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Week 13: unlucky for some, maybe, but for us it has been very much the same as the 12 weeks before it.
13 weeks is, if you hadn’t worked it out already, one quarter of a full year. That’s quite a long time to be sat on your arse, not going to the pub, by anyone’s standards.
I am really feeling the boredom at this point.
With the weather changing daily between amazing and completely rubbish, I haven’t been anywhere or seen anybody apart from my immediate family and as such I have NOTHING exciting to report or any amusing anecdotes to share.
It’s got to the point where I can’t even be bothered to write a rant about the government; Boris with his Tim Tams, Raab with his Game of Thrones, Hancock with his epic failure of a track and trace app… It would be like shooting fish in a barrel but entirely frustrating at the same time.
Anyway, I have decided instead to do a much more useful post summarising the knowledge and new skills I have gained during Coronavirus lockdown; namely making (and drinking) alcoholic beverages.
Here are my favourite, easy lockdown cocktails.
By easy I ones you can make in less than a minute, without obscure, expensive liqueurs and garnishes that you can only find in the Harrods food hall. And, of course, very easy to drink.
Note that I am a great believer in trial and error and measuring by eye so I’ll give some rough measurements but ultimately you decide what tastes good and how much a measurement means depending on what kind of day you’ve had.
Add stuff, take stuff out, switch the spirits for whatever you have in the cupboard… whatever you like really.
That, my friend, is good cocktail making in my eyes. I’m no purist. Don’t @ me.
1. Pina Colada
Surely the most classic of all the classic cocktails and for bloody good reason, the Pina Colada is summer holidays in a glass.
Leave out the alcohol and it’s a nice treat for the kids too.
You’ll need:
- One part coconut cream or milk. You can get cans of coconut milk in our local Sainsburys; it’s OK and dare I say better for you than the cream.
- One part white rum or coconut rum (Malibu if you’re fancy)
- Two parts pineapple juice
Stick it all in a blender with ice and whizz it together until smooth. If possible, stick an umbrella in the top and drink next to a swimming/paddling pool whilst sunbathing.
Bored of a pina colada? Make it into a Blue Hawaiian by adding a shot of Blue Curacao (and a shot of vodka if you want to, some recipes add this – I tend not to because that is when things get messy).
2. French Martini
This is my absolute favourite cocktail in the world and it is so easy to make. If you haven’t tried one, or haven’t had one for ages, I implore than you do so immediately. RIGHT NOW!
(Drink responsibly etc etc).
Different places give different quantities but I think that it takes great with:
- Two parts vodka
- Two parts pineapple juice
- One part Chambord
Get your martini shaker and shake it almost violently with lots of ice, then pour it into a martini glass making sure you get all the foam out because that is the best bit.
You don’t have to garnish with a flower but LOOK HOW PRETTY IT IS:
(If you don’t have Chambord then other fruity liqueurs like Creme de Cassis are alright too).
3. Italian Surfer with Russian Attitude
The name of this is really stupid but don’t let that put you off. Basically it looks like a lager but tastes like heaven in a glass.
The ingredients are:
- One part coconut rum (or white rum)
- One part amaretto
- One part vodka
- Four parts pineapple juice
- A dash of cranberry juice (I dare say you could live without this bit but it gives it a nice colour…)
Mix all the ingredients apart from the cranberry juice in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake it. Pour into a long glass and then top up with a little cranberry juice. Add more vodka if your kids have been whining full strength, or a shot of fruit flavoured vodka would be nice too.
It’s quite sweet but very summery; perfect when the English rain is pelting against the windows.
4. Cherry fizz
A classy looking affair, this one requires a champagne flute for maximum effect.
You will need:
- A shot of Disaronno Amaretto
- A shot of cherry liqueur/kirsch/cherry brandy/cherry gin
- Prosecco or other fizz to fill up the glass
- A maraschino cherry to make it look fancy (also, fruit is healthy. So there’s that. The more fruit your cocktail has, the better)
Shake the amaretto and the cherry booze with ice (I’ve tried it with both the cherry liqueur and this fabulous Bakewell Gin liqueur which was bought from my Amazon wishlist by a very kind follower, thank you!).
Fill to the top with prosecco, pop in a maraschino cherry, serve and drink.
5. English Garden
When I’m out (remember that?!) I usually go for a gin-based cocktail and I’ve just realised there are none on this list, so this is an oldie and goodie which you can make easily without stupid posh ingredients:
- Two parts of your favourite gin
- One part elderflower liqueur (I happen to have two bottles of this for unknown reasons, which predate my children. Cordial works too, albeit it’s less alcoholic)
- Three parts apple juice
- A squeeze of lime
Shake the gin, elderflower and apple juice it all together with ice and then pour into a glass. Add a dash or a squeeze of lime, and top up with soda or lemonade if you so desire to make a longer drink.
Add bits of cucumber if you’re feeling fancy.
6. Limoncello fizz
Is a cocktail a cocktail if it only requires two liquid ingredients? Well, apparently so.
For this cocktail you will need:
- Rimming sugar (FNAR. Normal sugar will obviously do but it doesn’t sound as professional, nor hilarious)
- A shot of limoncello
- Prosecco (or fizz of your choice) to top up
Put some water in a little bowl and sugar in another bowl, dip the rim of a champagne flute first in the water and then in the sugar.
Pour a shot of limoncello into the neatly sugar-rimmed glass and then fill up with prosecco. Boom. Easiest cocktail ever.
If you’re buying prosecco, cava or champagne you can get an extra 5% off a mixed case of 12 at Great Western Wine by using the code FRAN5 at the checkout, giving 15% in total.
7. French 75
Another one with French in the title, indicating that it must be classy, this one contains everything that’s good in the world;
- A shot of gin
- A dash of lemon (apparently Jif lemon is fine. And I mean the lemon juice, not the loo cleaner).
- A teaspoon of sugar syrup (ie. sugar and water mixed together – dissolve 20g of sugar to 10ml of water over a light heat)
- Champagne (or cava or prosecco, although it won’t technically be French then)
We used lemon gin instead of lemon juice, and it worked out well. Watch out though. This one gets you absolutely hammered if you’re not careful.
8. Basically any fizz cocktails
As an aside, Prosecco/Champagne/Cava/Fizz cocktails are piss easy to make, you don’t even have to get a shaker out. You can basically mix anything with fizzy white wine and it’ll taste good, and you can add in fruit to make it healthy.
Bellinis with peach or strawberry, Kir Royal with creme de cassis, Mimosas with orange juice. Whatever you fancy – and they’re even acceptable with brunch, especially during lockdown.
9. Naughty Girl
This one is a late addition; my friend had it at her wedding and shared the recipe so out of a sense of duty I gave it a try and decided it’s too good not to add in.
You will need:
- A shot of spiced rum like Captain Morgan’s
- A shot of Chambord
- A shot and a half of cranberry juice
Shake it all with ice and serve. Knock back quickly and make another one.
…And, since this is meant to be a parenting blog, how about something for the kids?
This recipe for kids’ Pimm’s is perfect for summer.
What is your favourite cocktail?
I’d love to give it a go. Leave me a comment!