How to make your favourite summer cocktails

With summer holidays approaching, BBQ’s and garden parties are just around the corner. There’s nothing that shouts summer more than cocktails in the sunshine. It’s super easy to mix up some great drinks at your next summer party with just a few ingredients. Making delicious cocktails doesn’t have to be a chore and isn’t something that needs to be worried about. You can look like a pro with just the right preparations and props. Here at The Bull, our bar staff love to conjure up a treat for our guests and we would love to share with you how to make our top selling summer cocktails.

Aperol Spritz

Aperol Spritz has become very popular in the recent years and we can see why. With its bold orange color and rich flavor it’s the perfect drink to enjoy with friends in the sunshine, and great for an Instagram picture. With the right measurements and technique, your guests will think you’re a professional cocktail maker with years of experience.

What you will need:
A bottle of chilled Prosecco
A bottle of Aperol
Soda water
Tall wine glass
Ice cubes
Slice of orange

Firstly, fill your wine glass with ice cubes and pour roughly 75ml of Prosecco over the ice. Then grab your Aperol and pour three parts (50ml) into each glass in circular movements, giving your glass the bold orange colour. Then finish with 25ml of soda water with a slice of orange for a garnish. There you have it, your very first Aperol Spritz.

Classic Martini

A Martini is one of the most iconic and classic cocktails around, and it’s a safe option as most people have had a martini before. There is no wrong way of making it, as people prepare it in different ways. At The Bull, we can serve it with Smirnoff, Russian Standard, Gordon’s or Bombay Sapphire, so if your guests have different tastes, you can try different spirits of gin or vodka for each guest.

What you will need:
60ml of gin or vodka
1 tablespoon of vermouth
Olive or lemon peel to garnish
Cocktail shaker if you have one, but is not essential

Stir your ice, spirit and vermouth together, you can do this with a cocktail shaker if you have one to hand. Then simply strain all your ingredients (apart from your garnish) into a chilled martini glass. To finish off place an olive on a cocktail stick or use a twisted lemon peel for the garnish. Then sit back, relax and wait for the compliments to come in from your refreshed guests.

Singapore Sling

It is not normally advised to mix your spirits but cocktails are the rare exception, especially if you follow a correct recipe.  The Singapore Sling is a gin based cocktail that every cocktail enthusiast needs to taste.

What you will need:
Gin
Cherry Heering liqueur
Cointreau
Benedictine
Pineapple Juice
Grenadine
Fresh Lime Juice
Angostura bitters

Fill a Collins glass with one cup of ice and set aside to chill. Combine all your ingredients (apart from your garnish) into a cocktail shaker. Add a cup of ice and shake until chilled. Strain into your Collins glass and add your garnish. We recommend adding a slice of pineapple or cherry.

Virgin Mojito

When you are planning a summer party, it’s always best to cater for everyone’s taste. If you have invited guests who do not drink alcohol, it doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy your cocktail making skills. If you even want to treat your kids to something different than Pepsi or lemonade, a mocktail is a great alternative. There are lots of Mocktails on our menu but the most popular is our Virgin Mojito.

What you will need:
Fresh lime juice
Honey syrup
Fresh mint leaves
Sparkling water
Ice

Crush your fresh mint leaves and lime juice together, allowing the juices of the leaves to release its flavour into the lime juice. Then add the honey syrup and sparkling water. Finally, garnish your drink with a lime slice and add some new fresh mint leaves. Then you’re good to go.

If your cocktails didn’t turn out to plan, head to The Bull and our bar staff would love to explain and demonstrate how to perfect your cocktail, and maybe give you some inspiration for more cocktail recipe ideas. During summer, The Bull is the perfect place to visit when you want to sit in the sun with friends and family, where you can enjoy our long cocktail list. You can see our drinks list here. Children can play in our landscaped gardens while you indulge in a few drinks or even enjoy a traditional Afternoon Tea in the sunshine. You can book a table online here, call 01753 202919 or email [email protected].