Ultimate Cocktail Guide for Summer

Entertaining successfully takes a certain amount of flair. That, plus a bottle of Angostura bitters and this blog post, of course!

Follow the handy tips and recipes below for the ultimate summer snacks and cocktails with Angostura, and make your parties the talk of town this festive season. Every cocktail you’ve ever wanted is in the list below so get shaking, baby! There’s so much to choose from here – use rum, tequila, gin, vodka, champagne, whatever takes your fancy. Just remember to keep your bottle of Angostura bitters ready! And remember, sharing is caring – send this post to your mates, to make sure they get the lowdown on the Ultimate Cocktails with Angostura too.

Angostura Champagne cocktails:

Celebrating New Year’s Eve with Bubbles
When you think of New Year’s Eve, the first thing you think of is popping open a bottle of bubbly at the stroke of midnight, right? Well, instead of just pouring a flute of sparkling wine, why not add a few dashes of this, that and Angostura aromatic bitters to create a cocktail that everyone will love?

Classic Champagne Cocktail

INGREDIENTS
1 white sugar cube
2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
Bubbles
Garnish: lemon peel

METHOD
Drop the sugar cube into a champagne glass, saturate with Angostura aromatic bitters, top with bubbles and garnish with lemon peel. Serve icy cold.

New England Fizz

INGREDIENTS
30ml rum
15ml maple syrup
15ml fresh lemon juice
2 bar spoons cranberry jam
2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
Bubbles
Garnish: fresh or dried cranberries

METHOD
Add all ingredients into a shaker, except for the bubbles. Shake with ice and double strain into a chilled champagne flute. Top with champagne. Garnish with fresh or dried cranberries.

Doctor’s Order

INGREDIENTS
22ml lemon juice
30ml honey
1 egg white
7ml Angostura aromatic bitters
Bubbles
Garnish: 5 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters

METHOD
Stir Angostura aromatic bitters, lemon juice and honey with ice until chilled. Strain into shaker, dry shake with egg white. Pour bubbles into a glass and strain foamy mix slowly over sparkling wine or champagne.

Toasting with a glass of fizz is a New Year’s Eve tradition. This year, add some colour and enjoy!

Keep it light this summer with “gin-spired” cocktails

Sure, who doesn’t love a classic G&T… but that’s so last summer, right? There is much more that can be done with gin, so let’s keep things light this summer with another “gin-spired” cocktail.

With a bottle of gin and Angostura aromatic bitters, you can offer your guests the most inviting summer drinks that are quick and easy to prepare at home.

Pink Gin – THE ORIGINAL

INGREDIENTS

• 60ml gin
• 2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
• Ice

METHOD

In a mixing glass filled with ice, stir the gin and bitters together, then strain into a serving glass over ice and get ready to indulge in an original classic. Watch the video

Aviation Cocktail

INGREDIENTS

• 44ml gin
• 30ml cherry kirsch / maraschino liqueur
• 22ml fresh lemon juice
• 7ml apricot liqueur (optional)
• Lemon peel

METHOD

Shake all the ingredients in an ice-filled shaker and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a lemon peel twist and you’ll be ready to fly.

Singapore Sling

INGREDIENTS

• 44ml gin
• 22ml cherry brandy
• 88ml pineapple juice
• 15ml lime juice
• 7ml orange liqueur
• 7ml Benedictine liqueur or Drambuie
• 7ml grenadine syrup
• 3 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
• Pineapple
• Orange slice
• Maraschino cherries
• Soda water

METHOD

Shake all ingredients (except soda water) in an ice-filled shaker and strain into a glass over ice. Top up with soda water and garnish with a pineapple wedge, an orange slice and a maraschino cherry. Fruity!

SUMMER COCKTAILS AND SNACKS WITH ANGOSTURA

The long hot days of summer have arrived and it’s the perfect opportunity to break out the home bar – especially if you’re entertaining family and friends this festive season. When it’s time for a few refreshing cocktails, there are quick and easy recipes aplenty for any spirit-based tipple. Summer holidays are the time to sit back, relax and let the bitters do the talking.

Gin is an essential summer spirit. Light, delicate and floral, adding bitters to gin cocktails highlights the drinks’ top notes. For instance, the renowned Gin & Tonic is a worldwide favourite that can be enhanced with just a few dashes of bitters – 30ml gin and 60ml tonic over ice, then add a few dashes of aromatic bitters to taste for a more profound flavour. Alternatively, gin lovers can give ‘the original’ two-ingredient Pink Gin classic a go. Splash a few drops of Angostura aromatic bitters into an Old Fashioned glass or tumbler, swirl it around until the inside is coated, pour out the excess and pour in the gin… because good taste doesn’t need to be complicated.

Generally clean and lean, vodka cocktails benefit from adding a few splashes of bitters for a much more discernible flavour. A simple Vodka Martini, made of 60ml vodka and 22ml dry vermouth can be balanced nicely with an added dash of Angostura aromatic bitters. But if your vodka loving guests are looking for something a little bit more complex, try the Moscow Mule – a refreshing mix of vodka, ginger beer and lime with bitters, of course.

Are you the kind of cocktail lover who enjoys a tad more depth and oomph to your drinks? The world’s most popular tequila-based cocktail – the Margarita – consists of 45ml tequila, 45ml fresh lime juice, 30ml simple syrup or triple sec and three dashes of bitters. However, if you’ve had a thousand Margaritas before and want to try something a little different we have just the serve for you… the Tequila Old Fashioned. A three-ingredient cocktail usually made with whiskey or bourbon, the popular Old Fashioned gets a complete makeover with tequila – the perfect drink for making new memories.

For those island-style summer drinks with a tropical element, a good white rum is vital. Mojitos are loved by everyone – splash three dashes of Angostura aromatic bitters over 60ml white rum, 37ml simple syrup and club soda with muddled lime wedges and mint leaves. And if you’re after another simple yet sophisticated party drink recipe, the much-loved Daiquiri should be it. The traditional four-ingredient daiquiri can be made in batches and is among a list of classic cocktails enjoying a resto renaissance, making it a flawless summer sipper.

With these few recipes in hand, you’ll be an ace mixologist when it comes to pouring cocktails at your summer braais, pool-side parties and patio evenings! Do it like pro, bro.

Here are a few quick and easy classics to try out at home:

Pink Gin

INGREDIENTS:

2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters

60ml gin

Garnish: lemon twist

METHOD

Splash a generous few drops of Angostura aromatic bitters into a glass. Swirl the Angostura drops around until the inside is coated, pour out the excess and pour in the gin.

Moscow Mule

INGREDIENTS:

1 dash Angostura aromatic bitters

74ml vodka

148ml ginger beer

Garnish: lime wedges

METHOD

Add ingredients to an ice filled mixing glass. Stir gently. Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass.

Tequila Old Fashioned
INGREDIENTS:
2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters

7ml demerara syrup

60ml Tequila

Garnish: grapefruit ribbon

METHOD

Add ingredients to an ice filled mixing glass. Stir well. Strain into an ice filled old fashioned glass. Express a grapefruit ribbon over glass and slip into your drink.

Daiquiri
INGREDIENTS:

3 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters

22ml fresh lime juice

45ml simple syrup

60ml white Rum

Garnish: lime wedges

METHOD

Shake all ingredients together in an ice-filled shaker and strain into chilled cocktail glass.

And here’s how to make a batch of your own simple syrups at home:

Demerara / Simple Syrup

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup demerara (brown) or white sugar

1 cup water

METHOD

Take equal parts demerara (brown_ sugar and water, combine them in a saucepan, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer gently for two minutes. Allow to cool.

There you have it – four DIY recipes that can be whipped up in minutes, perfect for entertaining at home, and one for almost any light and refreshing spirit you may have in your bar arsenal. Enjoy!

With all the hype over light and alcohol-free drinks, one standout beverage has rocked the world of mocktails for as long as we can remember – the Rock Shandy.

The request for low-AVB (alcohol by volume) and non-alcoholic cocktails has seen a sharp increase in the international bar scene of late. With more health-conscious consumers opting for alcohol-free drinks, there are now more options and new creations hitting cocktail menus than ever before. However, one mocktail has stood the test of time for as long as we can remember, the Rock Shandy – a simplistic and subtle refreshment which has cemented itself as an ambassador for the modern mocktail.

The drink is said to be a creation of Irishman, Frank Murphy, an avid swimmer who would stop off at O’Rourkes Pub every Sunday after his morning swim in the open sea baths of Blackrock. Upon arrival, he would ask for his ritual combination of Club Orange and Club Lemon. This original blend would later be dubbed the Rock Shandy. Named after the pools of Blackrock, his drink would become a revolutionary addition to the global bar scene.

The innovative beverage would eventually go on to be tweaked and refined across the world, with variations such as the Pépin’s Shandy in France – a combination of lime cordial, ice and soda water; The Malawi Shandy – half ginger ale, half soda water over ice with a few dashes of Angostura aromatic bitters; and in Singapore – one third cola and two thirds ginger beer with ice, a slice of lemon and a few dashes of Angostura aromatic bitters.

But who could forget the classic local Rock Shandy – a combination of lemonade and soda over ice with a couple of dashes of Angostura aromatic bitters to taste? A perfect serve in terms of non-alcoholic refreshments, the Rock Shandy has gone on to become a first choice in South African restaurants and country clubs.

Whilst all of these worldly adaptations may have their own take on this timeless beverage, they all keep to one key element – the ‘golden rule’ of the ultimate Rock Shandy (the name given to all non-alcoholic “shandies”) – those famous few dashes of Angostura aromatic bitters.

EASY ENTERTAINING WITH SNACKS BY ANGOSTURA

Planning on hosting a braai or get-together soon? Why not try making this bittered, crunchy Party Mix instead of popping open a packet of oily, starchy, preservative riddled crisps – it’s almost as simple…and a lot healthier too!

Party Mix with Angostura

(makes 5 cups)

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups cereal mix (any combination of mini Shreddies, corn, rice or wheat)

1½ cups pretzels

2 tablespoon raw nuts

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 120° Celsius. Mix cereals, pretzels and nuts on a large, ungreased rimmed sheet tray.

Melt butter with ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters in a small glass measuring cup in the microwave. Stir in remaining ingredients until salt is dissolved. Drizzle over cereals, gently stirring to coat as much as possible.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until mixture is crunchy. Transfer hot mix to piece of foil or paper towel to cool completely. Store cooled mix in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Need a starter that’s a little more substantial, but just as quick and easy to put together? How about chicken skewers or fiesta meatballs on a stick, made with Angostura!

Savoury Chicken Bites (makes about 25 appetizer skewers)

INGREDIENTS:

±500g skinless chicken breast fillet, cut in cubes

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons ANGOSTURA® orange bitters

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

zest of one lemon

4-inch wooden skewers

METHOD:

Whisk together marinade ingredients and let rest for 10 minutes. Place chicken pieces in a non-metallic container; add marinade. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 2½ hours, stirring at least once. Drain chicken and discard marinade. Thread two chicken pieces on each skewer. Grill for up to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve immediately.

Fiesta Meatballs (makes about 40 meatballs)

INGREDIENTS:

±500g lean ground beef

¼ cup dry breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon chilli powder

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large egg

1 teaspoon ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters / 2 tablespoons ANGOSTURA® orange bitters

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200° Celsius. Place ground beef in a medium bowl. In a small bowl stir together breadcrumbs, chilli powder, cumin, oregano and salt. Stir in onion and garlic. Sprinkle this mix over meat in two batches, pressing into the meat with the side of a large spoon. Whisk together egg and your choice of ANGOSTURA® bitters. Drizzle over meat, and stir well to combine. Form into small balls and place on a lightly greased baking tray. Bake 16-18 minutes. Serve with toothpicks and your preferred dipping sauce.

SWEET FINALE:

Tropical Fruit Dessert Dip (makes 1 – 12 cups)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

½ can crushed pineapple in juice

⅓ cup shredded coconut, toasted

2 tablespoons honey

½ teaspoon ANGOSTURA® orange bitters

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

METHOD:

Stir together ingredients. Taste and add a teaspoon more honey if desired. Cover and chill until ready to use. Garnish with additional toasted coconut curls. Serve with your own tropical fruit selection.

Maple Brown Derby Cocktail Pops with Angostura (makes 10 ice pops)

INGREDIENTS:

2 ½ cups freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (about 4 medium grapefruits)

⅓ – ½ cup pure maple syrup (depending on how sweet your fruit is)

2 tablespoons bourbon

6 dashes ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters

METHOD:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Divide the liquid between ten ice pop moulds and freeze for one hour before inserting popsicle sticks. Continue to freeze for several hours until frozen solid.

For more information on the Angostura range, and other delicious food and cocktail recipes please visit www.angosturabitters.com.

For more information on the official House of Angostura Cocktail app with over eighty tried and tested cocktail recipes, featured drink trends and bartending tips visit http://angosturabitters.com/app/ – available for iPhone from the Apple App Store and for Android devices from the Google Play Store.

Follow Angostura South Africa on Facebook /Angostura South Africa and Instagram @AngosturaZA for fun facts, recipes and brand updates.

Aaaand that’s a wrap, folks!