If you're anything like us here at Simply Beach, summer is our favourite season, and we love travelling to sun-drenched spots around the world. With Autumn well and truly here and Winter very close on the horizon, those hot beach days seem like a distant memory, so to bring a bit of summer sunshine into the cold dark evenings we thought we would whip up a cocktail or two. To help us really feel we're sitting on the shores of Cuba and in the beach bars of California, we've gone for the classic drink of several locations across the globe. So grab your cocktail shaker and get mixing with us...
Italy - Bellini
What You Need: 2 ripe peaches, peeled, halved & stone removed, Chilled Champagne or Sparkling Wine (Serves 4)
Puree the peaches, spoon some of the puree into 4 chilled champagne flutes, then slowly top up with champagne, stirring as you pour.
Spain - Tinto de Verano
What You Need: Red Wine, Lemon-Lime Soda such as Sprite, Ice, Slice of Lemon
Fill half of the cup with red wine, then fill up with your lemon-lime soda. Finish off by adding ice and a slice of lemon or two.
California - Mai Tai
What You Need: 1 1/2 oz White rum, 1/2 oz Fresh lime juice, 1/2 oz Orange curaçao, 1/2 oz Orgeat syrup, 3/4 oz Dark rum (Serves 1)
Place all the ingredients into a shaker, shake well to mix and then pour over ice in a highball glass. Garnish with either lime peel, a pineapple wedge or mint leaves.
Mexico - Margarita
What You Need: 35ml Tequila, 20ml Cointreau, 35ml Fresh Lime Juice, Ice, Lime Wedge, Salt (Serves 1)
Dampen the rim of a margarita glass with water then dip in salt. Put the tequila, cointreau, lime juice and ice into the shaker and shake well for 20-30 seconds then strain well into the glass.
Cuba - Mojito
What You Need: 60ml White Rum, 1/2 Fresh Lime, 12 Fresh Mint Leaves, 2 Heaped Teaspoons of Caster Sugar, Dash of Soda Water, Crushed Ice (Serves 1)
Cut the lime into 4 wedges and put into a tall glass, then add the sugar and squish everything together with a spoon to release the lime juice. Put the mint leaves in your hand and gently crush them, this releases the aroma. Drop them into the glass and use the spoon to mix them in with the lime juice. Half fill the glass with crushed ice and pour in the white rum, stir the mixture together. Top up the glass with more crushed ice, the soda water and garnish with a sprig of mint.
Puerto Rico - Piña Colada
What You Need: 6 Chunks of Pineapple, 1 Teaspoon of Sugar, 1 Tablespoon Coconut Cream, 50ml White Rum, 50ml Fresh Pineapple Juice, Ice, Pineapple Wedge (Serves 1)
Put all of the ingredients into a blender apart from the pineapple wedge and blend until a smooth consistency. Pour into a tall sling glass and garnish with the pineapple wedge.
Brazil - Caipirinha
What You Need: 5 Limes, 12 Tablespoons Caster Sugar, 2cm Fresh Ginger Peeled & Finely Grated, Crushed Ice, 70cl Cachaça, 1 Bunch of Fresh Mint Leaves (Serves 8)
Cut the limes into wedges and squeeze the juice into a large 1.5l jug, pop the wedge in there when you've finished with them. Add the sugar and the ginger and crush all the ingredients together, then half fill the jug with crushed ice and mix the whole lot together. Pour in the Cachaça and stir well. Top up the jug with more crushed ice, add the mint leaves and mix again.
Singapore - Singapore Sling
What You Need: 30ml Gin, 15ml Cherry Brandy, 120ml Pineapple Juice, 15ml Lime Juice, 7.5ml Cointreau, 7.5ml Dom Benedictine, 10ml Grenadine, dash of Angostura Bitters, Pineapple Wedge, Cherry
Put all of the ingredients into a shaker with ice apart from the cherry and pineapple wedge and shake well. Strain into a tall glass and garnish with the pineapple and cherry.
Happy mixing!
Recipes sourced via BBC & Jamie Oliver.