World Cocktail Day (13th May) is a global celebration of cocktails and marks the publication date of the first definition of a cocktail in the Oxford Dictionary on the 13th May, 1806. The New York tabloid The Balance and Columbian Repository defined a cocktail as "a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters".
A cocktail, as we know it, is used to refer to a drink that contains two or more ingredients with at least one of in the ingredients alcohol. This year, with bars being closed the world over, many people have been experimenting at home creating their own cocktails!
Aldi Spirits Expert Tom Doorley says; “World Cocktail Day sounds like a very good idea to me. If you want to join in and become your own mixologist, you need look only as far as Aldi for a brilliant range of fine award winning spirits at astonishingly keen prices. You will be drawn in by the value and then, I guarantee, you will stay for the sheer quality and enjoyment. A good cocktail is all about quality and enjoyment.”
Mango Tonic Featuring Award winning Boyles Gin
A fruity gin and mango cocktail with tonic.
Serves:1 person
Prep time:5 minutes
Ingredients:
50ml Boyle’s Irish Gin
1 tbsp Sugar
20ml Lemon Juice
50ml Blended Mango
Raspberries to garnish
Tonic water
Method:
• Put the gin, sugar, lemon and mango puree into a shaker with ice.
• Shake, strain over ice and top with tonic water.
• Garnish with raspberries.
Raspberry Kiss:
Serves:2 people
Prep time:5 minutes
Ingredients:
• 100ml Boyle’s Irish Gin
• 130g fresh Raspberries – keep a few to garnish
• Juice of 1 fresh Lime
• 2 Lime wedges to decorate
• 4 fresh Basil Leaves - keep a couple aside to garnish
• Ice Cubes
Method:
• Put all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
• Fill with ice – shake vigorously.
• Strain into 2 glasses.
• Decorate with some lime slices, a fresh basil leaf and raspberries.
• For a longer drink, pour into tumblers, add some ice cubes and top up with sparkling elderflower water.
Baybreeze
Mix vodka, lime, sugar, passionfruit and pineapple over ice for a delicious Baybreeze.
Serves:1 person
Prep time:5 minutes
Ingredients:
• 50ml Tamova Vodka
• 40ml Cranberry Juice
• 20ml Pineapple Juice
• Dash of fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 Passionfruit
Method:
• Scoop out 1/2 the passion fruit.
• Add the vodka, lime, sugar, passionfruit, pineapple and cranberry juice to the cocktail shaker.
• Shake over ice.
• Pour into a chilled glass and use the other half of the passionfruit as a garnish.
Daquiri
A much-loved favourite, it's always good to make sure there’s rum in the cupboard for a cheeky Daiquiri.
Serves:1 person
Prep time:5 minutes
Ingredients:
• 60ml Old Hopking Premium White Rum
• 20ml Lime Juice
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• Ice cubes
• Lime to garnish
Method:
• Fill your cocktail glass with ice to chill.
• In the cocktail shaker add the lime and sugar, stir together until the sugar dissolves.
• Add ice and rum into the shaker and shake for about 30 seconds, to chill and dilute the mix.
• Finally, strain into a glass and garnish with a slice of lime.
alcohol-free
Fizzy Basil Lemonade
This tangy and revitalising beverage is the ultimate thirst-quencher
Serves:4 people
Prep time:3 minutes
Ingredients:
• 500ml Lemonade
• 1 Lemon
• 300ml Sparkling Water
• 4 tbsp fresh Basil
Method:
• Gently muddle 4 tbsp of torn fresh basil leaves in the bottom of a glass.
• Add ice and fill the glass halfway with lemonade.
• Top the glass off with sparkling water and stir together.
• To serve, garnish with fresh slices of lemon and a sprig of fresh basil.
Aldi has a wide range of spirits and Ready-To-Drink Cans in store, every day. Including the following:
Boyle’s Raspberry Gin & Cloudy Lemonade €1.99/250ml – Awarded Gold at the World Premix Awards.
Boyle’s Gin with Elderflower Tonic €1.99/250ml – All the flavour of Boyle's award winning gin mixed with Elderflower Tonic is floral, slightly sweet and a little spicy with a crisp, palate-cleansing finish.
Boyle’s Small Batch Botanical Gin by Blackwater Distillery €24.99/70cl – Winner Best Irish Gin at World Gin Awards, Gold winner atWorld Spirit Awards 2020, Blas Na hÉireann 2019, the Global Gin Masters in both 2018 and again in 2020 and 1 star at the Great Taste Awards 2020
Boyle’s Raspberry Blush Gin by Blackwater Distillery€24.99/70cl – Winner of Silver at World Gin Awards 2021 and World Spirit Awards 2021.
Mo Chara Pink Grapefruit Gin €19.99/70cl
This Irish Gin has a creamy, full-bodied texture and a soft, fruity finish.
Aldi also has a wide range of award-winning spirits in 145 stores every day. Why not pop in, pick up a bottle of gin, vodka, rum, or whatever your tipple is, and perfect one of the below recipes to enjoy on World Cocktail Day!
Slán go fóill,
Danny