Every year, May 13 is bookmarked as World Cocktail Day. To trace its origins, let’s rewind to 1806. It's believed that was the year when the word cocktail first appeared in print as ‘cock-tail’, in a US-based newspaper named The Balance and Columbian Repository. The word was defined as ‘a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters.’ It went on to say that a cocktail ‘renders the heart flout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head.’
Here are recipes of five modern cocktails that—as the vintage newspaper said—emboldens the heart:
The Macallan Garden of Legacy
Ingredients
40ml The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old
30ml pink grapefruit juice
10ml sugar syrup
Pinch of sea salt
1 bottle tonic water, chilled
A wedge of pink grapefruit
Ice cubes
Method
In a tall glass, stir in The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old, pink grapefruit juice, sugar syrup and sea salt. Top up with tonic water and add three cubes of ice. Slide in the pink grapefruit wedge, and serve.
Tender Toddy
Ingredients
30 ml white rum
1 tbsp raw honey
Pulp of one tender coconut
A glass of tender coconut water
Ice cubes
Method
Take a shaker, or a glass jar with a lid. Add white rum, honey, tender coconut pulp, and give it a good shake. Pour it into a glass, top up with tender coconut water and add three cubes of ice. Serve.
Recipe by Conrad Bengaluru
Aperitivo Espresso
Ingredients
1 part or 30 ml Grey Goose
1 part or 30 ml unsweetened coffee
2 parts or 60 ml tonic water
Orange slice for garnish
Ice cubes
Method
In a glass, add three cubes of ice. Add vodka, coffee and tonic water, and give it a quick stir. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange slice.
A tropical highball
Ingredients
50ml X by Glenmorangie
10ml fresh lime juice
10ml equal parts honey mixed with water
50ml tender coconut water
Sparkling water or club soda
Mint sprig to garnish
Ice cubes
Method
Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. Add X by Glenmorangie, lime juice, honey water and tender coconut water. Stir and fill in more ice, if needed. Top up with club soda or sparkling water, stir and garnish with mint sprig.
Belvedere Air
Ingredients
45ml Belvedere Vodka
20 ml fresh lemon juice
15 ml honey water (2:1 Honey to Water)
60 ml almond milk
Mint sprig to garnish
Ice cubes
Method
Take a shaker or a glass jar with a lid. Add all the ingredients and four ice cubes. Give it a good shake. Take a tall or highball glass filled with ice cubes. Strain the drink into the glass and garnish with mint sprig.
Also read | Sip the gin, skip the tonic
