SIMPLISTIC COCKTAILS

Have a nightcap with your favorite drink in hand; a wonderful cocktail would be such a delight after a long day. Try the famous ‘margarita’; it’s made with 1 tablespoon of coarse salt, lime wedge, 2 lime wheels, 4 oz. high quality Blanco tequila, 2 oz. Cointreau, and 1.5 oz. fresh juice from 2 limes. You can order it or you can be brave and make it yourself.

It’s really tasty and delightful. Run lime wedge around the outer rims of the two glasses and dip rims in salt, and then set aside. Ina cocktail shaker, combine tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice. Fill with ice and then shake for 15 seconds. Fill glasses with fresh ice and strain margarita into both glasses. Garnish with lime wheels and you’re all set. How about getting into the world of daiquiris? A ‘Daiquiri’ is exquisite and refreshing. It’s made with 2 oz. light rum, ¾ oz. fresh squeezed lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Pour sugar and lime into a cocktail shaker and stir until all of the sugar is dissolved. Add the rum and then fill shaker with ice. Shake for 10 seconds, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and then garnish with a lime wedge. Your friends will be so impressed with your cocktail making skills.

A ‘Cuba Libre’ is quite the drink; it looks like soda but combines rum and lime for extra delicious flavor. It’s made with 1 lime, 2 oz. dark or anejo rum, and Coca-Cola. Squeeze a lime into a Collins glass and drop half the spent lime shell into the glass and muddle the oils into the lime juice. Add ice and rum, and then top with cola and stir. Feel like being tropical? Have a ‘Barbados Cocktail.’ It’s made with crushed ice, 1 oz. Velvet Falernum, 1.5 oz. dark rum, and ¾ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice.

Fill mixing glass halfway with crushed ice, add falernum, rum, and lime juice. Shake for 15 seconds, and then strain into a cocktail glass. Making your own cocktail will be such a treat. Enjoy these lovely recipes for any night of the week.