While we’re resting, relaxing and recharging after a hectic year, we’ll also be sipping on cocktails! In need of some summer thirst-quenching inspo, we raided the Canberra Daily recipe archives for some festive tipples that are tried, tested and loved.
There’s something for everyone in our round of the five best cocktail recipes for summer, from a mango mocktail to a passionfruit spritz, to something for those dreaming of a European summer in Italy.
We’ve even got something for anyone who thinks they might like their drink made with chickpeas!
Serves: 2
Ice
Pulp from 2 fresh passionfruit (choose plump and smooth fruit that’s heavy for its size – it will have more pulp inside)
60ml gin
200ml Prosecco
Sparkling water
Lemon peel twist, to garnish
Fill two large glasses with ice. Combine passionfruit pulp and gin in a small jug and stir well.
Divide gin mixture between glasses. Pour over Prosecco, top up with sparking water, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Recipe and image courtesy of Australian Passionfruit.
Makes 1L
2 mangoes (pureed)
1 tin coconut milk
400ml pineapple juice
To make the mango puree, peel and dice ripe mangoes and blend until smooth. Mix all ingredients and serve immediately.
Recipe courtesy of Australian Mangoes.
Makes 2
2 x 90ml pours Campari
30ml vermouth
Ice cubes
Orange twist, to garnish
Shake the Campari and vermouth over a heap of ice in a cocktail shaker for about 2 minutes to ensure it gets cold and aerated.
Pour through a cocktail strainer into two chilled glasses and enjoy with a twist of orange.
Recipe by chef Laura Sharrad for Early Settler.
Serves 2
400g tin of chickpeas, strained, juice reserved
2 cups Nexba elderflower and lemon kombucha, plus extra 2 Tbsp
1 handful ice cubes
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla powder, or 1 vanilla pod
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Lemon wedges, to garnish
Firstly, prepare the aquafaba. Strain chickpeas until you are left with just the liquid. Combine this chickpea water and 2 tablespoons of the kombucha in a mixing bowl.
Whisk until soft peaks form. It works, trust us! This usually takes 3-5 minutes with an electric whisk. Set aside.
Combine ice, lemon juice, remaining kombucha, vanilla and cinnamon in a blender, and briefly blend. Pour into glasses and top with aquafaba whip. Dust with cinnamon, and garnish with lemon wedges.
Recipe and image courtesy of Nexba.
45ml The Kraken Black Spiced Rum
30ml freshly pressed lime juice
5ml crème de mure
15ml fig and honey syrup
1 pinch of activated carbon (charcoal tablet)
Make fig and honey syrup by simmering and reducing 1 part honey, 1 part syrup of fig and 2 parts water.
Shake all ingredients and strain into a double rocks glass over ice.
Garnish with half a fig.
Recipe and image created and developed by The Kraken Black Spiced Rum.