It’s Wednesday and we’re already gearing up for the weekend! And we can’t think of a better way to start it off than with a cocktail on Friday evening! Get your cocktail kit out in readiness.. Here are  five of our favourites to get you going.  Feel free to add your own suggestions!

For the purpose of the recipes, 1 standard measure = 25mls

MOJITO – with it’s lively citrus and minty flavours,  is superb for warm weather drinking.

Serves one

• Half a lime cut into thin wedges
• Good pinch caster sugar
• About 8 large or 12 average size mint leaves
• Ice cubes/crushed ice
• Large measure white rum
• Chilled soda water for topping up

Place the lime wedges, sugar and mint leaves in a high tumbler. Squish them together well for a couple of minutes with the end of a long handled soda spoon or end of a wooden spoon. (Technical term for this is ‘muddling’). This releases the lime juice and mint aromas and melds all the flavours together.

Add a few ice cubes or half fill with crushed ice if you prefer.

Pour over white rum .

Stir to mix with the lime and mint. Top up with soda water and serve decorated with a lime wedge on the side of the glass, fresh mint leaves and a straw

COSMOPOLITAN – get all Carrie Bradshaw on it  with the Sex and The City gal’s drink of choice

Serves one

• Juice of a quarter of a lime
• 1 measure cranberry juice
• 1 and ½ measures vodka (1 measure is 25ml)
• ½ measure Grand Marnier or Cointreau
• Ice cubes

Place the lime juice, cranberry juice, vodka and liqueur in a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes and shake well.

Strain into a chilled classic martini glass or stemmed champagne saucer style glass

Decorate with twists of orange peel

BLOODY MARY – Superb aperitif cocktail, this really gets your appetite going (also a good hangover cure!)

Serves 1

• 1 lime, halved
• Fine sea salt for dipping
• 4-5 ice cubes
• 1 large measure vodka
• Few drops Tabasco sauce to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Squeeze half the lime onto a saucer to catch juice.

Dip the rim of your chilled glass in the lime juice

Dip rim of glass into salt to coat

Carefully place ice cubes in the glass

Pour over the vodka

Squeeze remaining lime juice over

Add Tabasco

Season with freshly ground black pepper

Celery stick with leaves on

Serve with celery stick stirrer and straw for drinking

BLACKCURRANT BABE –  A seasonal favourite from Mr Jeffares Blackcurrants

Serves 1

• 4-5 ice cubes
• 1 measure Mr Jeffares Blackcurrant
• 2 measures dark rum
• Pineapple juice to top up

Place ice cubes in a tall glass

Pour over Mr Jeffares Blackcurrant Cordial

Add rum

Top up with pineapple juice

Use fresh blackcurrants in season to dangle over the side of the glass

Serve with straws

RASPBERRY WISH  – a super summer creation from Wild About in Wexford.  

• 1 measure Wild About Raspberry Syrup
• Fresh raspberry
• Champagne, sparkling wine or Prosecco

Pour syrup into a chilled champagne flute

Add a fresh raspberry in the base of the glass

Top up with wine and serve