Bank Holiday Cocktails
To start the bank holiday off as we mean to go on, we asked Suzie, account manager and HEL’s Cocktail expert, to recommend her favourite summer bank holiday cocktails. She picked not one, but four, margarita recipes – so give them a go over the long weekend. In fact, any day will do really, Particularly, 22 February as that is International Margarita Day.
“In my opinion, you can’t beat a classic Margarita. Come rain or shine they’re the perfect summer cocktail, yet there are so many variations and twists that mean they can be tweaked to see you through the year. (Or let’s face it, the rainy mess we call ‘summer’ in England.). Here is my tried and tested Margarita recipe, approved (perhaps too) many times by members of HA HQ :
Original Margarita
50ml Tequila
25ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
20ml Cointreau
10ml Gomme
Shake it all up with plenty of ice, strain and serve over more ice and garnish with a salt rim and wedge of lime.
Using this as a base, you can substitute and add to your heart’s content. I find a classic Blanco or Silver tequila works best for Margaritas; something like a Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Patrón Silver, 1800 Silver or Olmeca Altos Blanco.
Here are 4 summery twists on a Margarita:
Pineapple and Basil Margarita
50ml Tequila
25ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
30ml Gomme / Agave
4 Pineapple chunks
2 Basil leaves
Muddle the pineapple and basil leaves in a shaker. Add other ingredients, shake it up and strain over ice. Garnish with a wedge of pineapple and a couple of basil leaves.
Grapefruit Margarita
50ml Tequila
60ml Grapefruit juice
20ml Cointreau
10ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
10ml Gomme / Agave
Shake it all up with plenty of ice, strain and serve over ice in a taller glass. Garnish with a salt rim and a slice of grapefruit.
Cucumber & Coriander Margarita
50ml Tequila
25ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
20ml Cointreau
10ml Gomme / Agave
½ a Cucumber (diced)
Handful of coriander leaves
Muddle the cucumber pieces and coriander leaves in a shaker, add the other ingredients and plenty of ice. Shake and strain over ice, garnish with a cucumber wheel and sprig of coriander.
Ginger & Jalapeno Margarita
50ml Tequila
25ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
20ml Cointreau
10ml Gomme / Agave
½ Jalapeno (sliced)
A small chunk of ginger (sliced)
Muddle the jalapeno and ginger in a shaker. Add the tequila, lime juice and gomme and shake with lots of ice. Strain over ice into a glass. If you’re after an extra kick or want to lengthen the drink, top it with some ginger beer.
Right, let’s talk rims.
Salt is the go-to and should make up your base but you can add whatever you like; chilli flakes, crushed cumin or coriander seeds all work well.
Add your ingredients to a nice flat plate.
Run a lime (or other piece of fruit) around the rim of the glass.
Upturn the glass (ideally before you’ve poured your Margarita in…) onto the plate and roll it around to make sure it’s nicely coated.
Buen provecho!
