Shake things up with these fresh summer cocktails
Making great cocktails doesn’t have to be the domain of inked-up bearded bartenders with a plethora of ingredients at their fingertips. You can impress at home with these simple yet moreish cocktails from Hains & Co’s Marcus Motteram.
The first two cocktails use vermouth. Lighter in alcohol, it’s perfect for a summer afternoon or early evening drink in the sun.
Vermouth comes in a variety of styles, from sweet through to dry, white and red. We’re using the sweeter red style in these first two cocktails.
Super Simple Vermouth Cocktails
Vermouth Spritz
- 60ml sweet red vermouth
- 120ml sparkling white, such as prosecco, or soda
- Garnish with fresh strawberries, orange and mint
- Serve in a tall glass, over ice.
Vermouth Spritz: Hassle-free deliciousness. Photo: Tony Lewis / InDaily
Negroni
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The terribly fashionable Negroni has three ingredients mixed in equal measures – you could even make a jug of it.
- 30ml sweet red vermouth
- 30ml campari
- 30ml gin (London Dry is best)
- Stir ingredients with ice to combine and serve with a slice of orange.
For a lighter option, why not try an Americano? Simply replace the gin with soda.
Negroni: It’s a stunner. Photo: Tony Lewis / InDaily
The WOW factor
With those two under your belt, you’re probably getting confident enough to start styling your facial hair or thinking about your next tattoo to trump your local hipster bartender. It’s now time to get serious and move on to a shaken drink.
The Southside
This is a beautiful summery take on a gin sour with the addition of mint. When we place a Southside on the bar at Hains everyone wants one.
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- 60ml gin (a lighter botanical style like Tanqueray 10 or Botanist works best)
- 30ml fresh lime
- 20 -25ml sugar syrup (equal parts sugar and water, pre-mixed)
- 5 mint leaves
- Shake all ingredients in a shaker with plenty of ice for 10 seconds
- Pour into a cocktail glass (no ice) or a wine glass with
- Garnish with a nice sprig of mint.
Marcus Motteram says the Southside is pure fresh perfection. Photo: Tony Lewis / InDaily
Shaker tips
A Cobbler shaker. Photo: Ryan Hyde / Wikimedia Commons
If you’re a shaker novice, I’d suggest using the three-piece Cobbler shaker, which has all the bits you need without the need for a separate strainer.
A word of warning – don’t knock the top section shut. It can be impossible to get off when it chills and tightens. Instead, hold the top and the bottom together and shake with two hands to keep sealed.
Here is to lifting spirits this summer.
Hains & Co, 23 Gilbert Place, Adelaide, is open from 4pm till 2pm every day of the week.
