Make sure your cocktail cabinet is stocked up with a few of these essentials.

Mixers and Juices

Whether shaken or simply stirred, it is the juice and mixers that often provide the length and body of the cocktail. After all where would the bloody mary be without tomato juice?

These additions to the cocktails should always be as cold as possible. Juices are best if they can be made from fresh fruit but failing that, opt for the better quality ready-squeezed version and those that are not too sweet.

Apple Juice

Available still or sparkling and either clear cloudy. Always choose a juice with little or no extra sugar and preservatives.

Bitter lemon

A non-alcoholic fizzy mixer good will all white spirits. It is make from carbonated water lemon, sugar and quinine.

Coconut milk

Used in topical cocktails coconut milk available in cans as solid blocks of creamed coconut or in a powdered form. The blocks and powder both require dissolving in hot water and then should be left to cool before use.

Cranberry Juice

A tangy and refreshing fruit drink available in carrots and glass jars. The regular cranberry juice mixes well with spirits: the commercially available cranberry juices, mixed with raspberry or blackcurrant juice often further delicious flovour combinations.

Ginger ale

Available in several varieties: dry Canadian dry and the slightly sweeter American dry. A non-alcoholic mixer, it is made from carbonated water, ginger extract and sugar. Mixes well with whisky, bourbon and gin is used in Kew pimms.

Ginger Beer

A fermented drink made form ginger, sugar, water yeast. The alcoholic content in ginger beer is negligible.

Lemonade

Usually a non-alcoholic fizzy soft drink. Alcoholic and some traditional lemonade varieties are now available.

Orange juice

For best result either squeeze Fresh orange yourself or purchase chilled orange juice made from 100% fresh fruit. These have nothing added and certainly on extra sugar other orange juices are mostly made with sweetened concentrates.

Passion Fruit Cordial and Nectars

These are made with concentrated passion-fruit juice and natural flavouring. The cordial is very strong and needs diluting to taste.

Pineapple juice

The sweet and sour flavour of pineapple juice is imperative in many tropical cocktails. Use either freshly-squeezed or cartons, but preferable use the less sweet varieties.

Pick grape fruit juice

Often made from Florida, pink grapefruit which are naturally sweet it mixer well with white spirit’s look for our juice made from freshly squeezed fruit.

Prune juice

This is imported from America and is made from a concentrate of dried prunes with no added sugar or preservatives.

Red grape juice

A light and fruity juice, which is useful for making non-alcoholic cocktail. Choose curious to keep in the cupboard and once opened. Store in the fridge for up to three days.

Soda water

A mixer containing sparkling and bicarbonate of soda traditionally mixed with whisky and good to use when making long thirst – quenching cocktails. Sparkling mineral water can be used in its place.

Tomato juice

An excellent versatile mixer available in thick or thin consistence. It can be found mixed with clam juice, in a Canadian product called clamato.

Tonic water

A good old-fashioned mixer is used with gin, vodka or whiskey. Available in a low calorie variety. It contains a small amount or quinine.

Added flavours

These are the little extras that make all the difference between a good or a boring cocktail.

Bitters, syrups and sauces

The most widely used is angostura bitters, made in the west Indies from cloves, cinnamon, gention, mace, nutmeg, quinine, prunes and other barks, sterns and herbs. It has a distinctive flavour and rosy red hue when a few drops are used. Grenadine and lime cordial both add sweetness and hints of their own individual flavours of pomegranate and lime grenadine is also used for its pink red colour with creates a glowing band at the bottom of a mai tai and a tequila sunrise.
Other herbs and spices are vital for their flavours and are used in making Tobasco sauce both of which are used for maximum impact in a bloody mary.
Balsamic and cider vinegars add a tart flavour but are less sour than lemon or lime juice.