4 methods for making the most out of cocktails

Award winning canned pre-mixed drinks brand, Mix Up, is here to make your autumn feel just like summerwith some ways to improve your drinks.

Here are four ways to make the most of your cocktails, from cocktail extraordinaire and bartending World Champion, Jamie Stephenson.

Too impatient to wait for your cans to cool down? Simply add crushed ice or cubes and a little water to a large bowl, add in a couple of tablespoons of table salt and submerge your cans. The salt will melt the ice super-fast, and by doing so, it will draw heat from the nearest source—the cans! Watch the temperature plummet in just two minutes!  

See how easy it is to master this trick here. 

If you fancy an ice-cold drink, but don’t want your ice cubes diluting the taste of your cocktailsas they melt, simply freeze up some fruit overnight. Add them to your glass instead. It’s simple, effective and looks stunning. 

Alternatively, pop blueberries, raspberries and grapes in your ice cube trays before you top with water to make the prettiest ice cubes to load up your glass with. Simply top with your Mix Up of choice and enjoy! Watch how to bring this trick to life here.   

Make ice cubes or ice-pop style ice sticks from premium fruit juices, cordials or syrups. You can use these in your drinks to make “evolving” cocktails that change colour as the ice melts.

For an extra wow factor, use butterfly pea extract to make ultraviolet cocktails perfect for impressing your friends. You can serve them with Mix Up Pink Gin & Tonic, garnished with fresh strawberries (or even edible flowers) for a lilac-pink cocktail.

Freezing premium orange juice with a dash of grenadine to make ice cubes or ice pop sticks can make your drinks more exciting, when served with Mix Up Vodka, Lime and Lemonade and garnished with fresh orange slices. Alternatively, you can make ice cubes with Elderflower cordial and add them to a Mix Up Gin & Tonic, garnished with fresh lemon for a great drink.   

Also, you can take inspiration from the popular Cuban cocktailand freeze minty Mojito syrup into ice cubes. Add a full can of Mix Up Vodka, Lime and Lemonade and garnish with fresh lime and mint leaves.

Everyone loves a cocktail creation, but drinking these concoctions in your favourite bars and bistros can set you back a small fortune. Why not create some copy-cat cocktails at home—working out at less than £2 per head?

For a sherbet lemon drop cocktail, first chill a fancy martini glass in the fridge. Mix a big spoonful of white caster sugar with the finely grated zest of a lemon. Dip the rim of the glass in squeezed lemon juice and the sugar/zest mix.  Add a can of Mix Up Vodka, Lime and Lemonade into the glass with ice, and a sneaky shot of limoncello or Cointreau. Watch how to make this one here. 

In order to make a sparkly screwdriver, pour some good quality, freshly squeezed orange juice, ice and a Mix Up Vodka Lime and Lemonade into a tall glass and garnish with a big wedge of orange for a sparkly alternative to the classic.    

When making a cool caipiroska, cut a fresh lime into chunks, then put it into the bottom of a sturdy glass and add a couple of teaspoons of sugar. Mix them well, and top with crushed ice and a Mix Up Vodka, Lime and Lemonade.        

It’s a myth that ice always waters down the drink—what matters is how much ice. The more ice you add, the less it meltsas the core temperature stays colder for longer, meaning the ice doesn’t melt and ruin your drink. So don’t be shy and make sure your glass is full before you add the liquids.

The best thing about cocktails is the preservation of ratios, as they mean that you get the best taste of the spirit and its accompaniments for that specific drink. Ratios are there to help you get the perfect measure so always read and adhere to recipes—more isn’t necessarily better with spirits! 

Banner Credit: Cocktails (Rimma_Bondarenko)