Easy summer cocktail recipes

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

20 ml freshly squeezed lime

15 ml fresh elderflower juice

2 tsp sugar

5 ml sherry

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

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 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