Back in my day (pre-2020), at home drinks would merely serve as a slightly financially savvy precursor to drinking at a bar. However, times have changed and we can no longer rely on the deft fingers and quick minds of bartenders to guide us through our imbibing journeys. With 2020 marking the rise of the at-home cocktail maestro, we decided to turn to a professional to help us level up our bartending game.
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So, we enlisted the help of bartender and Never Never Brand Director, Sean Baxter, to help us perfect our at-home cocktails. Plus, Sean shares four new cocktails for you to try at home.
3 Expert Tips For Making Cocktails At Home
1. Measure
“I mean it sounds simple, but making cocktails is heaps easier if you just follow the instructions,” Baxter tells Albert Review. “Having something to measure the alcohol will stop those unfortunate instances where you ‘accidentally’ make a Tom Collins that is 12 standard drinks. You don’t need anything fancy, most standard egg cups hold about an ounce of liquid so you can always use one of those if you didn’t have anything else on hand.”
2. Cocktail Shaker
“This is mainly for those of you who prefer daiquiris over Negronis (shaken cocktails vs stirred cocktails). A shaker allows you to not only chill a drink quickly but also adds dilution and, in many instances, emulsifies ingredients to add texture,” says Baxter.
However, this doesn’t necessarily require a shopping trip, with Baxter telling us that even “a jar with a lid will do the trick. So will that plastic protein shaker you bought in the second week of ‘new year new me’ before you thought better of the situation and went back to Monday night Margaritas.”
3. Ice
“Nothing is sadder than a cocktail with a few only ice cubes floating on the top. Your standard freezer ice trays are simply not equipped to handle the volume of ice you need for a few rounds of cocktails. Adding to this the fact some ice has been left in the freezer for several weeks after your last cocktail party and everything tastes like panic-bought lasagne. Invest in a few silicone trays that make large ice cubes, or better yet, freeze a few takeaway containers full of water and cut your ice to measure. All you need is a sharp knife, a rolling pin and a tea towel. You just place the knife on top of the block of ice and give it a few quick taps to cut your ice to size. Just make sure you let the ice rest for 10 minutes out of the freezer to ensure nice clean cuts.”
Creative cocktails to make at home
Now that you’ve got the basics covered, it’s time to get creative. Here are Sean Baxter’s top gin cocktail recipes.
The Southside
The Southside cocktail is a touch more sophisticated than its rum drenched cousin, the Mojito. The basics are the same, with gin, lime juice, mint and sugar combining to create a truly delicious way to refresh the head after a stressful 2020. You can serve it up in a martini glass for the classic version or build it in a highball and top with soda water to create a fizz, especially if you don’t have access to a shaker.
Ingredients
60ml Never Never Triple Juniper Gin
30ml fresh lime juice
15ml sugar syrup
8 mint leaves
Extra mint leaf, for garnish
Directions
Add all ingredients into a cocktail tin, add ice and shake furiously. Fine strain using a sieve into a chilled cocktail glass (to strain out any ice and mint floaties) and garnish with a mint leaf. For a fizz variation, add the mint to the bottom of a highball, gently press with a bar spoon and build the drink using crushed ice. Top with soda water.
Gin & Tonic
Ok, so we know it’s technically a very basic cocktail, but there are so many amazing flavour combinations knocking about these days you can literally explore any angle you like. We’ve fallen in love with Fever Tree Aromatic tonic water with our signature Triple Juniper Gin. Despite its pink hues, it’s spicy rather than overly sweet and when paired with a dry gin and appropriate garnish it works incredibly well. The tonic is actually flavoured with Angostura bark which gives it a delightful colour (think the pink hue in a lemon, lime and bitters).
Try it garnished with strawberries and basil served in a highball. Remember, the ratio is everything; one part gin to three parts mixer is always a sure-fire winner.
Ingredients
30ml Triple Juniper Gin
100ml Fever Tree Aromatic tonic water
Fresh basil
Fresh strawberry
Directions
Add gin and tonic to a highball glass, add ice and add garnish. Serve immediately.
Gin & Rose Spritz
Look, most people think that the only spritz people can drink needs to contain a heap of Italian liqueur and cheap prosecco (which is still bloody delicious) however there are so many more options to choose from. Why not ditch the sparkling wine and go for a local vermouth instead? We love Regal Rogue’s Wild Rose organic vermouth, paired with our Triple Juniper Gin, pink grapefruit juice, and a splash of fizzy soda water. It’s a very simple and easy way to drink some classic summer vibes (just make sure you don’t cheap out on your vermouth and gin options).
Ingredients
20ml Triple Juniper Gin
45ml Regal Rogue Wild Rose vermouth
60ml fresh pink grapefruit juice
15ml sugar syrup
45ml soda water
Grapefruit slice, to garnish
Directions
Add all ingredients to a stemless wine glass, stir briefly, add crushed ice and stir again. Add garnish and serve.
Pink Lady
A sour is easily one of the best cocktails you can impress your friends with, and a gin sour is no exception. This cocktail is a twist on a White Lady cocktail (a classic from yesteryear) and is always a winner. There’s a little more prep, but the results are incredible. The secret is the fluffy foam that makes drinking one so sensational. Now you can use egg white if you like, however at Never Never we also like to use aquafaba (it’s the stuff that surrounds tinned chickpeas – finally a reason to crack open those cans you panic bought back in March). It’s tasteless and creates the same effect in the cocktail, without having to waste any egg yolks and being more inclusive of people’s dietary concerns. You have to like hummus though because this drink is so delicious, you’re going to go through tins of the stuff.
Ingredients
45ml Triple Juniper Gin
15ml Triple Sec
20ml fresh lemon juice
15ml pomegranate syrup/real grenadine
Egg white or 30ml aquafaba
Directions
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker (or jar, or bucket or whatever small container you have with a lid) without ice and shake. This is so the aquafaba or egg whites get a chance to emulsify before you add the ice. Now add ice and shake hard for a good 30 to 45 seconds. Strain into a fancy glass. Like drinking a pink pillow of pomegranate deliciousness.
Never Never Gin is available for purchase on the Never Never Distilling Co. webstore here.
In collaboration with Never Never Distilling Co.
