10 Drinks Every Man Should Be Able To Mix

As the party invites start to come flooding through the door, you may have your midnight blue tuxedo and dress shoes ready, but can you mix a drink? Here are my pick of 10 drinks that every man should be able to mix. Follow this trusty guide and you will be impressing and entertaining all night long.

Margarita

Served in a martini glass, you will need salt to rim, 1 ¾ fl oz tequila, 1 fl oz Cointreau, 1 fl oz lime juice, ice cubes and a lime wedge.

Rim the glass with salt; shake all remaining ingredients hard with ice, strain into glass and garnish with lime wedge.

Old Fashioned

Best served in highball glass. You will need 1 tsp sugar syrup, 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, 2 fl oz bourbon whiskey, orange zest & ice cubes.

Place the sugar syrup & bitters in a glass, add an ice cube & stir. Add some of the bourbon and stir, adding another ice cube. Keep adding ace and bourbon, stirring until all the bourbon has been added. Squeeze the oil from the orange zest, twist over the drink, drop in the zest and stir some more.

Bellini

Served in a champagne glass, you will need 2 ripe peaches (peeled and halved with stones removed) and chilled champagne.

Puree the peaches in a blender. Spoon half into a chilled champagne glass and slowly top with champagne, stirring as you pour until you have one third peace puree to two thirds champagne.

Whiskey Sour

Serve in a cocktail glass. Ingredients as follows – 1 ½ oz whiskey, 1 ½ oz lemon juice, ¾ oz sugar syrup and a cherry.

Pour the whiskey, lemon juice and sugar syrup into a cocktail and shake well. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with the cherry.

Mojito

Serve in a highball glass. Ingredients – fresh mint leaves, 1 tsp sugar syrup, 2 fl oz white rum, 4 tsp lime juice, crushed ice, soda water.

Muddle mint leave and sugar syrup in a glass. Add the rum & lime juice and fill with crushed ice. Stir and top with soda water and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Bloody Mary

Again, serve in a highball glass. You will need salt & pepper to rim, 1 ¾ fl oz vodka, 2 ½ tsp lemon juice, 7 fl oz tomato juice, 4 dashes of Tabasco, 8 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp horseradish, salt, ice cubes, celery stalk and lemon.

Rim the glass edge with salt & pepper. Place the ingredients into a shaker, tumble gently and pour into glass with ice. Garnish with stalk of celery and slice of lemon.

Martini

To be served in a martini glass. Ingredients – 2 fl oz gin, 3 tsp dry vermouth, ice cubes.

Stir the ingredients together in a mixing glass and strain into martini glass.

Tom Collins

Serve in a highball glass. You will need 2 fl oz gin, 1 fl oz lemon juice, 4 tsp sugar syrup, sparkling water, ice cubes and slice of lemon.

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into glass over ice. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a lemon slice.

Brandy Alexander

This drink looks best in a martini glass. Ingredients – 1 fl oz cognac, 1 fl oz brown crème de cacao, 1 fl oz heavy cream, freshly grated nutmeg and ice cubes.

Shake all the ingredients with ice and strain into glass. Garnish with sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg.

Manhattan

To be served in a martini glass. You will need 1 ½ fl oz whiskey, 1 ½ fl oz vermouth, dash of sugar syrup and dash of orange bitters, squeeze of lemon peel.

Stir all ingredients and strain into glass. Squeeze a piece of lemon peel on top.