Friday Night Cocktails

A few cocktails on a Friday night is a great way to kick off the weekend so we’ve put together a few of our favourites for you to try out… enjoy!

Dark & Stormy

The tipple of choice for pirates everywhere and perfect for these blustery rain-soaked October evenings, it is of course the Dark & Stormy. A highball cocktail made with dark rum (the dark) and ginger (the stormy), it’s served over ice with a lime garnish. 

Refreshing and a little spicy, the dark & stormy above is by Movita Beaucoup  – take a look here for the recipe. We love this variation which adds thyme to the ginger beer by The Gouda Life.

Blackberry Smash

Combining wheat beer, whisky, mint, lemon and of course blackberries doesn’t sound like a winning combination, but the Blackberry Smash is a certified winner of a Friday night cocktail.

Absolutely perfect for this time of year when you might have a glut of blackberries, the simple Blackberry Smash is a great way to use these up. The one above is by Domesticate Me and looks delicious.

French 75

Similar in principle to a Tom Collins, the French 75 (or in French Soixante Quinze) is made from gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and sugar (a Tom Collins has carbonated water rather than Champagne).

Dating back to the First World War, an early version of the French 75 was created in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris (famously later known as Harry’s New York Bar) by barman Harry MacElhone.

The reason for the name? The combined ingredients have a kick that feels like you’re being shelled by the powerful French 75mm field gun…. so perhaps limit yourself to just one…

The recipe above is by Honest Fare – an amazing blog with great tried and tested recipe ideas.

Cardamon Moscow Mule

Typically served in a copper mug, the Moscow Mule became wildly popular in the US during the 1950s and is made with the best quality vodka, spicy ginger beer and lime juice. It’s known as the “Moscow” mule because vodka has traditionally been seen as a Russian product but was actually invented in 1941 by John G. Martin of G.F. Heublein Brothers, Inc., an East Coast spirits and food distributor, and Jack Morgan, President of Cock ‘n’ Bull Products (which produced ginger beer) and proprietor of the Cock ‘n’ Bull restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles popular with celebrities of the day.

The version above is by Honestly Yum – a must visit website packed with inspiring food and drink recipes. The cardamon gives a hit of spicy warmth which is just perfect for these cooler autumn evenings.

Image credits: 1 – Dark & Stormy by Movita Beaucoup, 2 – Blackberry Smash by Domesticate Me, 3 – French 75 by Honest Fare, 4 – Cardamon Moscow Mule by Honestly Yum.