March 24 is National Cocktail Day. To celebrate this fun festive day, I am sharing 24 of my favorite cocktail recipes. I will post a new cocktail recipe here each day, so check back often!
Let’s begin with a Pomegranate Martini made with POM Wonderful pomegranate juice. If you love a cosmopolitan cocktail, you will LOVE a pomegranate martini…Fruity, sweet and tart and such a gorgeous ruby red color!
Pomegranate Martini
Equipment
- 1 cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 2 ounces POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce blood orange liqueur or Grand Marnier
- 2 ounces agave nectar
- ice
- blood orange slice and pomgranate seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Place martini glass in freezer to chill while making cocktail.
- Place pomegranate juice, vodka, blood orange liqueur (or Grand Marnier) and agava nectar in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Cover cocktail shaker and shake vigorously until cocktail is thoroughly mixed and chilled.
- Strain cocktail into a chilled martini glass.
- Garnish cocktail with a blood orange slice and sprinkle with a few pomegranate seeds.
Cocktail # 2 – The Last Word Cocktail – is one of my favorites because it is made with a fabulous gin: Empress 1908.
Empress is inspired by the legendary Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia This gin is a gorgeous indigo blue gin which changes color to a pretty soft pink when citrus is added. Empress gets it’s beautiful indigo blue color from and exotic herb, butterfly pea blossom.
The Last Word Cocktail also includes Green Chartreuse. Chartreuse is a French herbal liqueur based onwine first produced in 1737 by Carthusian monks. It is available as a green and yellow expression. Green and Yellow Chartreuse are not only different in color but also vary in taste and alcohol content.
Green Chartreuse is by far the more common of the two versions. It’s an ingredient that one can find in various cocktail recipes as it increases complexity and brings a light sweetness.
The secret formula supposedly includes as many as 130 herbs, plants, flowers, and spices.
Empress 1908 The Last Word Cocktail
Equipment
- 1 cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 3/4 ounce Empress 1908 Gin
- 3/4 ounce green Chartreuse
- 3/4 ounce Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
- 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
- Garnish Fabbri Amarena Cherry and Amarena cherry juice
Instructions
- Place the gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice into a cocktail shaker with ice. Cover and shake vigorously.
- Strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass.
- Pour approximately 1 teaspoon Amarena cherry juice into the cocktail. Garnish with an Amarena cherry on a cocktail pick.
Cocktail #3 Ranch Water
Ranch Water, a popular refreshing cocktail in West Texas, is made with a mix of tequila, lime juice and soda water. Traditional Ranch Water is made with Topo Chico, a bubbly mineral water, sourced from a inactive volcano in northern Mexico. My Ranch Water recipe includes blood orange juice which gives it a pretty pink color.
Blood Orange Ranch Water
Ingredients
- 3 ounces Blanco Tequila
- 1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice
- Topo Chico, chilled
- 1 1/2 ounce fresh blood orange juice
- lime wedge and blood orange wedge for garnish
Instructions
- Place tequila and fresh lime juice in a highball glass. Stir.
- Add ice to glass and top with Topo Chico. Gently stir with a long handled spoon.
- Pour blood orange juice over top of drink.
- Garnish with lime wedge and blood orange wedge.
Cocktail #4 Orange Elderflower Spritz This lovely spritzy cocktail may replace mimosas in your cocktail repertoire.
Orange Elderflower Spritz
Equipment
- 1 cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 3 ounces Orangina available on Amazon.com and Fresh Market
- 1 1/2 ounces St. Germain Elderflower liqueur
- 3 ounces sparkling rosé wine
- ice cubes
- orange and lime slices for garnish
Instructions
- Place orangina and St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur in a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Cover shaker and shake vigorously.
- Strain into cocktail glass filled with small ice cubes. Top with rosé sparkling wine.
- Garnish with orange and lime slices.
Cocktail #5 Mango Peach Sangria. Springtime is Sangria time!
Mango Peach Sangria
Equipment
- 1 drink pitcher
Ingredients
- 3 fresh, ripe mangos
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup peach schnapps
- 1 bottle sparkling wine or prosecco
- 2 blood oranges, sliced into thin rounds
- ice
Instructions
- Peel and pit mangos, then chop them into small pieces and place them in a saucepan.
- Add sugar and water and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or longer, until the mangos are very soft.
- Place the mangos in a blender container. Puree mangos. Strain the pureed mangos through a sieve into a bowl. Discard the mango pulp that is left in the strainer and place the bowl of mango puree in the refrigerator.
- Place the peach schnapps, mango puree and blood orange slices into a pitcher. Stir to combine.
- Add the sparkling wine or prosecco to the mixture and stir. Add some ice cubes to the pitcher. Place one slice of blood orange in each glass for service.
Cocktail #6 Nutty Irishman Cocktail
Nutty Irishman Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1/2 ounce Irish Whiskey
- 1 ounce Frangelico
- 1 ounce Bailey's Irish Cream (homemade or store bought)
- 5 ounces hot coffee
- 1 ounce Kahlua
- whipped cream
- shaved chocolate for garnish
Instructions
- Pour the whiskey, Frangelico, Bailey's, coffee and Kahlua into a coffee mug and stir. Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.
Cocktail #7 Homemade Bailey’s Irish Cream
Homemade Bailey’s Irish Cream
Equipment
- 1 large mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups Irish Whiskey
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or one vanilla bean split in two
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large mason jar. Stir to combine all ingredients.
- Cover mason jar and shake well. Place in refrigerator. Bailey's will keep in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Cocktail #8. Bee Sting Cocktail. If you love a lemon drop martini and enjoy a spicy cocktail, you will LOVE a Bee Sting Cocktail!
Bee Sting Cocktail
Equipment
- 1 cocktail shaker
- 1 cocktail muddler
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2" thick slice jalapeno
- 1 ounce gin
- 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ice
- Jalapeno strip or lemon twist garnish
Instructions
- Make honey simple syrup: Combine honey and water in small saucepan. Heat over medium heat and stir until honey dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Gently muddle the jalapeno slice in cocktail shaker. Add gin, lemon juice and 1 ounce honey simple syrup with ice.
- Strain into martini glass and garnish with jalapeno slice or lemon twist.
Cocktail #9 Blood Orange Cosmo
Blood Orange Cosmo
Equipment
- 1 cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces orange-flavored vodka I like Grey Goose L'Orange for my cosmo
- 1/2 ounce Cointreau
- 1/4 ounce lime juice
- 1/4 ounce blood orange juice
- 1 splash cranberry juice
- blood orange garnish
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Cover shaker and vigorously shake until chilled.
- Strain into a cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a blood orange slice.
Cocktail #10 Empress 1908 Gin Garden 75
Empress 1908 Garden 75
Recipe compliments of Empress 1908 Gin
Equipment
- 1 cocktail shaker
- 1 fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- 1 mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounce Empress 1908 Gin
- 1/2 ounce lavender honey syrup (1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup water and 2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender flowers)
- 3/4 ounce lime juice
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
- sparkling rosé, to top
- Lavender sprig and edible floral
Instructions
- To make lavender honey syrup: 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup water, 2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender flowers. In a small saucepan, combine honey, water, and lavender flowers. Heat over medium-low heat until just simmering stirring occasionally until the honey is dissolved.Remove from heat and let sit for 20-60 minutes to allow the lavender to fully infuse. I recommend taste testing at various points to ensure the lavender flavor doesn't get too strong, and moving to the next step when it's to your liking.Strain the syrup into a jar using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Shake gin, lime juice, honey lavender syrup and orange blossom water with ice in cocktail shaker. Strain into a Nick and Nora glass. Top with sparkling rosé and garnish with lavender sprig and edible floral.
Cocktail #11 French 95
French 95
The French 95 is a fun twist on the classic French 75 (gin + lemon juice + champagne). The French 95 is like a mimosa with bourbon. Running the orange peel around the stem of the glass will infuse the stem with a bit of orange aroma that will get on your fingers when you drink the cocktail. You will pick up the scent from your fingers as you drink your cocktail.
Ingredients
- 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- 1 ounce bourbon
- 2 ounces chilled champagne
- Thin strip orange peel and thin strip lemon peel for garnish
- Fresh raspberries for garnish
Instructions
- Place a handful of ice cubes in cocktail shaker.
- Add bourbon, lemon juice, orange juice and simple syrup in to cocktail shaker.
- Cover cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Run the orange peel around the rim and stem of a champagne flute. Place the orange peel and lemon peel in the chamapagne flute.
- Strain cocktail into the champagne flute. Top with chilled champagne. Garnish with fresh raspberries.
Cocktail #12 Elderflower Rosé Lemonade Fizz
Elderflower Rosé Lemonade Fizz
Enjoy the perfect flavor combination of elderflower and lemon in a cocktail! Did you know that Prince Harry and Meghan served an elderflower and lemon cake at their wedding? Sweet!
Ingredients
- 3 ounces chilled Belvoir Fruit Farms Elderflower and Rosé Lemonade
- 3 ounces chilled champagne or prosecco
- Splash pomegranate juice
- Garnish: cocktail cherry with stem
Instructions
- Place lemonade in champagne flute. Top with champagne or prosecco. Add a splash of pomegranate juice. Garnish with cocktail cherry.
Cocktail #13 Lavender Bramble
Lavender Bramble
Equipment
- 1 fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
- 1 mason jar
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce lavender syrup (1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender flowers, squeeze of lemon)
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 5 blackberries
- 2 sprigs fresh mint
- Blackberries and fresh mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Make lavender syrup: 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender flowers, squeeze of lemon. Place sugar and water in saucepan. Stir. Heat over medium heat until simmering and sugar has dissolved. Add lavender flowers and lemon. Stir. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Strain through fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a mason jar. Syrup will keep, tightly covered in refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- Muddle blackberries and mint in the bottom of a rocks glass. Fill rocks glass with pebble ice or crushed ice.
- In another glass, combine gin, lavender syrup and lemon juice. Stir to incorporate syrup well. Pour into glass with blackberries and mint. Stir, garnish with blackberries on a cocktail skewer and a fresh mint sprig.
Cocktail #14 Aviation Cocktail
Aviation Cocktail
Equipment
- 1 cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dry gin
- 1/2 ounce Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
- 1/4 ounce Crème de violette liqueur
- 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- cracked ice
- garnish: lemon peel twist and Luxardo Maraschino Cherry with stem
Instructions
- Place gin, maraschino liqueur, Crème de violette liqueur and lemon juice with cracked ice in a cocktail shaker.
- Cover shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled Nick and Nora cocktail glass.
- Garnish with lemon peel twist and a Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.
Cocktail #15 Peachtini
Peachtini Cocktail
Chill martini glass in freezer while making your peachtini.
Equipment
- 1 cocktail muddler
Ingredients
- 6 peeled ripe peach slices
- 1 ounce peach schnapps
- 1 ounce Ketel One Botanical Peach and Orange Blossom Vodka
- 1/2 ounce triple sec
- 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
- Garnish: fresh peach slice
Instructions
- Cut peach slices into tiny pieces and place in cocktail shaker. Muddle peach pieces with a muddler until almost liquefied.
- Place the peach schnapps, vodka, triple sec and lime juice in the cocktail shaker with muddles peaches. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a peach slice.
Cocktail #16 Porch Swing Cocktail
Porch Swing Cocktail
This delightful cocktail recipe is compliments of Woodford Reserve Bourbon
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounce Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce honey
- 6 ounces peach tea
- slice of peach or lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Combine ingredients into a tall glass and stir.
- Garnish with a slice of peach or lemon wheel.
Cocktail #17 Southern Sweet Peach Tea Cocktail
Southern Sweet Peach Tea Cocktail
Secret ingredient in this cocktail – peach preserves!
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka
- 1 ounce peach schnapps
- 1 TB peach preserves
- Lemon slice and mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Place sweet tea vodka, peach schnapps and peach preserves in a cocktail shaker with ice. Cover and shake vigorously.
- Remove shaker top and stir to make sure peach preserves are mixed into cocktail. Strain into chilled cocktail glass or mason jar. Garnish with lemon slice and mint sprig.
Cocktail #18 Pear French 75
Pear French 75
French 75 with pear vodka
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounce pear vodka
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice
- 3/4 ounce simple syrup
- chilled sparkling wine, for topping
- Garnish: pear slice and lemon slice
Instructions
- Place champagne flute in freezer to chill for 15 minutes.
- Place pear vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup in a chilled champagne flute. Stir to combine.
- Top pear vodka mixture with chilled sparkling wine.
- Garnish with pear slice and lemon slice.
Cocktail #19 Mint Julep
Mint Julep
Equipment
- 1 julep cup
- 1 muddler
Ingredients
- 5 leaves fresh mint
- 1/2 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 2 ounces best quality bourbon
- crushed or cracked ice
- fresh mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a julep cup, muddle mint and sugar together to lightly release the oils. Do not overwork the mint.
- Add bourbon and fill glass halfway with crushed or cracked ice.
- Stir until cup is frosted, then pack glass full with ice. Add straw and garnish with fresh mint sprig.
Cocktail #20 Old Fashioned
Old Fashioned
Equipment
- 1 muddler
Ingredients
- 1 cube brown sugar
- 1 large piece lemon peel
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 -2 cubes ice
- 2 ounces best quality bourbon
- 1 cherry with stem for garnish
Instructions
- Add sugar cube, lemon peel, bitters and water to rocks glass.
- Muddle firmly with muddler to release flavors.
- Add ice and then bourbon. Stir to chill.
Cocktail #21 Strawberry Mojito
Strawberry Mojito
Equipment
- 1 muddler
Ingredients
- 3 large strawberries, hulled, cut into fourths
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 1 ounce simple syrup
- 8 – 10 fresh mint leaves
- 2 ounces white rum
- ice
- 4 ounces chilled club soda
- fresh mint sprig for garnish
Instructions
- Add strawberries and lime wedges cut-side on top in a highball glass. Muddle until strawberries and lime wedges break down.
- Place the mint leaves on top. Lightly muddle mint leaves. Just a few twists will do to prevent overbruising.
- Pour in white rum and add a handful of ice. Stir.
- Top with chilled club soda. Gently stir to combine.
- Garnish with fresh mint sprig.
Cocktail #24 Dirty Shirley
Dirty Shirley
Ingredients
- 1/2 ounce grenadine
- 2 ounces vodka
- 8 ounces ginger ale
- 1 maraschino cherry
Instructions
- Add ice to a highball glass. Top with grenadine, vodka and ginger ale. Garnish with maraschino cherry.
