The Perfect Cocktail – How to serve the perfect drink

Why serve the perfect drink?

The best drink to start the conversation with at any event is the one that says, “Welcome!”

Serving the perfect drink at your event generally depends on your crowd, the theme, and tone that you wish to set for your event. Are you looking for class and elegance? Style and sophistication? Are you hosting a gathering of friends or family where you will enjoy a warm, hearty meal with light conversation? Or are you hosting a public event where you engage with your audience in a high networking session?

There’s nothing, besides the food and decorations that will keep your guests talking about your events for the upcoming weeks as one of the best, than the drinks that you serve. It is festive time. Rest assured there will be tons of events, dinner parties, get together and network sessions. How about you host one that sets the standard as a reflection of your true self and identity? And we can start that, by your knowledge of a few drinks, more especially, how to make them.

We could most definitely stick to the old traditions of drinking whiskey or brandy clean or on the rocks. Rum with Coca-Cola and ice. Or our spirits such as vodka mixed with lime or cranberry. Our gin mixed with Tonic water or orange juice. Or our tequila clean with some salt and lemon slice on the side or mixed with ginger beer and lime. But that is just bleeh and no fun now, is it?

Here are some ingredients to make sure that your drinks are one of the highlights of your event.

Sex on the Beach

If you like fruity, easy-to-drink cocktails, Sex on the Beach should be your go-to. Originating in 1987 at Confetti’s Bar in Florida, peach schnapps had just come on the market, and a particular distributor wanted a successful launch. Thus they came up with a contest; the bar to sell the most peach schnapps would receive a bonus! Ted Pizio, who was a Florida bartender in the 1980’s, came up with this concoction as a way to promote peach schnapps and named it after “sex” and “the beach” which he considered to be the two main attractions of Spring Break in the city. This innovative idea is reminiscent of Chapter 7 of The Roadtrip: A Self-guide to Success. Where Detours to original plans lead to innovative interventions that are remarkable breakthroughs on your journey to success.

Combine vodka with peach schnapps and cranberry juice to make a classic sex on the beach cocktail. Garnish with cocktail cherries and orange slices. This is one of those delicious cocktails that you would wish to enjoy on a sunny day. It’s popular not only because of its name but how magnificent it is when mixed with perfect quality ingredients.

Ingredients

Ice

25ml peach schnapps

50ml vodka

50ml cranberry juice

Glacé cherries, to garnish (optional)

2 oranges, juiced, plus 2 slices to garnish

Tip: use proportional ration for best quantity sized measurements.

Method

STEP 1:

Fill two tall glasses with ice cubes.

Pour the vodka, peach schnapps and fruit juices into a large jug and stir.

STEP 2:

Divide the mixture between the two glasses and stir gently to combine.

Garnish with the cocktail cherries and orange slices, sip and enjoy as they sink to the bottom.

Mojito

Mojito cocktails are one of the best easy to make drinks, ever. The refreshing lime flavor, mixed with rum, pairs perfectly with fresh mint. A real treat to your tastebuds.The drink originates from Havana, Cuba. At the time, Cuban rum was not what it is today. It was not smooth and was hard to enjoy on its own. Thus, the Mojito was created! As South Africans, nowadays we enjoy Rum with Coca-Cola. Nothing wrong with our tradition, but we can always mix it up with a some variety we can enjoy.

Mix this classic cocktail for a party using fresh mint, white rum, sugar, zesty lime and cooling soda water. Play with the quantities to suit your taste.

Ingredients

1 lime juice

Mint leaves, plus extra sprig to serve

1 teaspoon of granulated sugar

60ml white rum

Soda water or Sprite (if no juice of lime) to taste

Method

Step 1:

Mix the lime juice (if available), sugar and mint leaves in a small jug, crushing the mint as you go – you can use the end of a rolling pin for this.

Pour into a tall glass and add a handful of ice.

Step 2:

Pour over the rum, stirring with a long-handled spoon.

Top up with soda water or Sprite (if no juice of lime), garnish with mint and fresh lime slices and serve.

White russian

A drink with a strong kick! Making a White Russian is simple but ritualistic. Some people prefer to mix the alcohol together and float the cream on top. We prefer the milk-shake-like effect of the shaken version and the Kahlúa liqueur adds a coffee-infused finish The drink was invented in 1949 when Gustave Tops, a Belgian barman, created the cocktail, along with its sister cocktail, the Black Russian – a White Russian without any cream – at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels in honor of Perle Mesta. Please, USE GOOD QUALITY VODKA to serve the perfect drink!

Ingredients

Kahlúa Coffee Liqueur

Vodka

Fresh cream

Method

Step 1:

Mix together all the ingredients. Put some ice cubes in a small tumbler and pour the cocktail over the top.

Any milk or cream will do, but only cream will float cleanly on top (if pretty layers matter to you). Also, there’s no comparison to heavy cream when it comes to rich, luscious texture. This drink can be enjoyed stirred or with the cream floating on top. It is all a matter of preference and presentation.

Tip: You may find the 60ml of vodka too strong for your taste buds. Our advice is to adjust the quantity of each ingredient for the perfect blend. Also, Sip slow.

Watermelon gin spritzer

This drink may need a bit more effort than the others but that is okay. Look at it. It looks gorgeous. And surprisingly, not as sweet as you may think. In fact, it is the most perfect and easy drink to de-stress with on a Friday night either all by yourself, with your friends or significant other. Also, during social events where you can enjoy networking and having light conversations. With its impeccable presentation, you’re sure to impress any crowd, and accept all the praise as you serve the perfect drink.

Ingredients

2 large limes

Gin/vodka

100g watermelon

Mint leaves

Tonic water

Strawberries to garnish

The complexity of this drink varies in two methods.

Method 1

Cut the limes into 16 pieces.

Squeeze 2 pieces of lime into each usable glass, then drop in the squeezed flesh.

Chop the watermelon and divide among the glasses and throw in some ice cubes with the mint leaves.

Pour gin over each and top up with chilled tonic water.

Method 2

De-seed and dice up the water melon and place into the blender.

Squeeze the 2 limes and place the juice in the blender with the watermelon and rinsed mint leaves.

Whizz until it’s all juiced up.

Strain the juice through a sieve – if you do not mind the bits in your juice then you can skip this step.

Fill a glass with ice, poor a 45ml shot of gin or a 60ml shot into the glass.

Fill the glass ¾ of the way with the juice and top with soda water.

Swirl, sit back relax and enjoy.

^{Spiced Paloma}

The history of this drink is controversial and just downright confusing. Why? Many different versions of it exist as many wish to pay homage of both its place of origin, year and name of the inventor because it is such a great drink. So, for all intensive purposes let us agree that it is from Mexico and that we are greatful fot the fact that whoever invented it whenever it was invented, did the world a great deal of justice.

Ingredients

Ice

1 fresh lime juice

½ teaspoon light agave nectar or 1 teaspoon simple syrup

60ml of silver or blanco tequila

60ml of fresh grapefruit juice/ cordial

Sprite or Soda Water

Salt

jalapeños either juice or thin sliced

Sliced citrus orange for garnish

Method 1:

In a shaker filled with ice, combine tequila, grapefruit juice/cordial, and jalapeño juice.

Strain into a glass and top with soda.

Method 2:

First, prepare your cocktail glass: Pour the sea salt onto a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and roll the edge of the glass onto the salt. Fill the prepared glass with ice.

In a cocktail shaker or mason jar, muddle together the lime juice, agave nectar and one small slice of jalapeño. Fill the shaker with ice, then pour in the grapefruit juice and tequila.

Put the lid on your shaker/jar and shake until the mixture is thoroughly chilled. Pour the blend into your prepared glass. Top off the cocktail with club soda. Garnish with a small wedge of sliced citrus orange and serve as the perfect the perfect drink.

Mudslide

This one is especially for the chocolate lovers. This easy to make drink is perfect as a dessert drink after a great meal and will keep the guests talking about it for weeks. And that’s how you serve the perfect drink.

The Frozen Mudslide got its start in the 1950s at The Wreck Bar and Grill on the north coast of Grand Cayman Island, where the bar still stands. It was a bartender known as Old Judd who is credited with creating the mudslide, and it is still the island’s signature drink all because the bartender didn’t have fresh cream on hand.

Ingredients

50g dark chocolate

60ml coffee-flavoured liqueur

Ice

60ml vodka/gin/blanco tequila/white rum

100ml double cream

60ml Irish cream liqueur or Kahlúa Coffee Liqueur

Method

Step 1:

Put two small tumblers in the fridge to chill overnight. Put half of the chocolate in a shallow bowl and melt in the microwave. Dip the rim of the chilled glasses in the melted chocolate, then stand them upright so it gradually drips down the sides. Return to the fridge until you’re ready to serve. 

Step 2:

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then pour in the coffee-flavoured liqueur, spirit, Irish cream liqueur and double cream. Shake until the outside of the shaker is very cold. 

Step 3:

Put a few ice cubes in the prepared glasses, then strain in the cocktail. Finely grate over the remaining chocolate and serve.

French Connection cocktail

The French Connection was invented in the 1970’s, named after the 1971 movie of the same name with Gene Hackman. The drink is arguably the best that you will ever taste as the blend between the Cognac and Amaretto makes for a perfect combination for your taste buds. It is best served during happy hours, party nights, late night-caps or before dinner. Now depending on affordability, you can choose to either use a VS, VSOP, Napoléon or XO. It honestly does not really matter. The result may be different due to quality but they all work the same.

Ingredients

Cognac

Amaretto

Ice

Method

Mix 60ml of Cognac with 60ml of Amaretto on some ice in an glass. Stir to combine and enjoy.

How to serve the perfect drink?

Presentation is everything. The type of glass that you use when serving your drink gives a personalized impression of the type of presence that you want to create. It is also very appealing to the person handling the drink, makes them enjoy it more than they generally should and in some strange twist of fate, boost their self-confidence.

Think about it, your drink, purely by how you serve it, works in the favor of someone else’s confidence. Don’t believe me? Here is a little social experiment. In a room full of acquaintances, hand over the most attractively made drink in a perfect glass to the most introvertive person and watch how they behave with much more poise and subtle charisma throughout the night. In the same fashion, observe how the most confident person slowly succumb to their insecurities.

You do not want this during your event. In fact, every single drink must be made to ultimate perfection, resemblance and, most importantly, served in the same glass or cup design. This may sound like a bogus but rest assured, the subconscious mind registers the most subtle moments and may leave a lasting impression.

When to serve the perfect drink?

Just like each wine variety goes perfectly with the certain foods, so do you need to consider at what stage in your event do you serve which drink.

Let us talk about a few wines for a second:

Cabernet Sauvignon

It has a rich fruit and robust tannins. The cabernet sauvignon is a brilliant pairing with steaks, beef burgers and lamb.

Pinot Grigio

The citrusy profile, pinot grigio is great with lighter dishes like pasta and bright, zesty seafood entrees. Serve with anything from fried calamari to prawn cocktail, fish tacos or even a light salad.

Merlot

A personal favorite for most because of its versatility.it is perfect whether you have chicken, beef, duck, lamb or pork in the oven.

Chardonnay

Light-bodied, high acid chardonnays are perfect with crab cakes, mussels or oysters. Full-bodied oaked chardonnays are best with mushrooms or fish in creamy sauces.

Away from wines, beer, and ciders are another staple when it comes to events and foods. Nothing wrong. It is all about preference and the experience. Introducing the perfect drink at the right time, creates a harmonious atmosphere that compliments the overall feel of the energy that you wish to have. So take some time and consider which drinks you wish to have when planning your next dinner party, get-together, event or connect session.

Happy drinking!