Classic cocktails

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Champagne cocktail

Have you ever wondered what all those women were ordering in movies made during the 1950s? Well, here is a classic.

6oz/parts champagne

1 cube of sugar

Angostura bitters

Soak a sugar cube with Angostura bitters. Place the cube in the bottom of a chilled Champagne flute. Fill the glass with Champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.

Red wine cooler

Are you looking for a wine cooler that's refreshingly different? Try this fresh take on an old stand by.

4oz/parts red wine

2oz/parts white grape juice

1oz/part lemonade

1oz/part soda water

Pour the wine, lemonade, white grape juice and soda water into a highball glass almost filled with ice cubes. Stir well. Garnish with a twist of lemon and a slice of orange and serve.

Watermelon martini

Looking for something colourfully refreshing? Cool watermelon in a martini, you can't get better than that.

Some watermelon

50ml vodka (large shot)

Sugar syrup

Ice

In a shaker muddle a couple of matchbox sized chunks of watermelon, then add vodka, 2 dashes of sugar syrup and a handful of ice. Shake hard, and strain into a martini glass, garnishing with a wedge of watermelon.

The mojito

The coolest drink from Cuba - in more ways than one.

6oz/parts light rum

12 mint sprigs/spearmint, 8 roughly broken apart

6 tablespoons of fresh lime juice and 4 slices of lime

4 tablespoons of sugar

Club soda

Place ice in a shaker and add rum, 8 broken up mint sprigs, lime juice and sugar. Shake well and serve over ice in a highball glass. Top off with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a slice of lime and a sprig of mint.

Refreshing spritzer

A classic wine drink that adds a little fizziness and life to your favourite white wine.

Dry white wine

*Aperitif of your choice (sweet vermouth, dry martini, sherry)

Soda water

Fruit (lemon, lime)

Use a tulip shaped glass. Fill to 1/3 mark with dry white wine then the aperitif of your choice till the glass is 2/3 full. Then fill to near the top with soda water, add a slice of fruit and an ice cube. *the aperitif you select determines the flavour and the type of fruit you use.

Pina colada

And while the music's playing, an old favourite, especially with the girls.

2 ounces pineapple juice

2 ounces coconut cream

1 ounce dark rum

Pineapple slices

Put ice, frozen pineapple juice, coconut cream, and the dark rum into a blender. Blend until smooth and frosty. Pour the drink into 2 glasses and garnish the rim with pineapple slices.