Easy Cocktail Recipes

The Caipiroska is the Russian counterpart of the famed Brazilian Caipirinha, using Vodka instead of Cachaca as the base. It is relatively easy to make, potent, delicious and a regular feature at any party worth its salt.

Some people claim that this is one of the quickest and most effective hangover cures around, but the bouillon is an acquired taste. You either like it or you don’t.

In common with most hangover cures, the tradition here is to down the drink in one!

In the days of Civil War, the rebel yell of the Confederate troops as they charged was often enough to put the fear of God into their Union opponents.

The next time you are trapped in a meeting room, surrounded by flip charts and people desperately trying to think up new ideas, why not suggest that one or two of these might serve to lubricate the creative process nicely?

Another favourite hang-out for the New York cocktail crowd was the bar of the Waldorf Hotel. The original recipe is based on Bourbon, but there is nothing to stop you from trying other whiskies to create your own variant.

Amongst some, Scotland’s capital has the reputation of being somewhat prim and prissy. You would never guess this, judging by the alcoholic potential of this particular cocktail.

There is no dispute about where this tangy cocktail originated, right down in the heart of what Southerners still affectionately call Dixieland. Maybe its creation owed something to the festival spirit of Mardi Gras and the seductive, throbbing rhythms of traditional New Orleans jazz.

Here’s a classis from the gallery of all-time highball favourites, all of which are simple and quick to make, as well as being equally delicious to drink. The version here uses ginger ale, but soda water would be equally suitable.

A classic American South drink, this is a whisky variant on the vodka-based Screwdriver.