I’m often surprised to find so many people who will mix rum & coke, orange juice and vodka or bourbon and soda, but say they would never just make a cocktail at home. Some feel cocktails are more for a night on the town. Others are a bit intimidated by the thought of pulling out a cocktail shaker (if they have one), icing a glass and mixing the cocktail. In reality, mixing a cocktail is merely a step or two away from cocktails served straight up.

A few steps to remember when making a cocktail; instead of placing ice in your highball or rocks glass, place ice in a cocktail glass with a bit of water to chill the glass or keep a few cocktail glasses in the freezer until time to use them. The other item needed is cocktail shaker with strainer or almost every kitchen has a container with lid and small strainer. Those will both work for the impromptu home bartender.

More Two Ingredient Cocktails to sip your way through can be found in the highlighted link.

The Orange Blossom is an excellent alternative to the popular, but ordinary Screwdriver or vodka and orange juice. Gin brings more flavor to the drink with its botanical mix. Orange juice lessens a bit of the brashness some might expect from gin, making this a great starter cocktail for those just beginning to dabble with gin cocktails.

Satan’s Whiskers builds on the Orange Blossom cocktail by adding dry & sweet vermouth, Grand Marnier and Bitters – photo by Cheri Loughlin, The Intoxicologist

Orange Blossom

1-1/4 ounce Gin

1-1/4 ounce Orange Juice

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Perhaps the Cornell Cocktail would be an intermediate gin cocktail to sample since it moves away from fresh fruit ingredients and uses liqueur to complement the gin. Some cherry liqueurs can come across a bit perfumed, others taste a bit more chocolate covered cherry-ish. Sample a few and find your favorite.

Cornell Cocktail

2 ounces Gin

1/2 ounce Cherry Liqueur

Combine liquids in mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Pink Gin captures the attention of the true gin enthusiast. Gin is forefront and center with lots of spice added to the glass with the classic bitters inclusion.

Pink Gin

2-1/2 ounces Gin

6 dashes Angostura Bitters

Combine liquids in mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

For those already immersed in the world of gin and lovers of peated smokey scotch there is the Smokey Martini. Instead of filling the cocktail glass with ice and adding water to chill, fill your cocktail glass with ice and add the scotch. Allow to sit for a few moments. Then swirl to coat the inside of the glass.

Smokey Martini

2-1/2 ounces Gin

1/2 ounce Laiphroaig Whisky

Place ice and whisky in chilled cocktail glass. Swirl & toss. Place gin in mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into prepared cocktail glass.

If the deep peated flavor of Laiphroaig is just too much for your palate, try the Dusty Martini with a lighter scotch expression. Just remember the olive is garnish. This isn’t Dirty Martini style with splash of olive juice added.

Dusty Martini

2-1/4 ounce Gin

1/4 ounce Scotch

Olive Garnish

Combine liquids in mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with pierced olive.

For those with a bit of a sweet tooth, the Stinger is a classic cocktail with a bit of wintry feel with its minty liqueur inclusion. Feel free to use clear or green crème de menthe. The difference is merely color.

Stinger

2-1/2 ounce Brandy

1/4 ounce White Crème de Menthe

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass over fresh crushed ice or strain into chilled cocktail glass according to preference.

If sweeter (sweet vermouth sort of sweet) is more your thing, this cocktail just might send your taste buds soaring. Even though this is a chilled cocktail, it’s nice and warming as it is savored.

Bob Danby

3 ounces Dubonnet Rouge

1-1/2 ounce Brandy

Combine liquids in mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

This cocktail is appropriately named in my opinion. Fresh squeezed orange juice balances the lightly spiced cocktail with refreshing zest. This is also one of those cocktails that would be equally refreshing served on the rocks. Just don’t let the ice melt too much or it becomes a bit of a watery mess by the time you reach the bottom of the glass.  

Appetizer

3 ounces Dubonnet Rouge

1 Orange – freshly squeezed

Combine liquids in mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

Flavored brandies are a terrific way to step your cocktail experience up a notch. One of my favorites is apricot flavored brandy. It is wonderful as flavorful inclusion in a classic Daiquiri.

A.J.

1-1/2 ounce Apple Brandy

1 ounce Grapefruit Juice

Combine liquids in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to blend and chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

This last cocktail is an interesting mix of brandy and dry vermouth. I suggest allowing just a bit of maraschino cherry juice to stay on the cherry when it’s time to garnish. This will bring a hint of sweetness to the cocktail.

Carroll Gardens Cocktail

2 ounces Brandy

1/2 ounce Dry Vermouth

Maraschino Cherry Garnish

Combine liquids in mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill. Strain into chilled cocktail glass.

I think the most important thing to remember when mixing cocktails at home is keep it simple to start and experiment a lot! A recipe is not etched in stone. Tweak it to how you like it. Then it’s perfect for you!

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