There's nothing worse than buying all the ingredients for a cocktail night with friends and coming to realize once it's too late that you're missing an item.
Maybe it’s the mint garnish that wasn't available at the supermarket, maybe it’s the soda water you got that was meant to be tonic. Either way with cocktails getting more and more intricate as the mixology scene grows and expands it’s becoming more and more likely something is going to pop up on your next cocktail night with friends.
That’s why we're taking it back to basics and giving you a couple of classic cocktails that use no more than 3 ingredients. All of which use common household ingredients and are available in Kate Calders new book 3 Ingredient Cocktails.
The Lemon Drop
Have you ever heard of a Lemon Drop? Named after the candy of the same name and invented in the 70's, this citrus vodka based cocktail is a simple and easy to make cocktail. ‘It is often found these days as a shot in uni bars around the world,’ but as Kate Calder puts it ‘I would argue that using fresh lemon juice and sipping it from a long, stemmed glass gives this cocktail the elegance it deserves.’
Ingredients
60ml vodka30ml simple sugar syrup
Method
Fill your cocktail shaker with ice and then add all of the ingredients. Secure the lid and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Garnish your coupe glass with a sugar rim. Strain your cocktail and serve.
The Gimlet
If Vodka is not your thing then we’ve still got you covered, why not try a Gimlet? Originally crafted in 1928 with lime being used to mask the bitter taste of Gin back then, Kate Calder describes this cocktail as 'key lime pie in a glass'.
Ingredients
60ml ginMethod
Fill a shaker with ice and pour in all ingredients. Secure the lid and shake vigorously for 20 seconds, then strain into your coupe glass, garnish with a sugar dipped slice of lime and serve.
The Slow Mover
Feeling like gin but wanting something a little extra? How about a Slow Mover. One I had never heard of before but the combination of sloe gin and tequila is now something I have learnt truly complement one another.
Ingredients
30ml sloe gin
30ml tequila
75ml soda water (enough to top up glass)
Method
Fill your tumblr glass with ice and pour in the tequila and sloe gin. Top with soda, garnish with cucumber peel and/or an orange peel. Serve.
The Turkish Delight
Feeling like bubbles and something a little bit extra celebratory. One of my favourite cocktails in the whole world is the Turkish Delight and it happens to also be one of the easiest.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1 teaspoon rose water
Sparkling to top of glass
Method
Firstly, put the sugar in your flute or coupe glass. Add a little sparkling and stir for 20 seconds or until sugar is dissolved. Pour more sparkling into glass until 3 quarters full, then add the rosewater, garnish with a rose petal or a slice of Turkish delight and serve.
Cocktails originally had no more than 3 ingredients, however as time goes on we can’t help but make things harder for ourselves. But as the old saying goes ‘if it ain’t broke don't fix it’ which is exactly what these cocktails and Kate Calders book 3 Ingredient Cocktails is able to show us.
