4 nature-inspired cocktails to try this summer

1. Ginger and Apricot Whisky Sour

Fruity flavours meet subtle spiciness for a refreshing and zesty drink, perfect for days spent laughing with friends in the garden which turn into nights watching the sun set.

You’ll need:

• 50ml Whisky

• 5ml apricot liqueur

• 25ml ginger syrup

• 25ml lemon juice

• 1 egg white

• Three dashes of Angostura Bitters.

To make:

• Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice

• Shake hard until the surface of the shaker is cold to the touch

• Strain into a rocks glass with ice.

2. Lavender Bee’s Knees

A Prohibition-era classic, this gin drink is often thought of as a gin cocktail for the non-gin drinker thanks to the harmonious blend of flavours from the honey and lavender.

You’ll need:

• 60ml gin (we love Tanqueray No. TEN for this)

• 25ml lavender honey syrup (to make, combine roughly 30ml hot water with 60ml of honey. Stir until it’s mixed and then add in a teaspoon of lavender flower. Let the mixture cool and then strain to remove the lavender bits).

• 25ml lemon juice

• A lavender sprig to garnish.

To make:

• Using a jigger, measure out all ingredients and add to a shaker filled with ice

• Shake vigorously for around 10 seconds

• Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a lavender sprig.

3. A Floral Old Fashioned

Think floral cocktails are all sweet and sugary? This reimagining of a classic Old Fashioned keeps things simple and smooth, with just a subtle touch of botanical notes.

You’ll need:

• 50ml Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky

• 10ml elderflower cordial

• Two dashes of orange bitters

• A sprig of elderflower.

To make:

• Add a block of ice to a rocks glass

• With a jigger, pour in your Johnnie Walker and elderflower cordial

• Add your orange bitters and give the mixture a gentle stir

• Once stirred, add a sprig of elderflower for garnish.

4. Don Julio Margarita

While there isn’t the same immediate connection to florals, botanicals and earthy elements, a Don Julio tequila cocktail is the perfect nature-inspired cocktail when you understand the dedication to preservation and conservation that has been integral to the brand’s history.

The man behind the deluxe tequila – and the man who gave it its name – famously didn't think of his agave as a crop, he considered them his children. He would tend to the agave plants daily, harvesting each one individually when it was at optimum maturity and health.

So, let's cheers to him and his children.

You’ll need:

• 50ml Don Julio Blanco

• 25ml fresh lime juice

• 15ml orange liqueur (eg Cointrea)

• Lime to garnish.

To make:

• Using a jigger, measure your Don Julio Blanco, fresh lime juice, and orange liqueur

• Pour into a shaker filled with ice

• Shake well and strain into a margarita glass rimmed with salt

• Garnish with a lime wedge.