There’s a fine art to hosting pres. More specifically, there’s a fine art to churning out cocktails galore—perfectly paired to the occasion—all while effortlessly keeping up with the party around you.
You don’t want to be chained to your kitchen island in a booming pre-drinks party. There’s chins to wag, sunrays to soak up, and gossip to catch up on over a round.
So, we’ve teamed up with Schweppes to bring you the very best cocktail trends we’re eyeing for spring and beyond—all of which save you from tinkering with ridiculous kitchen knick-knacks.
Go forth and sip (responsibly, as always,) here are some of the smoothest and most striking cocktail trends and recipes to know.
Savoury Sipping Is On The Rise: The Cucumber Crisp
A (tough) crowd-pleaser.
If you’re hosting—and by that logic, the cocktail master—at pres, you’ll want this in your repertoire. Sure, you can grab everything you need in a single supermarket sweep. But its beauty lies in the fact both sweet, sour and savoury teeth will love the balanced flavours. Plus, the flavours lend themselves to any kind of grazing you’ve got going, from creamy cheeses to full on barbequed spreads.
More than food, when mixed with Schweppes tonic water it pairs perfectly with your finest stemmed glasses (by all means, please take them out their box), the pretty crystal punchbowl sitting in your pantry and in that dress you’ve been meaning to cut the tags off. Serve it before your mate’s 30th at the local bowling club, before your springtime vineyard gigs, or anywhere you’ll find a sunset—it’s a true social chameleon.
Ingredients (Serves 1)
30ml gin
15ml elderflower cordial
1 peeled cucumber for cucumber purée
25ml lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Schweppes Cucumber Tonic Water
A couple of slices of cucumber for garnish
Method
Add the peeled cucumber to a blender and blitz to make cucumber purée.
In a tall glass, mix the gin, elderflower, lemon juice and pinch of salt.
Add the 30ml of cucumber purée.
Fill the glass with ice and stir, then top with Schweppes Cucumber Tonic Water.
Garnish with a slice or two of cucumber and enjoy.
The Cocktail Version Of Working Smarter, Not Harder: Blood Orange G&T
The minimalist maximalist impression-maker.
Negroni Sbagliato is so very last season. We’ve got a new, zesty, orange-toned little favourite—just as much punch, but way less tinkering (and scouring high and low for obscure ingredients) involved.
We see it as the pre-event version of the ‘high-maintenance-to-be-low-maintenance’ beauty trend. Only we’re not fake tanning contour onto our cheeks, we’re leaning on a tangy bubbly cocktail base to do the heavy flavour lifting.
Seriously, it’s so simple to make no matter how many glasses you’re dishing up—giving you all the more time to focus on what’s really important: scouring your mate’s closet for a daring pair of heels, finally perfecting that flicked eyeliner in the mirror. Or, fixing yourself that *lucky last* glass while your Uber’s rolling up.
Ingredients (Serves 1)
30ml blood orange gin
Schweppes Indian Tonic Water
Blood orange or orange
Method
Add the Blood Orange gin to a glass.
Top it with ice.
Finish by filling up the glass with Schweppes Indian Tonic Water.
Garnish with a blood orange or orange wheel.
The Euro-Summer In A Glass: Amalfi Spritz
No plane ticket? No problem.
It’s time to uno-reverse the Instagram story envy happening right now. Your ultimate tool? A slick round of Amalfi spritz cocktails. Or three—it’s that easy to whip up. So much so, we’d bet that your whole flat could get through some (and make a dairy dash to pick up some more Schweppes Classic Soda Water) by the time your mate clears the airport queues in Milan Malpensa.
We’re calling it now, this is going to be the “I drank it first” drink of the season. Elderflower and Aperol spritz, eat your heart out: the Amalfi spritz is the new Euro queen.
Next Sunday sesh, pair it with billowing linen outfits, a slab of homemade focaccia, some booming Ibiza 2013 club remixes, the lingering scent of your favourite SPF and you’ll be thoroughly transported.
Ingredients
30ml blood orange gin
10ml Cocchi Rosa
10ml Rinquinquin
5ml Fresh lime juice
Schweppes Classic Soda Water
Large orange slice, to garnish
Method
Pour the blood orange gin into a tall glass.
Add the Cocchi Rosa and Rinquinquin.
Stir in the lime juice.
Fill with ice, top up with Schweppes Classic Soda Water and give it a gentle stir.
Garnish with a large orange slice and enjoy.
Now that you know exactly where to hone in when you next hit the mixers aisle, we think it’s a no brainer to plan your entire gathering—pres, sundowner or full-sh’bang—around your new Schweppes favourite sip du jour.
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Schweppes and proudly endorsed by Urban List. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who make Urban List possible. Click here for more information on our editorial policy.
Images: Urban List.