Five cocktail recipes using just three ingredients each to spice up your nights in.
Far too often over the past 18 months have we been forced to create our own cocktails to celebrate, or simply let off steam. Many cocktails require lots of fancy and expensive ingredients, which let’s be honest, is not ideal when you’re on a student budget and will be drinking them out of basic tumblers or plastic cups. However, with a bit of imagination, some careful planning, and a trip to Maryhill Tesco, it’s possible to be cheap and classy at the same time with your homemade cocktail nights. So put on your glad rags and brace yourself for some simple yet tasty drinks!
Blue Lagoon
Vodka 1 shot
Lemonade 300ml
Blue Curaçao a splash
Serves 1
We’re throwing it back to the 80s with this classic cocktail. It couldn’t be easier, all you need is a shot (or two) of vodka, then top up your glass with lemonade, often the cheaper the better, and finish it off with a splash of blue Curaçao. It’s a vodka lemonade but with a twist and will always go down a treat!
Woo Woo
Vodka 1 shot
Cranberry juice 300ml
Lime juice 20 ml
Serves 1
A favourite among me and my flatmates, the Woo Woo has come out on many a birthday celebration. Once again, it’s a shot of vodka, cranberry juice, and then finish it off with some fresh lime juice. Not only can you reuse the vodka from the recipe above, but cranberry juice won’t go flat once it’s opened, and limes tend to be bought in a bag so there’s plenty to go around. Mix it up and you won’t even taste the alcohol!
Tequila Sunrise
Tequila 1 shot
Orange juice 300ml
Grenadine syrup a splash
Serves 1
I have to admit, it’s not a personal favourite of mine (it’s the tequila …), but if you’re looking to impress with a pretty cocktail, the tequila sunrise is perfect. Start off with a shot of tequila (can be swapped for any other spirit if you’re not a tequila fan like myself), some orange juice, and then a splash of grenadine syrup. Watch the red syrup sink to the bottom creating a work of art in your glass. A word of warning though, my flatmate did have to order the grenadine syrup from Amazon after hunting all over the West End. For a mocktail, swap the alcohol for lemonade or pineapple juice. You’ve still got all the looks and the taste but none of the regret the next day!
Berry Daiquiri
Frozen berries a handful
Apple juice 300 ml
White rum 2 shots
Serves 1
I can’t say I’ve ever seen this exact recipe anywhere, but my flatmate made it for one of my other flatmate’s birthdays, and boy was it good. You do need a blender but there’s always one person who has a Nutribullet, right? In the blender goes a handful of frozen berries, some apple juice and a few shots of white rum. Blitz it up, serve chilled and you’ve got yourself a spiked (or unspiked) smoothie.
Peach Bellini (Student Style)
Peach schnapps 1 shot
Orange juice 150ml
Prosecco (or lemonade) 150ml
Your classic Peach Bellini is Prosecco and peach purée, but these variations not only taste the same, they are also easy to make. A shot of peach schnapps, half a glass of orange juice and half a glass of Prosecco, and you’ve got yourself a strong Peach Bellini. If you’re really on a budget, you can swap the Prosecco for lemonade, or simply miss it out all together. Easy peasy, peach squeezy.
Three ingredient cocktails (or mocktails) are easy to make and even easier to drink. It’s all about getting creative and mixing things up until you find something you love. Other combinations could be vodka, apple sours and lemonade; peach schnapps, vodka, and orange juice, or lemonade; or even a classic GU pint of fun. The options are endless, and there’s guaranteed to be something for everyone and every budget!
