To make your own cocktails could be foraging the ingredients, or simply learning to make cocktails from ready-made ingredients. Either way, it’s likely to end up better than sugary cocktail drinks sold in bars.
Most spirits are ok for vegans (Campari has replaced beetle juice). Most Tequila does not have a ‘worm in the bottle’, though its cousin mezcal may. Find simple recipes at Cookie + Kate (Cucumber Mint Gimlet, Tom Collins Cocktail, Classic Aperol Spritz and Moscow Mules. Kate says use a cocktail glass if you can’t find food-safe copper mugs (others can be toxic for acid foods).
Botanical Cocktails is a book contains lavish photos and 40 recipes, divided by season, with tips on how to forage berries, herbs, veggies, flowers and fruits. If growing fruits/herbs yourself, make your garden safe for pets, to avoid toxic plants, mulch and other items.
Bitter Union (Hampshire) offers handmade natural cocktail bitters. These are like ‘salt and pepper’ for your drink. Handmade in small batches, some contain liquorice, lemongrass and hibiscus, avoid for pregnancy/nursing. Choose from spiced orange, lemon, rhubarb or aromatics (avoid rhubarb for liver, kidney or bowel issues).
Tapp’d Handcrafted Cocktails from Essex (Essex) are made with organic fruits and ethically-sourced cold brew coffee, in Leigh-On-Sea. The gift set includes 12 vegan gluten-free cocktails and bar blade. Flavours include Passionfruit Vanilla, Peach Cranberry Vodka, Strawberry Lime Daiquiri (mint, lime, rum) and Espresso Martini.
Square Root Soda’s Italian Negroni (East London) gives a cockney slant to the popular Italian cocktail. This alcohol-free version is a blend of orange, raspberry and blackcurrant) with gently infused spices (avoid quinine if pregnant/nursing or on certain medications).
Or make your own negroni spritz which contains enough ingredients to produce 20 drinks. all the squishing, pressing and juicing of the fruit is done in-house. Seedlip also makes non-alcoholic nogroni.
