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    1. Life
    2. Food and Drink

    8 easy cocktail recipes...

    The only 8 cocktail recipes you'll need this summer...

    Andrea Thompson's avatar
    By Andrea Thompson
    Published 13 January 2016 In Features

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    8 fool-proof cocktail recipes to brighten up the darkest month

    Woohoo, the weekend is here, so ditch the supermarket Sauvignon Blanc (and hangover) and try mixing up a light fruit-based cocktail instead. After all, life is just too short for low-grade drinks, and there comes a time in your life when you really should know a couple of classics to whip out and impress your mates.

    We asked Willy Borrell, owner of award-winning Ladies and Gentlemen cocktail bar in Kentish town, London, for his 8 fool-proof cocktail recipes to bring a ray of sunshine to winter evenings... You’re welcome.

    Water Cooler

    50 ml Vestal Vodka

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    20 ml freshly squeezed lime

    15 ml fresh elderflower juice

    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    2 tsp sugar

    5 ml sherry

    Serve in a chilled long glass with cucumber to garnish over ice

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    Classic Caipirinha 

    1/2 lime

    1/2 teaspoon sugar

    50ml cachaca

    Slice the lime into 1/2-inch rounds, cube them, and muddle them in a small tumbler with the sugar. Add a couple of ice cubes. Pour in the cachaça. Enjoy

    Berry Zen

     

    40 ml Vestal Vodka

    10 ml Crème de Cassis

    Handful of Fresh Blackberries and raspberries

    Lemon & Sugar Syrup

    Top up with Prosecco and serve in long glass.

    The perfect Mai tai

     

    25ml Amber rum

    25 ml Dark rum

    10 ml orgeat syrup or 1 drop pure almond extract

    20ml lemon juice

    5ml sugar

    25ml Granadilla Juice

    Shake and serve on ice with a slice of orange.

    Millenial Mule

    50ml Vestal Vodka

     25 ml fresh lime juice

    12 ½ ml sugar syrup

    A Splash ginger beer (not ale!)

    Serve long with plenty of ice and a lime wedge.

    Mojito

    50 ml White Rum

    8 Mint leaves

    12 1/2 ml Sugar Syrup

    25 ml Lime Juice

    2 Mint sprigs

    Shake and serve in a long glass topped up with soda and plenty of ice.

    Watermelon martini

    50 ml Gin

    25 ml Gomme Syrup

    4 chunks Watermelon

    Watermelon wedge

    Muddle 4 chunks of melon in a mixing glass. Add remaining ingredients into mixing glass. Fill the mixing glass to the top with cubed ice and then shake for 10 seconds. Double strain into martini glass. Garnish with watermelon wedge.

    The best Bloody Mary

     – Serves 4

    150ml Vestal Vdka

    3cm piece of fresh horseradish

    half litre good tomato juice

    1 tsp tabasco

    1 tsp worcestershire sauce

    1/2 tsp celery salt

    ½ lemon, cut into wedges

    1 tbsp amontillado or cream sherry (cream is sweeter)

    Celery, to serve (optional)

    Mix together the tomato juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and celery salt, squeeze each lemon wedge into the jug. Season well with black pepper. Drop wedges into the jug and stir together well. Chill for 20 mins if possible.

    Pour the vodka and sherry into the jug and stir well with a celery. Drink quickly.

    Andrea Thompson
    Andrea Thompson
    Editor in Chief

    Andrea Thompson is Editor in Chief at Marie Claire UK and was named by We are the City as one of the UKs top 50 trailblazers for her work championing gender equality. She sits on the committee of the British Society of Magazine Editors where she acts as Chair.

    Andrea has worked as a senior journalist for a range of publications over her 20 year career including The Sunday Times, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, Channel 4, Glamour and Grazia. At Marie Claire UK, Andrea oversees content, strategy, events and campaigns across fashion, beauty and the brand's purpose pillars. Follow her on instagram at @andreacanwrite

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