WE may once have been dubbed a nation of lager louts, but one in five of us orders a cocktail on a night out, latest figures reveal.
Drinks giant Diageo says the trend is down to a boom in all things 1990s.
And the cosmopolitan – the cranberry and vodka drink favoured by Sex And The City’s Carrie Bradshaw and her friends – is still just as popular today.
Gino McCarthy, 34, a leading mixologist and managing director of g2khospitality.co.uk, confirmed that cocktails are well and truly back after something of a 30-year hiatus.
Gino said: “There is a massive increase in demand.
“But today’s cocktail drinkers have far more sophisticated palates as there’s a much wider variety of spirits and mixers out there to choose from.
“And there’s no longer an umbrella or pineapple on a stick in sight.
“Instead you can expect your cocktail in a jam jar! And most are vegan-friendly too.”
Here, Gino reveals his top five drinks of the Nineties – and the five new kids on the block for Gen Z and Millennials.
1990
PINA COLADA: Mix a shot of coconut rum, a shot of white rum, half a shot of coconut milk and 50ml of pineapple juice together.
Add a sprinkle of salt.
A refreshing Margarita complete with a salted rim and lime wedge[/caption]
Serve in highball glass with a cocktail umbrella and pineapple on a stick.
COSMOPOLITAN: Mix 40ml citrus vodka, 20ml Cointreau, juice of half a lime and 30ml cranberry juice then shake.
Pass through a fine strainer, then serve in a chilled Martini glass.
SINGAPORE SLING: Mix 30ml gin, 15ml Cherry Heering liqueur, 15ml Dom Benedictine, 15ml freshly squeezed lime, 100ml pineapple juice.
Shake well, strain and pour over ice.
Finally, add a dash of grenadine for colour and an optional dash of Angostura Bitters. Garnish with cherry and slice of orange.
THE DEL BOY: Add together 50ml pineapple vodka, 25ml blue Curacao, one dash of coconut syrup and 300ml pineapple juice and mix and pour into a tall glass over ice.
Place three glacé cherries on a cocktail stick and whack an umbrella on top. Lovely jubbly!
MARGARITA: Combine 50ml of tequila (I recommend Reposado), 25ml Cointreau and 25ml fresh lime.
Shake. If you want to add sweetness, add a dash of Agave syrup, then shake.
Next, get a Martini glass, run a wedge of lime around the rim, then press the rim into a little bowl of salt.
You don’t want the salt inside the glass as it will ruin the drink. Then gently pour.
2023
LYNCHBURG LEMONADE: In a jam jar serve 40ml Jack Daniel’s, 20ml triple sec and 25ml fresh lemon juice, then top up the jar with lemonade and ice.
At the end pour in a dash of Angostura Bitters and add a wedge of lemon.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall in Sex and the City[/caption]
NEGRONI: Pour 25ml gin, 25ml Campari and 25ml sweet Vermouth (usually Martini Rosso) into your shaker and stir with a slice of orange peel inside.
Serve over ice and finally, as an optional extra, you can add a dash of Angostura Bitters if you want it to be extra dry.
ESPRESSO MARTINI: This hugely popular cocktail has 50ml vanilla-flavoured vodka, 25ml Tia Maria or Kahlua, combined with a double shot of freshly brewed coffee.
As an option you can add a dash of vanilla syrup for sweetness.
Shake and pour into a Martini glass. Serve with three coffee beans on top.
LEMON DROP MARTINI: This is my signature drink.
Mix two tsp of lemon curd, 40ml vanilla vodka, 20ml limoncello and 20ml fresh lemon juice.
Shake and pour into a chilled martini glass over ice.
AMARETTO SOUR: (Contains egg white, so not for vegans.)
Add 50ml of Disaronno, 25ml fresh lemon juice, 12.5ml gomme syrup along with one whisked egg white.
Shake it as hard as you can, pour into a rocks glass and serve with slice of lemon/orange and a cherry on top.
