The holiday season is here & for those of you staying home, we have put together our top cocktails from around the world to let your taste buds do the travelling
Oh, the holiday season – the drinks are flowing, the food is cooking and we are all starting to breathe a sigh of relief for a year well worked. Some of us may be lucky enough to be going away, travelling abroad or even travelling locally. And the rest of us might be staying at home. If you are in the latter group, then fret not our fine-cocktail loving connoisseurs – we’ve whipped up and compiled a list of cocktails so authentically true to their country of origin, and so easy to make that if you close your eyes and take a sip you might be fooled into thinking you are really there.
Thirsts cocktails will take you around the world
We live for experiences, the mixing and shaking cocktails and bar services unique to you and your needs. Our expert mobile bar services can match any theme from around the world and our bespoke cocktails are unlike anything you have tasted before. With a passion for mixology and specialising in servicing bars for boutique or large-scale events, we have a Thirst for life. And after reading this, you will too.
So grab your imaginary suitcases and your sense of adventure and hop into the Thirst Train…ALL ABOARD!
1. Sunshine and beaches – California dreaming!
Martini
Just like the dirtiest of martinis, the origins and history of this classic American drink is one that is more than just slightly murky. One of our favourite stories of how this drink began is in the town of Martinez in California.
Experts claim that the drink was invented during the Gold Rush in the 1800s. The story goes that a gold miner who had recently “struck gold” decided to celebrate at a local bar in town. “Champagne for my winnings,” he asked the bartender, but there was no champagne! Instead, the bartender created something made from bitters, vermouth, gin, maraschino liqueur and a slice of lemon to top it all off.
The miner enjoyed it so much that he spread the word and eventually everyone was ordering one of these speciality drinks. And so, “The Martinez Special” was created!
How to make a Martini
Ingredients
• 75 ml gin
• 15ml dry vermouth
• Garnish – 1 or 3 olives or a lemon twist
Method
• Fill a mixing glass ice cubes.
• Combine the vermouth and gin, adding more or less vermouth to your liking.
• Stir for 30 seconds.
• Strain the mix into a chilled cocktail glass.
• If you like, you can add a dash of bitters or orange.
• Add garnish.
2. Put on your sombrero, next stop Mexico!
Margarita
No one really knows how this delicious drink came to be, but the stories behind it are pretty colourful, to say the least. The one story goes that the owner of a restaurant in Mexico, Carlos “Danny” Herrera invented the Margarita in 1938. Apparently, a ‘picky’ dancer said she was allergic to all other spirits except tequila, but did not want to drink it straight. So, Herrera worked with what was usually taken alongside the typical shot of tequila – lime and salt – and whipped up the first ever margarita!
How to make a Margarita
Ingredients
• 45 ml tequila
• 15 ml triple sec
• 40 ml fresh lime juice
• Line the rim of the glass with salt and garnish with a lime wedge
Method
• Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes
• Shake well
• Strain the mix into the prepared glass (you can choose to have it with or without ice)
• Garnish with a lime wedge
3. Vaminos amigos – we are heading to Cuba!
Mojito
The perfect combination of citrus, sweetness and minty flavours complement the rum and make the Mojito the ideal drink for summer.
The well-known cocktail is thought to have come from Cuba, the birthplace of rum and a country so diverse in culture and colour it is bound to have you salsa dancing all the way down the bustling streets. Legend has it, that rum, in its cheapest forms, was often hard to swallow and if you were a Cuban farmer who just wanted a drink, then you used whatever you could to make it more palatable. Some mint, sugar-cane juice and lime were the solution.
How to make a Mojito
Ingredients
• 10 fresh mint leaves
• ½ lime, cut into 4 wedges
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 cup of ice
• 45 ml white rum
• ½ cup soda water
Method
• Place the mint leaves and 1 lime wedge into a glass.
• Crush the mint and lime with a muddler.
• Add 2 more wedges and the sugar, muddling again to release the lime juice
• Do not strain this mix.
• Fill the glass and top with ice.
• Pour the rum over the ice and top with soda water.
• Stir, taste and add more sugar if need be.
• Garnish with final lime wedge.
4. Last stop – Germany!
Gin and Basil Smash
Gin is originally from Holland and was initially used as a form of medication! But the Gin and Basil Smash, on the other hand, was first concocted in Germany. In 2008, a man is known as Jörg Meyer created this smashing drink and even won the “Best New Cocktail” award for it in 2008!
How to make a Gin and Basil Smash
Ingredients
• 50ml Hendrick’s Gin
• 1 bunch basil leaves
• 25ml fresh lemon juice
• 15ml sugar syrup
• 1 egg white
Method
• Place basil and lemon into a cocktail shaker.
• Gently muddle the basil and lemon “smashing” them together.
• Add the sugar syrup and then the gin and egg white.
• Shake well and then add ice.
• Shake vigorously again and double strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.
• Garnish with basil leaves.
Feeling buzzed from the travel bug?
There you have it – we mixed and made some of the most iconic cocktails from around the world and all from the comfort of your own home! If you happen to be feeling thirsty, then why not let our team of Thirsty Bartenders do the mixing and making and wow you with their expert skills at your next event? And while you’re at it, let’s make the theme around the world with a cocktail in hand? Or something along those lines. No matter what size, what drink or what theme, we can make it happen.
Stay Thirsty.