Our taste for cocktails is certainly becoming more adventurous than ever in recent years, with cocktail bars thriving, and taking an online cocktail making class is now a very popular pastime. Here’s a look back at which cocktail trends have hit the hotspots during the past year, whether you want to try and make your own, or head out to your favourite bar.
Retro cocktails
The retailer Waitrose told You Magazine that feelgood kitsch is the order of the day when it comes to cocktails, with classics such a sangria and piña colada the most searched for summer recipes. These fun fruity beverages can take you right back to a carefree holiday in a sunny Spanish villa—a perfect tonic for these turbulent times.
Piña coladas are the ultimate in retro kitsch, and quick and easy to make—just whizz up some pineapple juice, white rum, and coconut cream, and pour into a cold tall glass. Don’t forget to top it off with a pink umbrella and a couple of glossy red cherries for that perfect finishing flourish!
Vegetable cocktails
Fruit might be the traditional cocktail ingredient of choice, but vegetables are now gaining traction as a base ingredient. What better way to pack in all those healthful vitamins and antioxidants than in a delicious mixed beverage? Curiosity and experimenting with new flavours and ingredients is what the art of cocktail making is all about.
To make the perfect green veggie cocktail, put some kale leaves, celery stalks, cucumber, green apples, ginger and lemon juice in the juicer. Strain out the solids and mix it up with some agave nectar to sweeten, and a dash of vodka.
Another popular veggie cocktail is the Celery Sour, which is a mixture of celery juice, pineapple-infused gin, cucumber bitters, and Greek yogurt. Other great veggie cocktail ingredients include avocados, mushrooms, and carrots, complemented with herbs and spices.
These combinations might sound a bit unlikely to some, but the savoury flavours are great for people who find fruit-based drinks too sweet for their palette. Give them a try and you might be pleasantly surprised!
Alcohol-free cocktails
There has been an increased interest in health and wellbeing since the pandemic, and this is reflected in more alcohol-free alternatives being served in bars, and also prepared to drink at home.
Also known as mocktails, non-alcoholic cocktails can be just as sophisticated and complex in flavour as the alcoholic variety, and any bartender worth their salt should be happy to mix up a great tasting mocktail to suit all tastes.
Tequila based cocktails
You Magazine reports that people are discovering that tequila is a very versatile drink, with different varieties and flavours available. It is also a popular cocktail spirit, with endless variations on the classic margarita to tempt your tastebuds.
The traditional margarita is served with lime juice and triple sec in a salt-rimmed glass. Popular variations include the tequila sunrise, which adds orange juice and lemon into the mix, and the coconut margarita, which includes coconut rum.
