If, like us, you’re a big fan of cocktails, why not learn more about where some of the world’s best-loved tipples originate from? If you ever find yourself in any of these beautiful countries, make sure to try some of their local concoctions for an authentic drinking experience.
Aperol Spritz, Italy
The Aperol Spritz is a popular cocktail across the world — fruity and bubbly, it’s an ideal summertime cooler. The refreshing combination of Aperol, prosecco, and soda water is somehow both sweet and bitter, and is best enjoyed on a warm day.
Ingredients
100ml Aperol
150ml prosecco
Pour over ice and top off with soda water
Dark ‘n Stormy, Bermuda
The dark ‘n stormy was first created in Bermuda, and the original recipe was rumoured to include Gosling’s Black Seal rum and Barritt’s Ginger Beer. This drink calls for ‘floating rum’ on the surface of the drink, meaning that the ginger beer is poured in first and then topped with a generous amount of dark rum before being garnished with a lime wedge. The ginger beer and rum combine to create a sweet yet fiery drink, traditionally served in a tall glass.
Ingredients
100ml dark rum
25ml freshly squeezed lime juice
Ginger beer
Garnish with a lime wedge
Long Island Iced Tea, Long Island
As the name suggests, the Long Island iced tea was first created in Long Island in America. This cocktail holds a reputation for being a party drink, due to its large quantity of different spirits. Despite it being a rather strong drink, the mix of alcohols mask one another surprisingly well, making it easy on the throat.
Ingredients
50ml vodka
50ml gin
50ml tequila
50ml rum
50ml triple sec
500ml Coca-Cola
Squeeze two lime wedges then drop in drink
Margarita, Mexico
Margaritas are a fan favourite all over the world, and are undeniably refreshing. The classic margarita contains tequila, lime juice, and triple sec, making it an incredibly easy cocktail to make, yet one that packs a lot of flavour. To heat things up, why not add some chilli flakes to the rim of your glass and a fresh jalapeno as a garnish to give this cocktail a hint of spice?
Ingredients
Agave nectar and sea salt for the rim of the glass
50ml tequila
25ml lime juice
20ml triple sec
Garnish with a lime wedge
Martini, New York
While the Martini brand of drinks is a product of Italy, the cocktail is said to originate in New York where it was supposedly created by Martini di Arma di Taggia, a bartender at The Knickerbocker Hotel. This cocktail is said to have been created for John B. Rockefeller, America’s first billionaire and a regular guest at the hotel. The dirty martini was invented in 1901 in the Waldorf Astoria, when the bartender decided to try muddling the cocktail with olives, an experiment that led to the now legendary variation.
Ingredients
One tbsp dry vermouth
60ml gin or vodka
Garnish with an olive or a lemon peel
Whiskey Sour, Peru
The whiskey sour was created in 1862 in Iquique, which was part of Peru at the time but is now a city in Chile. This cocktail was popular with sailors — on long trips, ships would typically take a large amount of citrus fruits, whiskey and bourbon on board. This citrussy drink can be made with or without sugar syrup, depending on your preferred sweetness, and its popularity has certainly withstood the test of time.
Ingredients
35ml lemon juice
50ml bourbon
12ml sugar syrup
Two dashes of Angostura bitters
Half of a fresh egg white
Shake all of the ingredients with ice and garnish with orange or lemon peel
Mojito, Cuba
The mojito originates from Havana in Cuba, and is rumoured to be an old medicinal drink created to ward off illness. During the 1500s, this drink would be made using moonshine rum, fresh mint leaves, sugar cane syrup, and lime. The mojito was initially drank in order to prevent the transmission of diseases like dysentery and scurvy, but now serves its purpose as a delightful and refreshing summer cocktail.
Ingredients
50ml white rum
12 mint leaves
25ml soda water
20ml sugar syrup
25ml fresh lime juice
Garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of fresh mint
Negroni, Italy
The negroni originates from the city of Florence in Italy and was created by the Giacosa Café – formally known as Café Casoni. This drink is a hit among those who like something more on the bitter side, and combines dry gin, Campari, and Martini Rosso sweet vermouth. Despite its bitter notes, this cocktail is smooth and well balanced.
Ingredients
30ml Campari
30ml dry gin
30ml Martini Rosso sweet vermouth
Shake all of the ingredients with ice and garnish with orange peel.
Cosmopolitan, New York
Both sweet and sour, this cocktail blends lime juice and cranberry juice with vodka and triple sec to create a mouthwatering concoction. This cocktail was born in New York City, and has a certain elegance to it, perhaps due to the martini glass that it is commonly served in. Lime juice isn’t only found within the cocktail, but also around the rim of the glass to provide a hint of sourness which balances out the sweetness of the cranberry juice.
Ingredients
45ml regular or lemon vodka
15ml triple sec
30ml cranberry juice
10ml lime juice
Shake the ingredients with ice and garnish with a lime wedge
Strawberry Daiquiri, Cuba
This tasty tipple is vibrant in colour and packs a fruity punch! The strawberry daiquiri is said to have been invented in Havana in the old port town of Daiquiri by an American mining engineer named Jennings Cox. The story suggests that Cox created this adored cocktail on a whim after running out of gin at a party that he was hosting. Since then, the strawberry daiquiri has maintained its popularity, and can be made using a variety of fruits!
Ingredients
500g mulled fresh strawberries
100ml rum
The juice of half a lime
Two tbsps. sugar syrup
Shake all of the ingredients with ice and garnish with a strawberry
