If you’re anything like us, your cocktail parties go one of two ways.
Either you get so overexcited a week before the event that you plan an overly elaborate selection of cocktails including a bankruptcy-inducing list of ingredients only to find that your friends barely touch half of them. Or you forget you’ve planned anything at all and have to muddle together something drinkable for your eager guests with a half-flat bottle of diet Coke and a dusty looking bottle of something you bought in Croatia precisely five years ago.
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As (allegedly) sassy, young women with our stuff together neither of these scenarios are exactly ideal. But fear not! Things don’t actually have to be this way! You can, in fact, make five awesome drinks to suit even the pickiest most discerning drinkers amongst your friendship group with only one bottle of Bombay Sapphire. Here’s how to do it.
Bombay Sapphire
1 of 6The Sweet One
"The Aviation" is a great for anyone who likes a cocktail with an element of sweetness and only uses four basic ingredients - gin, lemon juice, Maraschino liqueur and Créme de Violette - so you won't have to spend weeks trawling the shops before you invite your friends over for a drink. It also comes out the most beautiful light pink colour. Bonus. Here's the recipe
2 of 6The Bitter One
"The Negroni" was favoured by both James Bond and Bobby Baccalieri from The Sopranos – if that’s not enough to tell you that this is a killer cocktail then we really don’t know what is. It’s quite bitter so it’s definitely one for your friends who like to think of themselves as having a bit of a mature palette, but it doesn’t require any equipment at all to make it. Handy, considering how much washing up is still in your sink. The recipe is here
3 of 6The Creamy One
"The Alexander" is a great one for people who have a bit of a sweet tooth or who are aren’t too keen on gin, because it contains chocolate liqueur which stops the gin flavour from being too overpowering. Also: crack this out after dinner in lieu of dessert if the cocktails are accompanying food rather than, say, the X-Factor. Check out how to make it here
4 of 6The Bubbly One
"The French 75""The French 75" is for anyone who loves that pokey sweetness you get with a proper lemonade - only (bonus!) lifted with champagne. Our top tip is to add all the cheapest ingredients to your shaker first so you don’t end up having to go out and buy another bottle of bubbles if you slightly cock it up – and Prosecco or Cava would work too if you can’t afford proper champers. Recipe here
5 of 6The Fruity One
Even people who normally say they hate gin will like "The Bramble" because it’s just so damn fruity and refreshing. If you don’t have Chambord, you can shake up a couple of blackberries with the rest of the ingredients or even use blackberry jam. All good things, especially if you’re pressed for time. Full proof recipehere
6 of 6Take one bottle of Bombay Sapphire!
And make some amazing alternatives to a G&T. You, my friend, have far more superior and experimental taste. Like these five cocktails that'll suit every single one of your housemates - whatever their usual drink of choice
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Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophiecullinane
Photographer: Luke & Nik
Production & Set Design: Anna Jay
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.