Easy Cocktail Recipes

A long drink made with syrup and fresh fruit garnishes, Sherry Cobbler is the original, but there are now numerous and often more potent variations.

The traditional way to drink tequila is to shake a little slat on the back of your hand between the thumb and forefinger and, holding a wedge of lemon or lime, lick the salt, suck the fruit and then down a shot of tequila in one. This cocktail, attributed to Francisco Morales and invented in 1942 in Mexico, is a more civilized version.

This is one cocktail that you shouldn’t rush when making, or you will spoil the attractive sunrise effect produced by the grenadine slowly spreading though the orange juice.

Spain’s historical associations with Mexico has left many legacies- not least a taste for bullfighting- although whether this cocktail is named in tribute to the animal or because it makes the drinker proverbially brave is anyone’s guess.

The perfect lift when recovering and a marvelous energy boost when you’re feeling a little bit under the weather.

A lovely creamy concoction that is popular as an after-dinner cocktail. The original was the Alexander, a gin-based drink.

It cannot lay claim to being the first or even the only classic, but it has all the characteristic hallmarks of sophistication associated with cocktails.

‘A rose by any other name…’ – this pretty cocktail has, rightly, inspired roses across the world. It is truly a thing of beauty and a joy forever.

As the name of this cocktail always seems to imply romance and hints that the sheets in question are, at the very least, satin, make it for two people. Certainly, this delicious concoction is as smooth as silk.

Although elaborate concoctions are great fun to mix – and drink – some of the best cocktails are the simplest. B&B – brandy and Benedictine – couldn’t be easier, but it has a superbly subtle flavor.