No Fuss Cocktails For Slow Days: My Favourite 3-Step Recipes For Lazy Afternoons
There’s an inherent charm to a lazy afternoon – after a sumptuous lunch, nothing much seems to be going on, there is no immediate buzzing of the phone and the slumbering golden hour spells a soft stillness.
In this brief hour on a weekend when I know I have nowhere to go and have an entire evening ahead of me to read a good book and binge on Korean and Japanese day-in-the-life vlogs, I often tend to go for a cocktail which matches the slow pace of the afternoon.
The drinks prepared on such days are hardly meant to impress! Instead, they are no-fuss mixes with clear flavours that are fresh and bright but still, in tune with the siesta-like rhythms of the day.
What’s more, these drinks can be crafted in just three easy steps, without disturbing the quietly lazy and leisurely moments that I seem to have found for myself as I curl up with a deliciously romantic story. Moreover, they are simple but tasty and seldom go wrong, and do have a curious way of vibing with this in-between moment of my day.
And if that’s not enough, they ask very little effort from me on a slow afternoon and in a world which goes gaga over productivity, become my quiet little acts of lazy resistance!
My Lazy 3-Step Lazy Lime Spritz
Ingredients:
30 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin or any other premium gin of choice
30 ml lime cordial
45 ml chilled sparkling water
Ice as required
Cumin powder and mint leaves for garnish
Method:
Step 1: Fill a tall highball glass with ice.
Step 2: Add to it 30 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin or any other premium gin of choice and 30 ml lime cordial. Top this off with 45 ml chilled sparkling water.
Step 3: Garnish with mint leaves.
Over time, I have found that the tiny customisation of embellishing this cocktail with just a pinch of cumin powder can become an interesting way to lend the blend a lemonade-like, summertime quality.
My Snoozy 3-Step Creamy Cold Brew Flip
Ingredients:
30 ml Captain Morgan Dark Rum or any other premium rum of choice
60 ml cold brew coffee
15 ml sweetened condensed milk
Ice as required
Chocolate wafer for garnish
Method:
Step 1: Bring together all ingredients including 30 ml Captain Morgan Dark Rum or any other premium rum of choice, 60 ml cold brew coffee and 15 ml sweetened condensed milk in a shaker with ice.
Step 2: Shake vigorously until the drink becomes frothy and well-chilled.
Step 3: Strain into a coupé glass. Garnish with a chocolate wafer.
When it comes to sweet-forward and creamy drinks, I have often found that a textural crunch in the form of a wafer can bring a more dense finish into cocktails. My customisation for a laidback, lazy afternoon cocktail recipe comes exactly from this thought.
My Slumbering 3-Step Sweet Tea Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
30 ml Johnnie Walker Black Label or any other premium whisky of choice
10 ml freshly brewed loose leaf tea
2 dashes of orange bitters
Ice as required
1 tablespoon honey and orange wheel for garnish
Method:
Step 1: Stir together 30 ml Johnnie Walker Black Label or any other premium whisky of choice, 10 ml freshly brewed loose leaf tea and 2 dashes of orange bitters in a mixing glass with ice.
Step 2: Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
Step 3: Garnish with an orange wheel and drizzle 1 tablespoon honey over the drink before serving.
Generally, old fashioned cocktails tend to be on the acidic side with citrus-forward flavours. I find that customising the drink with a bit of honey not only lends the drink a sweeter touch but also highlights the more complex flavours of this recipe.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
