Our Best Cocktails To Make At Home

Easy Homemade Cocktails

Hello cocktail lovers! Let’s get this straight… we all love hitting the local wine bar to fill ourselves up on deliciously good cocktails. But, after a long week, sometimes it’s hard to get motivated to get dressed up to go out – never-mind drag yourself out the warm and cozy house!

Luckily.. We’re here to help! Here are a sample of Basil & Grape’s absolute favourite vodka, gin, and rum cocktails for you to make at home. If you’re planning on throwing a cocktail fuelled party, these will be sure to impress your guests. Hibiscus

Homemade Vodka Cocktails

Hibiscus

Ingredients: Vodka, Peach Liqueur, Hibiscus Syrup, Lemon Juice, Egg White, Angostura 

Garnish: Twisted lime peel and edible orchid 

  1. Take two shot measures of your favourite vodka and add them to a glass
  2. Add half a shot of peach liqueur 
  3. Add half a shot of hibiscus syrup 
  4. Squeeze in fresh juice from half a lemon
  5. Add a couple of drops of Angostura (the seasoning of the cocktail world)
  6. Add the white from one egg 
  7. Add ice and shake vigorously! 
  8. Strain into a chilled glass of your preference and enjoy!

This is one of our favourite fruity homemade vodka cocktails! Luckily, if you’re on a budget, we know how you can save a few quid. By making your own syrup! If you want to make your own hibiscus flavouring for the best vodka cocktail, simply bring 1 cup of water (236 ml) to the boil before adding two tablespoons of hibiscus tea. After letting it sleep for ten minutes, add a cup of superfine sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Then refrigerate until ready to use. It’s first in our list of homemade cocktails for a reason! This one is hard to beat. Pornstar Martini

Pornstar Martini

Ingredients: Vanilla Vodka, Passoa, 2 Passion Fruits, Sugar, Lime Juice, Prosecco

Garnish: Passionfruit

  1. Scoop the seeds from one passion fruit and add to the glass of a cocktail shaker 
  2. Add two shots of vanilla vodka
  3. Add one shot of passoa and a delicate squeeze of lime juice
  4. Add a teaspoon of sugar syrup
  5. Add a handful of ice
  6. Shake well!
  7. Strain into two glasses and top up with prosecco 
  8. Add half the remaining passionfruit to each 
  9. Serve immediately and enjoy!

The Pornstar Martini….. We’re sure you may have seen plenty of these on Instagram posts! Perhaps the highest demanded modern martini. These are real zingy homemade cocktails, and one of the tastiest! To make your own sugar syrup for the best vodka cocktail imaginable, simply boil equal amounts of sugar and water in a pan for around five minutes until you find a nice syrupy consistency. Remember to always refrigerate before use.
The English Garden

Homemade Gin Cocktails

The English Garden

Ingredients: Gin, Cynar, Apple Juice, Lemon Juice, Cucumber, Elderflower Syrup

Garnishes: Cucumber and mint

  1. Add two shots of gin to a cocktail shaker
  2. Add one shot of St. Germain elderflower liqueur 
  3. Add three shots of apple juice
  4. Add a shot of lemon juice
  5. Add half a shot of cynar
  6. Add a large handful of ice 
  7. Shake well! 
  8. Decorate a long glass with sliced cucumber ribbons
  9. Strain over ice and enjoy!

This cocktail is exactly what it says on the tin – The English Garden. The beautifully British ingredients in this recipe are perfect for a refreshing homemade gin cocktail. The clean, crisp and fresh tastes are perfect for any season, but we feel this is the perfect gin cocktail to cool and refresh you on a warm summer’s day. Add a mint leaf or two to the glass after following our simple steps if you want even more flavours. 
Singapore Sling

Singapore Sling

Ingredients: Gin, Pineapple Juice, Angostura, Cherry Brandy, Benedictine, Grenadine, Lime Juice, Cointreau 

Garnishes: Cherries and half a lemon slice 

  1. Add one shot of gin into a mixing glass or a jug
  2. Add one shot of cherry brandy 
  3. Add one shot of benedictine 
  4. Add a handful of ice
  5. Add a few drops of angostura 
  6. Add one shot of cointreau
  7. Shake well!
  8. Squeeze the juice from half a lime 
  9. Fill a separate glass ¾ of the way full before topping up with pineapple juice
  10. Add a small helping of grenadine for visual effect, and enjoy! 

This classic homemade gin cocktail is one for the connoisseurs…. The Singapore Sling is over 100 years old and still remains a fan favourite! The recipe for one of the best gin cocktails to ever exist often varies from one place to another. You can expect a smooth, slow and semi-sweet cocktail with a full and complex flavour. For the best effect, garnish your homemade gin cocktail with a delicious maraschino cherry and a slice of lemon. Tasty! Prosecco Mojito

Homemade Rum Cocktails

Prosecco Mojito 

Ingredients: Rum, Prosecco, Limes, Sugar, Fresh Mint

Garnishes: Half a lime slice and mint 

  1. Take 4 limes and chop each into 8 pieces each
  2. Place a baking sheet on a tray and place the limes in the freezer
  3. Now for the syrup! In a separate pot, combine 120ml of water with 100g of sugar 
  4. Heat for five minutes over medium heat
  5. Remove from heat before adding 15-20 mint leaves 
  6. Steep the mix for 15 minutes
  7. Strain the liquid then refrigerate and chill – almost ready!
  8. Pour a couple of teaspoons of the syrup into a tall glass
  9. Add a fairly generous helping of mint leaves – depending on your taste – and muddle together gently
  10. Add crushed ice 
  11. Add your rum 
  12. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime
  13. Top up with Prosecco 
  14. Stir and serve! 

This is one of the best rum cocktails to ever do it! It proves nothing worth having comes easy. For the best possible homemade rum mojito… the key is to make your own syrup! Prepare the syrup with at least an hour in advance and place in the fridge so the syrup is correctly chilled.  This is perfect for the prosecco lovers out there that love fresh, crisp and fruity flavours. Never tried a Prosecco Mojito? What are you waiting for! You will never look back. Especially if you use the best quality Italian Prosecco like we do at the Basil & Grape. Original Daiquiri

Original Daiquiri

Ingredients: Rum, Sugar, Lime Juice

Garnishes: Lime (wedged or twisted… the choice is yours) 

  1. Add two shots of light rum into a cocktail shaker
  2. Add one shot of lime juice
  3. Add half a shot of sugar syrup
  4. Add a handful of ice to the shaker
  5. Shake well!
  6. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
  7. Enjoy!

The original daiquiri is a super simple home made rum cocktail recipe, but one of the freshest tasting short cocktails you will find! If you follow this recipe, you’ll find the perfect balance between sweet and sour flavours. However, do feel free to experiment with this recipe to find your preferred personal taste. All the modern daiquiris you will find are inspired by this zesty number. If you want to experiment with a little fruit to add your own twist, do it!

Once you’ve made your homemade daiquiri, if the drink tastes too tart, add more syrup. Too sweet? Add more lime. This is a very simple cocktail, so for the best effect, use high quality rum and fresh lime juice. If you’ve followed our previous recipes, then you’re sure to be a master of the syrup game by now. So we’ll leave you to rock this one without instruction. 

Want To Try Making Cocktails At Home Yet?

If our list of cocktails to make at home made you a little thirsty and you fancy the real thing, then come on down to Basil & Grape and experience our full wine and cocktails menu. We are Croydon’s premium Italian wine bar and restaurant – so you’ll be happy to know we serve all of the curiously good cocktails within this post and more! You can also browse our recognised wine labels from picturesque vineyards in Italy and across the globe. Book a table today for a true taste of Italy with drinks and an atmosphere to match.