Whether you’ve been crafting drinks for years or are just getting started, mixology is a creative and rewarding endeavor. Here, we’ve gathered a selection of truly unique creations for you to try. You’ll find some drinks with bright, refreshing flavors, others with complex, ever-changing notes and a hint of spice, and still others that deliver the sweet, fruity delight of a favorite treat.
We’ve compiled these recipes to showcase the process of creating unique drinks. Get ready to explore the ingredients used in these drinks. Learn the simple steps to make them. You might just find your next favorite drink on the list.
1. **The Trocadero’s twist cocktail**: This unique cocktail created by Trocadero is truly one-of-a-kind. The original concept was to deliver a refreshing and crisp taste. This cocktail blends the distinctive flavors of vodka, lychee, rose wine, grapefruit juice, and vanilla syrup. Trocadero adds a layer of exceptionally smooth foam to the top of the drink.
Preparation: Shake all ingredients together, double-strain into a chilled glass, and finish with a beautiful foam topping.
2. **Perfect Serve by Cromlix**: Bella Seagrave of Cromlix Hotel has created this ideal summer drink. The key lies in the use of the estate’s signature Cromlix gin, a gin made from plants grown in the hotel’s garden. It cleverly balances sweet anise with the fresh botanical aromas of gin. The tart flavors of grapefruit and lemon add depth to the overall taste, making this drink an excellent choice for after-dinner enjoyment.
3. **Go with the flow**: Alba Alvar Ramos drew inspiration from her philosophy of life to name this drink. She used Ben Lomond Gin as the base. The drink is described as sweet, citrusy, and spicy.
It uses 35ml of Ben Lomond Scottish Gin as the base. It includes 10ml of rhubarb syrup, 20ml of lime juice, and 20ml of pressed apple juice. Finally, ginger ale is added, and it is garnished with lime zest to enhance the aroma. The preparation method involves shaking the liquids (excluding the soda), filtering, and finally adding the previously added soda.
4. **Old Tom French 75**: This cocktail also appeared in the movie Casablanca. This version comes from Seb Bunford-Jones at Glasgow Distillery Place. It highlights their unique Makar Old Tom gin, which is produced there.
After distillation, flowing honey is added to this gin, and its rich juniper flavor remains distinctly present when tasted. The recipe includes 15 ml of lemon juice and 10 ml of syrup, topped off with champagne. Preparation: Mix the gin, lemon juice, syrup, and ice cubes, shake well, strain into a champagne glass, and garnish with a cherry.
5. **Rusacks old-fashioned**: Szymon Barczynski crafted this drink at Rusacks Hotel, located next to the 18th hole of the Old Course. It is his unique interpretation of the classic Old Fashioned. This version aims to deliver a complex and spicy flavor profile, differing from the conventional version. Its uniqueness lies in the addition of specific bitters, such as cardamom and chocolate bitters. Cardamom adds a warm aroma, while chocolate enhances the sweetness.
This cocktail uses 50ml of Eden Mill Guardbridge whisky, 15ml of salt syrup, and bitters. This complex and spicy version is suitable for before or after meals, simply mixed with ice.
6. **The strawberry smash**: Dean Banks at Haar in St Andrews has carefully crafted this smooth and refreshing drink, which focuses on achieving the perfect balance of flavors. Sweet Scottish strawberries undoubtedly form the base flavor. Fresh basil leaves add aroma, while lime juice provides the necessary acidity balance.
This blend highlights the citrus, spice, and briny notes of Lunun Gin (60ml base spirit). Preparation: Mash the strawberries, add lime, syrup, gin, and ice cubes, shake well, strain, and garnish.
Recipe details: Strawberry Smash Cocktails with Tarragon recipes
Cook time: Unknown Total time: 20
Level: Unknown Servings: 2
Total weight: 695.5 g Calories: 884.8 kcal
Energy: 884.8 kcal Protein: 5.0 g
Carbs: 163.0 g Fat: 1.7 g
Dish Tags: world, alcohol cocktail, lunch/dinner, Low-Fat, Low-Sodium, Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Wheat, Sulfites
Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons tarragon leaves
10 large strawberries plus 4 for a garnish, sliced
1 lime cut into wedges
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup vodka
3 tablespoons tarragon leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons tarragon simple syrup
Get the recipe: Strawberry Smash Cocktails with Tarragon recipes
7. **A very old-fashioned**: Tom Tsappis created this unique drink, whose name hints at a special ingredient with historical significance. What makes it unique is the use of a specific sake from a traditional Japanese brewery with a history dating back to 1703. Tom loves the umami flavor this sake brings to the ingredients.
Ingredients: 50ml blended whiskey (Dewar’s), 50ml Genroku Redux sake, 5ml syrup, chocolate bitters. Preparation: Add ice cubes to a glass, pour in the liquids, stir thoroughly, and garnish with orange peel.
8. **Earth**: This drink called ‘Earth’ comes from Connor Wren, a talented bartender who works at Elements restaurant in Bearsden. He was inspired by a great basil sour he had while working in Norway. He wanted to capture those lovely herbs and garden flavours that he knew from his time there.
The Earth Cocktail starts with a special syrup that mixes grated lime and lemon zest with chopped basil and sugar. It is gently simmered in water to capture the herbal and citrus flavours. In addition to a good gin, add grapefruit and fresh lime juice. Shaken well, the egg white delivers a silky texture.
The caveat is to make the soaking syrup a day in advance of needing it. Soak in the refrigerator for 24 hours for best results. When ready to serve, add the syrup, gin, grapefruit, lime juice and egg white to a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for one minute. Strain the mixture, discard the ice and dry shake for another minute to froth. Pour into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a dehydrated lime wedge.
Explore unique cocktail recipes that give you the opportunity to experience new flavors and mixology techniques. These recipes come from talented mixologists who have provided us with endless inspiration. They offer practical guides that make it easy to create stunning drinks at home. Get your ingredients ready and try shaking or stirring some new recipes.
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