Ruby Daiquiri

Glass: Martini
Garnish: Ruby red grapefruit peel

60ml white rum
30ml fresh ruby red grapefruit juice
15ml maraschino liqueur
15ml lime juice

Shake all ingredients over ice.

This is a variation on the 'Hemingway Daiquiri' or 'Hemingway Special' as it is sometimes known. One ruby red grapefruit should make two of these, so if you are drinking with a friend it is convenient to cut the grapefruit in half and then make two straight away, eliminating any waste of the fruit.

Mai Tai

Glass: Highball or Collins
Garnish: pineapple wedge, cherry. mint leaf, speared on a toothpick and railed on the glass edge

30mls Bacardi white rum
30mls dark rum
15mls Cointreau
15mls Amaretto
15mls lime juice
15mls orange juice


Half-fill a tall glass with ice. squeeze the juice of one fresh lime (around 15mls, give or take) and run the peel around the rim of the glass. Pour in the other ingredients, and stir vigorously. garnish and serve with straws.

This is three full shots of alcohol, so it really packs a punch. For a longer drink, serve with more ice and top with some cold pineapple juice and a dash of grenadine for a 'Mai Tai Sling'.

Blood and Sand

glass: martini
garnish: nope

45mls scotch
15mls sweet Vermouth
15mls cherry heering
45mls orange juice

shake over ice and serve. Play with the proportions on this one. Everyone has slightly different tastes. Personally I like the taste of scotch so I tend to 'cheat' the drink a bit to taste the scotch in it, but the clincher is in the quantity of cherry heering- a dash too much and you have a cherry flavoured drink.

Singapore Sling

glass: collins
garnish: maraschino cherry and a pineapple piece skewered on a toothpick

45mls gin
15mls cherry heering
7mls cointreau
7mls benedictine
120ml pineapple juice
15mls lime juice
a dash of grenadine
a dash of bitters

shake thoroughly over ice for a big, frothy pink effect and strain it into an ice-filled collins. Most recipes call for more grenadine, but I suggest going very easy at first because the grenadine will very quickly overpower the rest of the drink in both colour and flavour. Note also that this is a very big drink! it won't fit into a highball glass, so unless you are happy with leftovers or making multiples, make sure you have a proper collins glass or something pretty big to serve it in, because you don't want to skimp on the ice and end up with a 'limp' sort of beverage.

Queens Park

glass: martini
garnish: orange slice

30mls gin
30mls sweet vermouth
15mls cointreau
10mls maraschino
15mls lemon juice
30mls cranberry juice

shake all ingredients over ice and strain. Elegant, sophisticated, sweet and complex. Reminds me of my wife.

Sweet September

glass: martini

30mls vodka
15mls cointreau
7mls strawberry liqueur
7mls chambord
60mls cranberry juice
juice of 1 lime

shake over ice. A sweeter cosmo for good girls gone bad.

Friar Tuck

Glass: old fashioned
garnish: lemon slice

30mls scotch whisky
30mls Drambuie
30mls Frangelico
Juice of 1 lemon

Shake all ingredients over ice. A large profile drink for big boys and girls.