What is the formula for making a Great Gin Cocktail

There is nothing like a Cocktail made by a master mixologist, but you can make your own and enjoy the whole process just as much.

The general rule or formula for making a cocktail is to mix two parts base spirit with one part sweet and one part sour (50ml,25ml,25ml). Mix by shaking with ice, with your chosen Garnishes, and strained into a glass with ice, adding addition Garnish and sometimes adding a bit of fizz.

As a starting point you can have a go at your own using ingredients from the categories below to build your own Signature Cocktail.

Spirits:  There is a massive range of spirits that you could use but those used more than most are Brandy, Gin, Rum, Tequila, Vodka, or Whisky. I obliviously prefer to use one of my gins, either Explorers Grand Slam Gin, Peak Baggers Gin or Rowers Gin. Each are distilled using unique botanicals connected to their back story

Sweet: The sweet in cocktails usually comes from a syrup made by boiling sugar with water and cooling. The flavour can be increased by infusing the syrup with herbs or spices, fruits, honey and vegetables.  The most popular syrups used in cocktails are Coconut, Grenadine (Pomegranate), Honey, Raspberry, Strawberry and Vanila.

Sour: The sour added to a cocktail comes from the critic acids found in Lemons, Lime and Grapefruit, all readily available.

Garnishes:  here are so many to choose from including Basil, Cucumber, Ginger, Lemon, Lime, Nut oil, Mint, Peppercorns, Rosemary, Strawberries. The list goes on and on, and many flavours can be found in fizzy waters and tonics.

Once you have created your Signature Cocktail you can have a bit of fun naming it. When it comes to Cocktail the names The Cosmopolitan, Gin Martini, Harvey Wallbanger, Margarita, Manhattan, Old Fashioned and Pina Colada have become iconic.

I love a good Gin and Tonic but even better are Gin Cocktails and one of my favourites, for its simplicity of flavour and punch, is a Bees Knees using our Rowers Gin, distilled using botanicals found on our Riverbanks, Coast and Sea. This must be in any top 10 most popular gin cocktails.

Just mix 50ml Rowers Gin, 25ml Lemon Juice and 25ml Honey Syrup (made of 50% honey 50% hot water till dissolved, then cooled). Mix, shake well, pour in a glass with plenty of cubed ice and garnish with lemon. No tonic is needed for this amazing cocktail which packs a punch.

You can use your own honey or those found on the shelves of your local store or farm shop which may give it a more unique taste.

I also love Cucumber with Gin and a great Cocktail using this amazing garnish is a Ten on the Legs, also known as a Strawberry and Cucumber Bramble, made using our Peak Baggers Gin, distilled using botanicals from the tops of British Peaks and Mountains including Bear Berry, Blue Berry, Mountain Ash and Heather.

Just mix 50ml Peak Baggers Gin, 25ml Lemon Juice, 25ml Sugar Syrup, 12.5ml Creme de Mure (Blackberry Liqueur), three strawberries and a few slices of Cucumber

Build in a Cocktail Shaker, add the Gin, Lemon Juice, Sugar Syrup and two cut Strawberries and two slices of Cucumber and shake. This muddling helps extract the favours from the Strawberries and Cucumber.

Then strain into a glass full of cubed ice and drizzle Crème de Mure over the top, adding a sliced Strawberry and little Cucumber to garnish.

This is a great summer cocktail; it looks great and tastes great.

You can find our range of spirits at www.adventurersdrinks.co.uk