5 Easy Cocktails You Can Make With Ingredients Already Available In Your Kitchen
Cocktail recipes seldom have to be super complicated. They just have to be technically sound and good to taste. Easy cocktail recipes that you can make at home are among such concoctions which can be made with whatever is already available in your kitchen. Simple culinary essentials like citruses, spices, herbs, jams and honey can be turned into beautiful ingredients that bring a lot of flavour complexity into easy cocktails. So, do away with fancy equipment and actually use kitchen staples in simple cocktail recipes that can be put together on weekend gatherings or at impromptu dinner parties.
The Pantry Highball
Low-effort, no-fuss and full of flavour, this drink is simple, fresh and what’s more, highly adaptable. While this writer has put together certain kitchen ingredients to make the drink, you can always swap the cucumber garnish with a lime wheel or mint leaves, according to what is available in your fridge at the time of blending.
Ingredients:
- 30 ml London Dry gin
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 45 ml chilled sparkling water
- Ice as required
- Cucumber slice for garnish
Method:
– Line a tall highball glass with a long cucumber slice. Fill it with ice and add 30 ml London Dry gin, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice and 1 tablespoon honey. Stir gently before topping the mixture off with 45 ml chilled sparkling water.
Jam Jar Martini Cocktail
When leftover jam sits for far too long on the kitchen shelf, it’s time to put it to creative uses. Turn a sweet and tart orange jam into a martini cocktail concoction and add sweetness and texture into the blend.
Ingredients:
- 30 ml vodka
- 1 tablespoon orange jam (or any fruit jam available in the kitchen)
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- Ice as required
- Mint sprig for garnish
Method:
– In a cocktail shaker, add 30 ml vodka and 1 tablespoon orange jam (or any fruit jam available in the kitchen) and 1 teaspoon lime juice with ice. Shake well and strain into a martini cocktail glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Masala Mule
For those who prefer a spiced touch in their cocktails, the masala mule is a simple cocktail to prepare using familiar spices already available in a desi kitchen. The drink brings these recognisable Indian flavours from the kitchen into the cocktail glass.
Ingredients:
- 30 ml vodka
- 1 teaspoon ginger juice
- 10 ml lime juice
- 45 ml ginger ale
- A pinch of chaat masala
- Ice as required
- Black salt and chilli powder mix for a rim garnish
Method:
– Moisten the rim of a cocktail glass with lemon juice and dip this in a mixture of black salt and chilli powder for making a rim garnish. Next, in a cocktail shaker, bring together 30 ml vodka, 1 teaspoon ginger juice and 10 ml lime juice with ice as required. Shake well and transfer into the rimmed cocktail glass after filling it with ice. Top this off with 45 ml ginger ale and a pinch of chaat masala.
Coffee Old Fashioned
Craft an old fashioned with the addition of some freshly brewed coffee as a post meal cocktail concocted in the evenings. Use an aged whisky or rum to craft the drink so that the coffee’s bitter and earthy notes match the depth of the spirit.
Ingredients:
- 30 ml blended Scotch whisky
- 10 ml freshly brewed coffee
- 1 teaspoon jaggery syrup
- A dash of vanilla
- Ice as required
- Orange peel and coffee beans for garnish
Method:
– In a cocktail mixer containing ice, bring together 30 ml blended Scotch whisky, 10 ml freshly brewed coffee, 1 teaspoon jaggery syrup and a dash of vanilla. Stir well and strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange peel and coffee beans.
Also Read: Best Alcoholic Drink For Rainy Season In India: 5 Easy Cocktails To Explore
The Herbal Spritzer
When you have too many fresh herbs in the fridge and you are done using them in the kitchen, it is perhaps time to turn them into aromatic cocktail ingredients. Craft fresh spritzers for that garden party vibe and prevent any leftover herby ingredients from going stale.
Ingredients:
- 30 ml gin
- Handful of fresh mint, basil, rosemary
- 10 ml lime juice
- 5 ml honey
- 45 ml tonic water
- A pinch of salt
- Ice as required
- Leftover herbs for garnish
Method:
– In a cocktail shaker, muddle a handful of fresh mint, basil and rosemary in 10 ml lime juice. Add 30 ml gin and 5 ml honey to the mixture along with some ice and shake well. Strain the drink into a tall cocktail glass filled with ice and top this off with 45 ml tonic water and a pinch of salt. Garnish with leftover herbs.
Key Takeaways:
– Move over fancy cocktail ingredients and techniques. Some interesting cocktail concoctions can be prepared simply by using whatever staples are available in the kitchen.
– Ingredients such as citruses, herbs, spices, leftover jam, masalas and sweeteners like honey can be used widely to craft numerous straightforward but well-flavoured mixes.
– Cocktails crafted using kitchen ingredients are no-fuss, low-effort recipes, excellent for serving at impromptu dinner parties or weekend get-togethers.
FAQs:
– Which are some of the cocktails that can be put together using kitchen ingredients?
Drinks like the pantry highball, the jam jar martini cocktail and the masala mule are among some of the cocktails that can be put together using already available kitchen ingredients.
– What are some of the kitchen staples that can be used to introduce desi flavours into cocktails?
Kitchen staples such as black salt, chaat masala, ginger juice and jaggery are among some of the ingredients that can be used to introduce desi flavours into cocktails.
– Why are kitchen staples useful as excellent cocktail ingredients?
Kitchen staples like citruses, herbs, spices and sweeteners contain a lot of flavourful nuance which builds complexity and depth into blends, making them useful as cocktail ingredients.
All cocktails listed use 30 ml liquor measurements for single serves. Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
