With its feisty vodka kick, zing of lemon and spicy Tabasco, the Bloody Mary is guaranteed to give your senses a wake-up call: its reputation as a hangover cure is legendary.

60ml (2fl oz) vodka
120ml (4fl oz) tomato juice
1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of salt
pinch of finely ground black pepper
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 large ice cube
1 celery stick, to garnish
1 lemon wedge, to garnish

You’ll need

1. Place all of the ingredients except the garnishes in a cocktail shaker or a tightly sealed screw-top jar. Shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds.

2. Strain into a 240ml (8fl oz) highball glass.

3. Garnish with the celery stick and lemon wedge.

method

Sharp, piquant, and refreshingly savoury, a Bloody Mary is ideal at any time of year, with the spicy heat balanced by the cooling tomato juice.

A generous serving of Asian cooking spices transforms the Siam Sunray from vodka cocktail to ‘Thailand in a glass’ – sit back on a Thai beach and imbibe!

½ Thai chilli pepper
3 thin slices of ginger
1 Kaffir lime leaf
3 thin slivers of lemongrass
15ml (½fl oz) sugar syrup
3 drops lime juice
40ml (1½fl oz) vodka
30ml (1fl oz) coconut liqueur
ice
a splash of soda water
chilli pepper, to garnish
lime wedge, to garnish

You’ll need

1. Crush the chilli, ginger, lime leaf and lemongrass together in a shaker
2. Add the syrup, lime juice, vodka and coconut liqueur
3. Once shaken, strain into a long glass over ice, top up with soda water, and garnish with a fresh chilli pepper and lime.

method

For now, the Siam Sunray is nowhere near as ubiquitous as the Singapore Sling, but it’s a slow burner, appearing in more and more bars and restaurants around the Kingdom of Smiles.

Named after the beach-lined Cape Cod peninsula, this refreshingly tart cranberry beverage is a traditional happy-hour cocktail that transports you to summertime at the shore.

60ml (2fl oz) vodka

120–150ml (4–5fl oz) cranberry juice

½ lime, plus a lime wedge to
garnish

You’ll need

1. Fill a tall cocktail glass with ice and pour in the vodka.
2. Add the cranberry juice.
3. Squeeze the lime, and add lime juice to taste. Stir.
4. Garnish drink with a lime wedge, and serve.

method

While many Cape Cod purists insist on adding lime, you can substitute lemon. Add club soda if you prefer a lighter, sparkling drink.

An Espresso Martini is the tuxedo of the cocktail world. Sophisticated, rich and midnight-dark, this sultry drink blends
quality espresso, vodka and Kahlúa in a Martini glass.

40ml (1½fl oz) espresso
1 cup ice cubes, straight from the freezer
25ml (¾fl oz) Kahlúa
35ml (1¼fl oz) vodka
5ml (¼fl oz) sugar syrup
2–3 whole roasted coffee beans

You’ll need

1. Use a quality espresso machine to brew a strong shot of espresso.

2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes before pouring 40ml of espresso, the Kahlúa, vodka and sugar syrup over it.

3. Shake heartily for about 20 seconds.

Method

4. Open the shaker and use a cocktail sieve (or the lid) to strain the liquid into a Martini glass, excluding the ice cubes.

5. A supple foam should have formed on the drink. Float the coffee beans in the centre and serve.

A beautifully blended Espresso Martini seduces you first with its scent: a whisper of caramel and chocolate, before the rich odour of coffee barrels into your nostrils.