Whilst we all have to stay home and save lives it doesn’t mean the fun has to stop! Whatever you’re celebrating, whether it’s a birthday or just that you stopped yourself from getting that tenth snack of the night from the cupboard, you’ve got to party in style!

Now, I do like a little tipple every now and then, but there’s something special about a cocktail. Maybe it’s that they look sophisticated and fancy, or the combination of flavours in one drink or maybe it’s the intricacy of making them? All I know is that they’re the perfect party pleaser.

I’ve put together three English favourites and their virgin alternatives for you to have a knees-up in lockdown.

The Bramble

Bramble Cocktail

As you may know, I’m rather partial to a gin, so my first cocktail has got to have gin as the base ingredient. This cocktail was created in the 1980s by Dick Bradsell, a bartender in Soho’s Fred’s Club. Ideal as a fresh spring cocktail it brings together gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and crème de mûre (or you can use crème de cassis) with crushed ice.

How to make a Bramble

Ingredients: Serves 1

  • 50ml Gin (I use a Dry Gin)
  • 25ml Lemon Juice
  • 15ml Sugar Syrup
  • 15ml Crème de Mûre (or you can use Crème de Cassis)
  • Ice Cubes
  • Crushed Ice
  • Slice of Lemon and a Blackberry to garnish.

Method:

  1. Put a handful of ice cubes with the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into a cocktail shaker and shake well. Remember, it’s more fun if you imagine you’re in a bar impressing the crowd!
  2. Strain into a tumbler, or if you know your glasses a rocks glass, full of crushed ice.
  3. Drizzle the crème de mûre or créme de cassis over the top so it sinks into the drink.
  4. Garnish with the lemon slice and a blackberry.

How to make a Virgin Bramble

Keeping blackberries as the base for this mocktail, it combines lemon juice and apple juice to create a fabulous flavour for you to enjoy. The recipe serves 1 but I find it easier to multiply the ingredients for how many you think you require and then blend them all at once and pop the remainder in a jug in the fridge.

Ingredients: Serves 1

  • 30g Blackberries
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 40ml Apple Juice
  • Ice Cubes
  • Cold water to top up.
  • Slice of Lemon and a Blackberry to garnish

Method:

  1. Blend together the blackberries and lemon juice until they are as smooth as you can get them.
  2. Add the apple juice and pour into a highball glass with some ice cubes
  3. Top up with cold water.

Top tip: Slide the fruit on to a cocktail stick and lay across your glass if you want to be a bit fancy!

Tom Collins

Tom Collins Cocktail

The popular Tom Collins was originally named the John Collins in the 1860s by the originator, a head waiter at a restaurant in Mayfair. There are a few stories as to why it changed its name from John Collins to Tom Collins but one reason which makes sense is that it used ‘Old Tom Gin’ in the recipe. However, if you are partial to a Bourbon, you can substitute the Gin for a Bourbon Whiskey for a taste that is just as good.

How to make a Tom Collins

Ingredients: Serves 1

  • 50ml Dry Gin or Bourbon Whiskey
  • 25ml Lemon Juice
  • 25ml Sugar Syrup
  • 125ml Soda Water
  • Ice Cubes
  • Slice of Lemon and a Cherry (ideally a Maraschino) to garnish.

Method:

  1. Mix together the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup with some ice in a Collins glass (You can use a highball instead, a Collins glass is a narrower and taller version)
  2. Top up the glass with some soda water
  3. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a cherry. Typically this is threaded on to a cocktail stick and placed over the top of the glass. A Maraschino cherry goes really well with the flavours.

How to make a Virgin Tom Collins

This recipe uses Cucumber as its base to form a really fresh drink. I’ve calculated this for 3 servings to make the quantities a bit easier. Plus, you’ll be wanting more than one of these delicious mocktails!

Ingredients: Serves 3

  • 1 peeled cucumber (remember to cut enough off for your garnish)
  • 90ml lemon juice or the juice of 2 Lemons
  • 325ml soda water
  • Ice cubes
  • Slice of lemon and a slice of cucumber

Method:

  1. Purée the Cucumber until smooth in a food processor, if you have a Nutribullet this is perfect for making mocktails.
  2. Pour the cucumber purée into a cocktail shaker with the lemon juice and some ice and shake.
  3. Pour the mixture into a Highball or Collins glass and top with soda water.
  4. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a slice of cucumber. Try threading both slices on to a cocktail stick for the ultimate in presentation.

Porn Star Martini

Porn Star Martini Cocktail

This cocktail is reported to be the most popular cocktail in the UK. Invented by Douglas Ankrah in London, the drink got its name because of its pure indulgent, sexy, fun and evocative nature. Made with vanilla flavoured Vodka and Passion Fruit it’s not a true Martini, but as with many cocktails served in a Martini glass, they take on the Martini name. The shot of Prosecco that accompanies this drink should be poured over the Passion Fruit into the glass to release the flavours, however, most are tempted to down the shot before or after their drink – so, you decide!

How to make a Porn Star Martini

Ingredients: Serves 2

  • 2 ripe Passion Fruits
  • 60ml Vanilla Vodka
  • 30ml Passoã
  • 1 tbsp Sugar Syrup
  • 1 tbsp Lime Juice
  • Ice Cubes
  • Shot of prosecco

Method:

  1. Cut one passion fruit in half and put aside, scoop out the seeds from the other.
  2. Place the seeds, vodka, Passoã, sugar syrup, lime juice and a handful of ice cubes into a cocktail shaker and shake well.
  3. Strain the mixture in to two Martini glasses.
  4. Serve with a half of passion fruit in each glass and a shot of prosecco on the side.

How to make a Virgin Porn Star Martini

I love this mocktail and it’s zingy flavour combination, it’s the nearest to the real thing. I even serve it with a shot of Shloer for the full experience!

Ingredients: Serves 2

  • 2 ripe Passion Fruits
  • 75ml Passion Fruit Juice (Rubicon is perfect)
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla Syrup (Monin is my favourite)
  • 1 tbsp Lime Juice
  • Soda Water
  • Ice Cubes
  • Shot of White Grape Shloer

Method:

  1. Cut one passion fruit in half and put aside, scoop out the seeds from the other.
  2. Place the seeds, passion fruit juice, vanilla syrup, lime juice and a handful of ice cubes into a cocktail shaker and shake well.
  3. Strain the mixture in to two martini glasses.
  4. Serve with a half of passion fruit in each glass and a shot of Shloer on the side.

Top tip: You can tell that a passion fruit is ripe if it has a wrinkly appearance.

And, there you have it! 3 cocktails and mocktails you can enjoy in lockdown (or any other time for that matter!) Enjoy making them and let me know which is your favourite.