Your 2023 cocktails wrapped: here’s what you loved the most (and all the recipes you need).
A no-brainer, if you ask us. Who doesn't love a fruity, spicy Marg? The super-chic Jacquie Alexander helped us out with this cocktail back in April, and, as you can imagine, it was a bit of a hit. Mixing blanco tequila, pineapple juice and a few generous splashes of hot sauce, the Spicy Pineapple Marg is light, refreshing and zingy. It’s a perfect entertaining drink – appeals to everyone, looks fab and, most importantly, is just damn delish. It’s also a bit of a breeze to make, which is a win-win for everyone.
Matt Stirling’s one-of-a-kind grapefruity highball creation, the Halftime Highball, is of course a cocktail home-run, and you lot went nuts for it this year. If you’re not familiar with Matt Stirling, his bar Caretaker’s Cottage recently placed as the 23rd best bar in the world (the entire world!). That is very special. So, obviously, he knows his stuff, which is why everyone should be making his Halftime Highball cocktail. It’s a wonderfully complex mix of mezcal, grapefruit, oleo-saccharum (an oil-sugar syrup that’s easier to make than it sounds) and sherry. “Mezcal and sherry just aren’t being drunk enough by folk, so anytime I can put them in a glass, in this case a glass together, I chalk that up as a win,” explains Matt. So, step up to the pitch and give it a swing.
It may not be as popular as the OG (yet), but it’s damn delish. Made of white vermouth, gin and a gentian liqueur (like Suze), the White Negroni has been living in the original Negroni's shadow for far too long. Invented by British Bartender Wayne Collins in 2001, the White Negroni’s popularity has been a bit of a slow burn – but trust us, have a crack at this cocktail at your next aperitivo hour. Not only does it have that distinct bittersweetness a Negroni should have, but it’s a touch more herbaceous – plus its bright yellow. Fun!
Our Baileys White Hot Chocolate proved to be a bit of a winter hit this year, and it's not hard to see why. White chocolate: good. Baileys: good. Hot drink in winter: extra good! This was also the year this author found out just how cool Baileys is. First of all, they’re B-Corp-certified, they’re also super into renewables, and their dairy cows are happy and healthy, which we love. You know what else we love? Sticking it in a hot chocolate, especially one that’s full of white choccy, vodka, orange, nutmeg and cloves. Yum. This would make an excellent Christmas cocktail, too.
Well hello, pretty in pink. Coming in at number four, we have the delightfully pink, deliciously frothy Clover Club. A perfect mix of lemon, gin, raspberry syrup, sweet vermouth and a frothing agent (egg, Wonderfoam or aquafaba), its popularity has been pretty stagnant since 2008 and is well overdue for a bit of a comeback. It’s the first cocktail Matt Stirling of Caretaker’s Cottage fame ever fell in love with, so there’s no denying it’s iconic. And honestly, just look at it, it's so pretty. It was named after the infamous gentlemen’s hideaway, the Clover Club – a spot frequented by well-to-do politicians, lawyers, writers and the like. These days it's just a pretty lil’ sweet and sour number waiting for its time in the sun – go on, join the club.
Well, well, well, if it isn’t everyone’s favourite bougie cocktail, the Martini. It’s clocked in as your ninth fave cocktail from this year, and well, we’d thought it’d be higher, but here we are. The Martini is a forever classic – an elegant mix of dry vermouth and gin stirred gently with ice, it's been in the hands of some very beautiful people (including Mr James Bond AKA Daniel Craig). History-wise, there’s a lot of hearsay surrounding the Martini, much like every cocktail ever made. But we know for fact that it was first written down in Harry Johnson’s 1888 book, The Bartender Manual. Since then, it’s evolved into the scrumptious and popular drink it is today. And hey, whether you like it dry, dirty or wet, how cool do you feel ordering a Martini at the bar? We’ll answer it for you – James Bond-cool.
Oooft. Yum. A great cocktail for those endless summer nights. It’s fruity, it’s sweet, it's seasonal and, best of all, it’s no fuss. Just add all your ingredients to a blender and whizz. So simple! While nothing beats the ease and sophistication of the OG Daiquiri (shaken, of course), this mango guy comes pretty freaking close. It’s just so appealing (all that mango) and it looks spectacular. Of course, it’s going to taste better with fresh mango – but if you don’t have that, frozen will do the trick, too. You could also whizz it up with other fruits as well, like berries or bananas. You do you!
If you’ve got a jar of jam, you’ve got a cocktail. Or at least the making of one. This clever little hack of a cocktail came from our dear friend Aurelia St Clair, who described it as the perfect cocktail for a lazy night in. Hard agree. Using the remains of whatever jam you have left in your jam jar (around 1 tbsp is about right) chuck in gin, fresh lemon juice and stir, emulsifying the jam. Then chuck in your ice and top with soda and hey presto! You’ve got a pretty nifty little cocktail. “It’s a really playful drink that makes me think of springtime, but also makes me want to pair it with scones, jam and cream,” says Aurelia.
No surprises here – of course the Biscoff Espresso Martini of Insta’ fame would make the top five. It’s essentially coffee, sweetness and Biscoff made cold. And that is a match made in heaven if you ask us. If you've been living under a rock and are unsure what in the heck Biscoff is, it’s essentially the brand name for a sugar cinnamon biscuit called speculoos. Traditionally used for a bit of biscuit-dunkage for your hot beverage, it’s now found in pretty much everything – from doughnut fillers to icecreams to coffee flavouring, you name it. This was truly the year of Biscoff. We’ve used the spreadable kind for this recipe, which goes perfectly with the hazelnut liqueur, vodka and coffee.
It's punch season! Not only because of the various gatherings we all have planned over the summer months, but because it’s delicious and that’s a pretty good reason, okay? This is the one you guys loved the most, and we can see why. Not the usual red, dark, chunky style we’re used to from the Spaniards, but a lighter, fresher, more approachable white style – featuring big mandarin and limoncello energy. For this Mandy Sangria, we used some tip-top ingredients, starting with chenin blanc as the base (for its big tropical, oaky flavours), limoncello for zest and zing, and soda – passionfruit or plain – for some fun bubbles. Our botanicals took a less-is-more approach, opting instead to match the flavours found in the wine. Sage, lemon thyme and mandarins are the must-haves and dried apple pieces and a vanilla pod as some nice-to-haves. Each ingredient picks up and complements an element in the wine, making it a super sophisticated little drop.
Ah yes, the drinkable doughnut. Perhaps the cutest recipe on Dan’s Daily. It’s the kind of cocktail to appease even your fussiest friend (who can say no to a cocktail with a name that cute and ingredients that delicious?). Inspired by International Doughnut Day, the Doughnut-ini is frothy, smells like a freshly made doughnut and has just the right amount of creamy sweetness. Serve it up next to dessert, or even as a playful sub. Either way, you absolutely LOVED the Doughnut-ini this year, and it is here to stay.
