Jameson Irish Whiskey, ginger ale, and a lime wedge. Fill a tall glass with ice; add the whiskey, and then fill the glass with ginger ale, and stir well. Squeeze a lime wedge over the drink, and then drop it in.

Make a ‘Brown Derby.’ It’s simple and tasty; it’s made with 1.5 oz. bourbon, 1 oz. fresh grapefruit juice, 0.5 oz. honey syrup (1 part honey, 1 part water), and a grapefruit wedge. Add all of the ingredients to a shaker, and fill with ice; shake, and then strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

For a fun and flavorful drink, try a ‘Blackberry Smash.’ It’s made with 5 blackberries, 7 mint leaves (torn, and a few more for garnish), ½ small red plum (peeled and diced, plus extra for garnish), ½ oz. simple syrup, ½ oz. Cointreau, and 2 oz. whiskey. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the blackberries, plum, mint, and simple syrup until all broken up. Add ice, Cointreau, and whiskey. Shake strongly for about 15 seconds, and then strain into a low ball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a slice of plum and a sprig of mint.

For something with a bit more ingredients, but super tasty and sweet, try a ‘Bourbon Sweet Tea.’ It’s made with 3 c. water, ½ c. sugar, 3 black tea bags, 1 lemon (sliced into wedges), 1 lime (sliced into wedges), 1 orange (sliced into wedges), 1 c. bourbon, and lemon wheels for garnish. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the sugar water into a jar; add the teabags, and let steep for about 10 minutes, depending on how strong you’d like your tea to come out. Remove the tea bags and add the lemon, lime, and orange wedges. Pour in the bourbon, and then cover the jar and chill it. Serve it in small glass, and then garnish with thin lemon wheels. Enjoy.