48 Cocktails to make at home

Vodka: From a Martini to a Julep

2½ shots vodka
1 shot crème de cassis or Chambord

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with fresh or maraschino cherry.

7 fresh mint leaves
3 shots vodka
½ shot sugar syrup
1/8 shot freshly squeezed lime

Shake all ingredients, including mint, with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.

2 shots vodka
¾ shot crème de cassis or Chambord
1 shot freshly squeezed lime
¼ shot sugar syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

7 fresh raspberries
2 shots vodka
½ shot crème de cassis or Chambord
¼ shot double cream
¼ shot milk
1/8 shot sugar syrup

Muddle berries, add other ingredients, shake with ice, garnish with a raspberry.

1 shot vodka
½ shot crème de cassis or Chambord
½ shot fresh orange
½ shot pressed apple juice
brut champagne

Shake first 4 ingredients with ice and strain into glass. Top with champagne.

2 shots vodka
2 shots pineapple juice
¼ shot crème de cassis or Chambord

Shake all the ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with berries.

1 shot vodka
1 shot rum
½ shot Cointreau triple sec
1 shot cranberry juice
1 shot fresh orange juice
1 shot pressed pineapple juice
¾ shot freshly squeezed lime
¼ shot sugar syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain on to crushed ice.

2 shots vodka
2½ shots pressed apple juice
1½ shots cranberry juice
1 shot freshly squeezed orange

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

1 tsp runny honey
2 shots vodka
4 fresh mint leaves
½ shot fresh lime juice
½ shot pomegranate syrup
¾ fresh grapefruit juice

Stir honey with vodka in shaker. Add other ingredients, shake with ice. Strain on to crushed ice.

Gin: from an Alaska to the

Bronx

2 shots gin
3 tsp runny honey
¾ shot freshly squeezed
lemon juice

Stir honey with gin in base of shaker. Add lemon juice. Shake with ice and strain into chilled glass. Garnish with orange zest twist.

1¾ shots gin
1 shot apricot brandy
1 shot freshly squeezed
lemon juice
¼ shot sugar syrup
1/8 shot pomegranate syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with an apricot slice.

1½ shots gin
¾ shot apricot brandy
1 shot freshly squeezed
lemon juice
¼ shot sugar syrup
2 dashes orange bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with orange zest twist.

2 shots gin
½ shot pomegranate syrup
½ shot double cream
½ shot milk
½ shot egg white

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with maraschino cherry.

2 shots gin
½ shot Cointreau
½ shot pomegranate syrup
¼ shot fresh lemon juice
½ shot chilled mineral water

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with lemon peel twist.

2 shots gin
1½ shots freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ shot sugar syrup
¼ shot creme de cassis or Chambord

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.

2 shots gin
¾ shot freshly squeezed
lemon juice
¾ shot pomegranate syrup
½ fresh egg white

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Float a mint leaf on top.

Bronx

2 shots gin
¼ shot dry vermouth
¼ shot sweet vermouth
1 shot freshly squeezed
orange juice

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

1 shot gin
1 shot dry vermouth
1 shot crème de cassis or Chambord

Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass. Garnish with a blackberry on rim.

Champagne: 6 cocktails topped up with bubbles

2 shots gin
1 shot fresh lemon juice
½ shot sugar syrup
brut champagne

Shake the first three ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass. Top with champagne. Garnish with a lemon slice.

1 shots vodka
½ shots crème de cassis or Chambord
top up with brut champagne

Stir vodka and crème de cassis with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with champagne. Garnish with lemon zest twist.

8 seedless white grapes
5 fresh mint leaves
2 shots cognac
½ shot sugar syrup
top up with brut champagne

Muddle grapes and mint in shaker. Add cognac, sugar, shake with ice, strain into glass. Top with champagne. Garnish with mint.

7 fresh mint leaves
2 shots dry gin
1 shot freshly squeezed lemon
½ shot sugar syrup
champagne

Lightly muddle mint in base of shaker. Shake with ice, fine strain into a chilled glass and top with a splash of champagne.

1½ shots vodka
¼ shots crème de cassis or Chambord
1 shot pineapple juice
brut champagne

Shake first 3 ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Top with champagne and serve with pineapple wedge.

1½ shots agave tequila
1 shot freshly squeezed lemon
½ shot sugar syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
brut champagne

Shake first four ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. Top with champagne. Serve with a lime wedge.

Whiskey: from a special to a sour

2 shots bourbon whiskey
½ shot freshly squeezed lemon
¼ shot maple syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. Garnish with lemon zest twist.

2 shots Scotch whisky
2 shots sweet vermouth
¼ shot sugar syrup
3 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass.

2 tsp runny honey
2 shots bourbon whiskey
1 fresh passionfruit
1 shot freshly squeezed lemon
½ shot pomegranate syrup
½ fresh egg white

Stir honey and bourbon in shaker; add fruit, other ingredients, shake. Top with passion fruit.

2 shots bourbon whiskey
1 shot freshly squeezed grapefruit
¼ shot pomegranate juice

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

1¾ shots whisky
1 shot freshly squeezed grapefruit
1 shot Grand Marnier
¼ shot sugar syrup
Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with grapefruit wedge.

2 tsp runny honey
2 shots whisky
½ shot Cointreau triple sec
½ shot apricot brandy
1 shot pressed pineapple juice
½ shot freshly lemon juice

Stir honey with whisky. Add other ingredients. Shake with ice, strain. Garnish with pineapple.

2 shots whisky
1 shot Cointreau triple sec
1 shot freshly squeezed lemon

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Serve with a salt rim and lemon wedge.

2 shots bourbon whiskey
1 shot freshly squeezed lemon
½ shot sugar syrup
soda water

Shake first 3 ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. Top with soda. Serve with straws. Garnish with orange slice and cherry on a stick.

1 shot bourbon whiskey
1 shot Cointreau triple sec
1 shot freshly squeezed lemon
½ fresh egg white

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. Serve with lemon zest twist.

Brandy: Make mine a

French Mule

French mule

2 shots cognac
1 shot freshly squeezed lime
1 shot sugar syrup
3 dashes Angostura bitters
top up with ginger beer

Shake first four ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glasses. Top with ginger beer and serve with mint sprig.

5 fresh mint leaves
2 shots cognac
¼ shot Grand Marnier
¼ shot sugar syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.

1¼ VSOP cognac
1½ shots sweet vermouth
1¼ shots dry vermouth
3 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass. Serve with an orange zest twist.

2 shots VSOP cognac
¼ shot Cointreau triple sec
1/8 shot sugar syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters
½ shot chilled mineral water

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Serve with lemon peel twist.

1½ shots dry gin
1 shot dry vermouth
½ shot apricot brandy
¾ shot fresh orange

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with orange zest twist.

2 shot cognac
1 shot Grand Marnier liqueur
1 shot fresh lemon juice
½ shot sugar syrup
1 dash orange bitters
soda water

Shake everything with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. Top with soda, garnish with lemon slice.

Rum: from Mint Daiquiri to a

Bacardi special

2 tsp runny honey
2 shots rum
3 torn mint leaves
½ shot freshly squeezed lime
½ shot chilled mineral water

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glasses. Garnish with mint leaf.

2 shots white rum
1 shot fresh orange juice
¼ shot freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ pomegranate syrup
½ shot chilled mineral water

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glasses. Garnish with orange zest.

1½ shot rum
¾ Cointreau triple sec
2 shots pineapple juice
¼ shot freshly squeezed lime

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into ice-filled glass. Garnish with orange zest twist.

1½ shots rum
½ shot Grand Marnier
½ shot freshly squeezed lime
¼ shot sugar syrup
½ shot chilled mineral water

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glasses.

1¾ shots rum
¾ shot Grand Marnier
1 shot freshly squeezed orange
½ shot freshly squeezed lime
1/8 shot sugar syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glasses. Garnish with orange slice.

1 shot rum
½ shot dry vermouth
½ shot cognac
½ shot dry gin
¼ shot freshly squeezed lime
¼ shot sugar syrup
½ shot chilled mineral water

Shake everything with ice and strain into chilled glases.

Bacardi special

1½ shot Bacardi rum
¾ shot dry gin
½ shot freshly squeezed lime
¼ shot pomegranate syrup
1/8 shot sugar syrup (as above)
½ shot chilled mineral water

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

1 shot cognac
1 shot rum
1 shot Cointreau triple sec
¾ lime juice
1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glasses. Garnish with orange zest twist.

2 shots rum
1 shot sweet vermouth
½ shot Cointreau triple sec

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Garnish with orange zest twist.

• The 48 cocktail recipes were compiled by Simon Difford (details at digital.diffordsguide.com).
• Cocktails Made Easy: 500 drinks with 14 key ingredients by Simon Difford is out now. To order a copy for £14 with free UK p&p go to observer.co.uk/bookshop or call 0870 836 0885