Margaritas, Martinis & Negronis

Almost the 3 M's!

There are many cocktails out there, with many different names, some more famous and tastier than others. Most of it comes down to personal preference, but in my opinion, these three are amazing and most definitely my favourite:

• Margarita

• Gin Martini

• Negroni (Old fashioned and Aperol Spritz were close contenders)

Up until about a year ago, I used to have a Margarita season (the colder months) and a Martini season (hot summer days). They now blend into one.

I have made my own cocktails at home for years, but even more so now, now that we are in 'lockdown' and can’t just go to a bar or the local pub. So, here is a little guide on my favourite 3 and how you can make them at home – they aren’t as hard as you think.

Before you get started, I advise for the glassware to be in the freezer in preparation.

Margarita

This is by far my favourite, although it does not get made as much at home as a gin martini mind. When I was younger, I hated tequila! (Remember those days when you were in a club and your mates offered you shots of tequila – yuk!). However, through my love for Margaritas, I now love tequila, decent tequila, and decent tequila is what you should be using in your Margaritas.

The ingredients you will need are:

• 2 parts Tequila

• 1 part Cointreau

• 1 part Lime Juice

(I have written this in ‘parts’ so those without measures can use something like an egg cup instead).

Method:

• Take your glass out of the freezer

• Take some of the lime juice and place on the rim of the glass, dunk the glass in salt to create a salt rim

• Place the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice (lots of ice will avoid diluting it too much and chilling it to perfection)

• Shake

• Strain into your glass

• Garnish with a slice of lime

There are many twists you can add to a margarita such as adding chilli to the salt rim or you could also use a Mezcal instead to give it a smoky finish. I can recommend ‘Montelobos Joven Mezcal’.

For Tequila’s I can recommend ‘Don Julio Blanco’ or for something at a better price point the ‘Altos Tequila’.

Gin Martini

I've been a lover of gin for years, and

there are many ways to drink it, however, you just can't beat a good Gin Martini. You can get so many different flavours from Martinis, depending on the Gin and vermouth you use.

The ingredients you will need are:

• 50ml Gin

• 15ml Vermouth

• Twist of Lime/Lemon/Grapefruit or Olive (personal preference)

Method:

• Fill the cocktail shaker with ice and add the Vermouth, stir so that the ice is covered in the Vermouth

• Pour off the Vermouth

• Add the gin into the shaker, and stir well

• Get the glass from the freezer and strain

• Garnish with a twist of preferred citrus fruit or olive

For a good simple gin martini, I can recommend 'Hayman's Rare Cut'. If you want something a little different, 'Cotswolds Gin' or 'Bobby's Gin' make fab alternatives.

The Negroni

The Perfect Negroni is an easy one to remember due to it being equal parts of everything. I used to drink them with Aperol in the past when I haven't had Campari in, this also creates a not so bitter Negroni.

The ingredients you will need are:

• 1 part Gin

• 1 part Sweet Vermouth

• 1 part Campari

Method:

• Add the ingredients together in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice

• Give it a good stir

• Take the glass from the freezer and strain the mix into the glass over ice

• Garnish with an orange twist

There are many tweaks you can make to a Negroni such as adding a little Mezcal to give it a smoky finish or adding in some Ancho Chili Liqueur to add a bit of heat.

So, there you have it, recipes to 3, simple to make at home cocktails, just in time for the bank holiday weekend. (What else is there to do?!). Or, if you have the ingredients in, why not a Sunday afternoon tipple today.

In regards to getting the ingredients, Amazon is a good choice with next day delivery and sometimes there are some good offers on. Also, Master of Malt, last week they had a 'Negroni Bundle' which saved you £20 and contained a Gin, Vermouth and Campari. Master of Malt also provides good discounts on selected spirits.

Up Selling

Cocktails and Aperitifs are a great way to up sell in pubs and restaurants. Why not place a couple of simple, quick to make, short, aperitifs on the top of your food menus & on a blackboard in the bar, so when guests sit at their table you can recommend they order one of these as their first drinks. Ensure, they are quick and easy to produce as you don't want to keep your guests waiting a long time for them. By a table of 4 all ordering an aperitif instead of a beer, you could create around an extra £20 per table. Just make sure they are priced correctly, as they should be good GP makers.

How we can help!

If you need help with GPs, stock-takes, organising paperwork, reporting, analysing reports, EPOS programming, creating drinks lists and wine lists, please get in touch, we will be more than happy to help.