In planning a list of cocktails for a party, the key is not to overextend yourself. Keep the list short, make it work with the food, and make sure the ingredients are not too complex.
Here’s a recipe list I developed that I call “Strong-Sweet-Soda.” It’s 6 recipes, 2 in each category. That’s a pretty long list, but the “soda” section I know without referring to the recipes, so it’s only 4 that I’ll have to refer to.
The Strong Drinks:
Manhattan
2 1/2 oz bourbon
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes bitters
cherry garnish
Lemon Drop
2 oz vodka
1 oz lemon juice
2 tsp simple syrup
sugar rim, lemon wedge garnish
The Sweet Drinks:
Melon Ball
2 oz melon liqueur
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
on the rocks, lemon wheel or cherry garnish
White Russian
2 oz vodka
1 oz coffee liqueur
1/2 oz cream
on the rocks, cherry garnish
Note: I prefer Starbucks or Patron liqueur to Kahlua, they’re not as sugary.
The Soda Drinks:
Gin and Tonic
1 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz lime juice
top with natural tonic water
on the rocks, lime wedge garnish
Note: I get the natural tonic water at Whole Foods. No HFCS!
Cube Libre
1 1/2 oz rum
1/2 oz lime juice
top with Mexican Coke or Pepsi Throwback (no HFCS)
on the rocks, lime wedge garnish
So, the simple list of ingredients I’ll need: lemons, limes, simple syrup (which I’ll make that day from raw sugar), tonic water, Mexican Coke, and cream. Of course the 5 base spirits should be in your cabinet already: vodka, rum, gin, bourbon, and tequila. The only unusual one in this list is the melon liqueur, which you could always substitute Amaretto for. Good luck!
