How to make cocktails at home
If you’ve visited a Kingpin venue you’ll know just how seriously we take our cocktails! With the help of expert guidance from Kingpin’s Global Executive Chef, Adam Moore, we’ve put together our top tips to help you craft delicious cocktails from home.
Whether you’re planning a cosy date night in, or impressing guests at your next gathering, we’ve got your drinks menu covered. From mastering classic cocktail recipes to creating fun and innovative flavour combinations, here’s how to infuse some Kingpin magic into your at-home bartending.
Cocktail essentials & equipment
When it comes to crafting the perfect cocktail, the ingredients are key, but it is also important to have all the tools you need:
- Shaker
The cornerstone of any cocktail kit, the shaker is essential for mixing ingredients thoroughly, chilling them quickly and ensuring that your flavours integrate seamlessly.
- Jigger
Precision is key in mixology. A jigger helps you measure out spirits and other ingredients with accuracy, so that your cocktails are perfectly balanced every time.
- Bar spoon
Long, elegant, and with a twist, the bar spoon is perfect for stirring cocktails that are best not shaken and invaluable for layering drinks.
What do you need to make cocktails?
Once you have got together all your cocktail essentials the next step is understanding what elements make a quality cocktail. Learning basic cocktail anatomy can help with this!
- Choose your base: vodka, gin, whiskey, rum?
- Add the mixer: this could be as simple as a tonic, or a syrup.
- Include a modifier: something like vermouth or a splash of citrus to add depth of flavour.
- Garnish: this is your signature – be it a twist of lemon, an olive or a sprig of mint.
- Shake or stir?: The rule of thumb is shake when you have juices in the mix and stir for straight spirit mixes.
Cocktails to make at home
The ‘Zombie’ is one of Kingpin’s most requested cocktails. A concoction that is as bold as it is delicious, the Zombie is crafted with premium Pampero Rum and tropical flavours to pack a fiery punch – literally, it is served alight!
Other popular and easy cocktails to make at home include:
Mojito
- Fresh mint
- Fine cane sugar
- White rum
- Fresh lime slices
- Soda water
- Ice
Aperol Spritz
- Prosecco
- Aperol
- Soda Water
- Ice
Long island iced tea
- Vodka
- Tequila
- Gin
- White rum
- Triple sec or orange juice
- Cola
- Fresh lemon slices
- Ice
Daiquiri
- Light rum
- Fresh lime juice
- Simple syrup (water and sugar)
- Ice
Espresso martini
- Vodka
- Coffee liqueur
- Espresso shot
- Ice
A good cocktail is all about the right blend of quality ingredients, precise measurements and expert techniques. It’s about balancing sweetness, acidity and bitterness to create a perfect harmony of flavours.
Next time you’re thinking of cocktails to make at home, remember our tips and tricks to help you soon become a cocktail making pro! But if you’re wanting to just sit back and let someone else do the mixing, enjoy a delicious cocktail at our Kingpin venues, we have the finest signature drinks to choose from that are guaranteed to quench your thirst.
