Spring Cocktail Recipes

Spring is in the air! Try these fresh and floral cocktails, to brighten your days as they begin to get longer.

Spring cocktails are bright and have subtly sweet flavors – ranging from rich to tart. Whether you like something light and fruity, refined or bittersweet, we can recommend something for everyone.

La Paloma

Paloma means dove in Spanish – and you can almost taste the peace of mind this refreshing beverage will bring. Serve in a tall glass.

• 60 ml reposado tequila
• 15ml lime juice (the fresher the better)
• Pinch of salt
• Grapefruit soda
• Grapefruit rind (to garnish)
• Mint leaves (to garnish)

Combine tequila, lime juice, and salt. Add ice. Top up with grapefruit soda, and stir. Garnish.

Pomegranate Gin Sling

Pomegranate flavors are growing in popularity, and this take on a classic is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Serve it in a Collins glass or mason jar!

• 60ml gin
• 30ml pomegranate juice
• 1 ½ tsp simple sugar syrup
• Soda
• Lime slice (to garnish)
• Pomegranate seeds (to garnish)

Pour the gin, juice and syrup into a shaker, and then shake with ice. Strain this into an ice-filled glass, top up with soda and garnish.

Honeysuckle Julep

The Julep is set for a revival so get into the springtime spirit with this fancy, floral twist! Serve in a chilled metallic tumbler or highball glass.

• 60ml gin
• 8ml yellow Chartreuse
• 8ml honey syrup (2:1, honey:water)
• 2 slices white peach
• Honeysuckle blossom (to garnish)
• Thin slice of lemon (to garnish)

In a glass, muddle the peaches and honey syrup. Add the Chartreuse, gin and crushed ice, and stir. Add some more crushed ice, to overfill the glass. Garnish.

Bittersweet Vodka Crush

For those who like their drinks no-fuss, full and fruity… Serve in a long tumbler.

• 60ml vodka
• 1/3 small blood orange
• 10 raspberries
• 150ml soda
• Segment of blood orange (to garnish)

Muddle the raspberries and slices of the blood orange in the glass. Fill with a generous amount of crushed ice and pour the vodka in. Top with soda. Garnish.

Absinthe Frappé

Sweetness isn’t for everyone – and this simple, refreshing cocktail is the answer to that! Serve in a Collins glass – and feel free to experiment with lemony additions to the recipe…

• 8 mint leaves
• 45ml absinthe
• 60ml soda
• 1 tbsp simple sugar syrup
• More mint leaves (to garnish)

Add the mint leaves to a shaker with the sugar syrup, and muddle gently. Add the absinthe and some ice cubes, and shake (for 10-20 seconds). Strain into a glass full of crushed ice, and top with soda. Garnish.

Fig Moscow Mule

If you have a more sophisticated palate, you will love this variation on the copper-cup classic. For best results, chill the copper mug first.

• 60ml vodka
• 30ml lime juice (the fresher the better)
• 1tsp agave syrup
• 3 sage leaves
• 30ml fig purée or syrup
• Ginger beer
• Slice of fig (to garnish)

Stir the vodka, lime juice, agave syrup, sage and fig purée in a shaker. Strain over crushed ice. Top up with ginger beer and garnish.