6 cocktails to try out this festive season

1. Classic Mint Mojito

1/2 oz lime juice (squeezed fresh)
1 tsp finely granulated sugar
3 mint leaves
2 oz white rum
Club soda or seltzer

Instructions:

Muddle the lime juice with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar and mint leaves. Fill the glass about 2/3 with ice and add rum. Garnish with used lime and and top off with club soda or seltzer.

2. Margarita

Cloyingly sweet margarita mixes have given this drink a bad name. A well-made version is a fresh mix of lime juice and tequila, with a hint of sweetener.

2 oz silver tequila
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz lime juice
Salt for the rim

Since this recipe includes fresh juice, it should be shaken. Serve over ice in a glass with a salted rim.

3. Negroni

A favourite of bartenders all over the world, the Negroni is a simple three-ingredient cocktail

1 oz gin
1 oz Campari
1 oz sweet vermouth

Stir ingredients with ice.

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4. Moscow Mule

Popular for good reason, the Moscow Mule is one of the most refreshing things to sip on a hot summer day. It’s suggested vessel, a copper mug, also just looks good.

2 oz vodka
4 to 6 oz ginger beer
0.5 oz lime juice

Squeeze lime juice into a Moscow Mule mug. Add two or three ice cubes, pour in the vodka, and fill with cold ginger beer. Stir and serve.

5. Whiskey Sour

Perhaps the most refreshing whiskey cocktail, this is an old reliable favourite

2 oz whiskey
1 oz lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 egg white (optional)

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake (bartenders use this “dry shake” to incorporate the egg white). Add ice and shake again. Strain over ice in a glass.

6. Manhattan

Created sometime in the mid-1800s, the Manhattan is one of the booziest classic drink recipes.

2 oz rye whiskey
1 oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into chilled martini glass or cocktail coupe.

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