Cocktail cards

Fall and Friendsgiving

Cranberry rosemary spritz

• 1½ oz cranberry juice, 3 oz prosecco, 1 oz soda water, rosemary sprig
• Build over ice in a wine glass; slap the rosemary to wake it up before adding
• No alcohol: swap the prosecco for sparkling water and add a squeeze of lime
• Ice: cranberries and a short rosemary sprig frozen in large square cubes

Apple cider bourbon smash

• 2 oz bourbon, 3 oz apple cider, ½ oz lemon juice, ¼ oz maple syrup, ginger beer to top
• Shake everything but the ginger beer with ice, strain over fresh ice, top up
• No alcohol: cider, lemon and maple topped with extra ginger beer
• Ice: apple cider frozen in leaf-shaped molds, so the drink never waters down

Sweet tea bourbon lemonade

• 1½ oz bourbon, 3 oz sweet tea, 2 oz lemonade, mint
• Stir over ice in a tall glass
• No alcohol: an Arnold Palmer, half sweet tea and half lemonade
• Ice: sweet tea cubes with a lemon wheel and mint leaf in each

Maple old fashioned

• 2 oz bourbon or rye, ¼ oz maple syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, orange peel
• Stir with ice, strain over one big cube, twist the orange peel over the top
• No alcohol: cold-brew black tea, maple, a dash of orange bitters (bitters contain a little alcohol, so skip for anyone strictly sober)
• Ice: one large clear cube with a thin orange wheel frozen inside

Holiday and New Year's

Pomegranate paloma

• 2 oz tequila, 2 oz grapefruit juice, 1 oz pomegranate juice, ½ oz lime juice, soda water to top
• Shake everything but the soda with ice, strain over ice, top up
• No alcohol: the same juices topped with grapefruit soda
• Ice: pomegranate seeds and a sprig of thyme frozen in cubes

French 75

• 1 oz gin, ½ oz lemon juice, ½ oz simple syrup, champagne to top
• Shake gin, lemon and syrup with ice, strain into a flute, top with champagne
• No alcohol: lemon and syrup topped with a sparkling NA wine or sparkling white grape juice
• Ice: served without ice. For a tall version, freeze a long lemon peel inside an ice spear

Mulled wine (warm)

• 1 bottle red wine, ¼ cup honey, 1 orange sliced, 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 cloves, 2 star anise
• Warm gently for 20 minutes without boiling; keep it in a slow cooker on warm
• No alcohol: the same spices in cranberry and apple juice
• Ice: none needed. Float a star anise in each mug instead

White Christmas mojito

• 2 oz white rum, 1 oz cream of coconut, ¾ oz lime juice, 6 mint leaves, soda water to top
• Muddle the mint with lime, shake with rum, coconut and ice, strain over ice, top up
• No alcohol: skip the rum and top with coconut sparkling water
• Ice: cranberries and mint leaves frozen in cubes for red-and-green color

Brunch, showers and celebrations

Mimosa bar

• 1 bottle of bubbly per 6 glasses; pour 2 parts bubbly to 1 part juice
• Set out orange, grapefruit and peach or mango juice, plus berries for garnish
• No alcohol: sparkling cider or sparkling water with the same juices
• Ice: frozen grapes and berries in the glass keep it cold without watering it down

Hugo spritz

• 1 oz elderflower liqueur, 3 oz prosecco, 2 oz soda water, mint, a lime wheel
• Build in a wine glass over ice
• No alcohol: elderflower cordial, sparkling water, mint and lime
• Ice: mint leaves and lime wheels frozen in cubes

Pink lemonade fizz (baby or bridal shower)

• 3 oz pink lemonade, 2 oz sparkling water, raspberries; add 1½ oz vodka or 3 oz rosé for an adult version
• Build over ice in a tall glass
• Ice: one raspberry frozen in each heart-shaped cube

Aperol spritz

• 3 oz prosecco, 2 oz Aperol, 1 oz soda water, orange slice
• Build over ice in a wine glass, prosecco first
• No alcohol: a non-alcoholic bitter aperitif with sparkling water
• Ice: large cubes with a thin orange wheel frozen inside

Spicy margarita (bachelorette or girls' trip)

• 2 oz tequila, 1 oz lime juice, ¾ oz agave syrup, 2 jalapeño slices
• Muddle the jalapeño with the agave, shake with tequila, lime and ice, strain over fresh ice
• No alcohol: lime, agave, jalapeño and sparkling water
• Ice: watermelon cubes frozen and used as ice, with a chili-salt rim

Espresso martini (birthdays and girls' night)

• 2 oz vodka, 1 oz coffee liqueur, 1 oz fresh espresso, ¼ oz simple syrup
• Shake hard with ice for 15 seconds, strain into a coupe, top with 3 coffee beans
• No alcohol: espresso, simple syrup and a splash of cream, shaken and served over ice
• Ice: served without ice. For the no-alcohol version, freeze coffee into cubes