Lockdown cocktails and how to mix them

Brits who are partial to a cocktail or two could save themselves up to £8.46 per drink by mixing them at home in lockdown, it has been revealed.

Personal finance experts from TheMoneyPig.com have researched eleven of Britain’s favourite cocktails and worked out exactly how much it would cost to recreate them at home.

Following recipes from The Diffords Guide, they priced up drinks such as a Long Island iced tea, sex on the beach and strawberry daiquiri. The prices were then compared to those found in a popular high-street cocktail chain.

Making eleven different cocktails at home could cost £18.23, 82 per cent cheaper than the £103.75 bill which would be expected if you were drinking the same cocktails in a bar.

The most expensive drink to make at home is the Pornstar Martini, coming in at £3.32 when the measure of bubbly is Champagne.

A sex on the beach will set you back around £8.95 when bought at a bar, but costs 90 per cent less to make it at home – just 85p.

Zombies and Long Island iced teas are known for being the cocktails with the highest amount of alcohol in them – and are therefore some of the most expensive – but can be made at home for £2.28 and £1.41 respectively.

The four different types of alcohol used in a Zombie, dark rum, white rum, overproof rum and Pernod anise, will cost you £2.10 per glass leaving 18p for the fruit juices and grenadine mixers.

As a rule, the more fruit juices and mixers used in the cocktail the cheaper it is to make. These price fluctuations tend not to be reflected in cocktail prices on the high street.

Brits may opt for fruitier drinks, such as pina coladas and sex on the beach which are commonly drank on holiday, to remind themselves of happier, sunnier times.

A cocktail which has become popular more recently, the Aperol spritz, has just three ingredients – Prosecco, Aperol and soda, which when combined will cost £1.75 per glass.

Aperol spritzAperol spritz
Aperol spritz

A spokesperson from TheMoneyPig.com said: “Being in lockdown means that we’re missing a lot of things and trying to recreate them at home.

“Lots of people are missing the opportunity to be able to catch up with friends and family over some refreshing drinks, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it at home.

“The extravagant drinks, which we know tend to be expensive, can be made for as little as 85p a glass, so mixing them up at home will keep both your taste buds and your bank account happy.

“There are also things that we can take from this for when lockdown is eventually lifted. Getting a group of friends together to make your favourite drinks could be a lot more fun, and will be a lot nicer on your wallet, than heading out to bars.

“Many of the cocktails use different combinations of the same ingredients, so although buying the bottles may seem like a large upfront cost, once you work out the prices per drinks, and how much you’re saving, it’s more than worth it.”

Cocktail starter kit

ESSENTIALSYou will need bottles of whisky, martini, vodka, tequila,orange liqueur like Grand Marnier or Cointreau – referred to in recipes as triple sec, prosecco, white rum, gin, Aperol – an infusion of bitter and sweet orange, mix of herbs and roots – Schnapps, Champagne – branded spirits and wine will be more expensive then stores’ own brands – mixers and fruit juices.Food blender and cocktail shakerPlus various embellishments: fruits, ice, straws etc

HOW TO MAKELong Island iced tea for 4Ingredients50ml vodka50ml dry gin50ml reposado tequila50ml white rum50ml triple sec50-100ml fresh lime juiceice500ml cola2 limes cut into wedgesHow to mixPour the vodka, gin, tequila, rum and triple sec into a large (1.5l) jug, and add lime juice to taste. Half fill the jug with ice, then stir until the outside feels cold.Add the cola then stir to combine. Drop in the lime wedges.Fill 4 tall glasses with more ice cubes and pour in the iced tea.

Aperol spritzIngredients

A bottle of chilled Prosecco

A bottle of Aperol

Soda, served from a syphon or chilled bottle

Tall balloon or wine glass

Ice cubes

Fresh orange slice

How to make

Fill a large wine glass with ice; add Prosecco followed by Aperol in equal parts; add a dash of soda water and stir; garnish with an orange slice

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Pina coladaIngredients120ml pineapple juice60ml white rum60ml coconut creamwedge of pineapple to garnish (optional)How to makePulse all the ingredients along with a handful of ice in a blender until smooth.Pour into a tall glass and garnish as you like.

Sex on the beachIngredientsice50ml vodka25ml peach schnapps2 orangesjuiced, plus 2 slices to garnish50ml cranberry juiceHow to makeFill two tall glasses with ice cubes. Pour the vodka, peach schnapps and fruit juices into a large jug and stir.Divide the mixture between the two glasses and stir gently to combine. Garnish with the cocktail cherries and orange slices.

Pornstar martiniIngredients60ml vodka30ml passion fruit puree30ml vanilla syrup15ml fresh lime juiceHow to makeProsecco or ChampagneCombine all ingredients (except the sparkling wine) to ocktail shakerShake with iceStrain into a chilled glassGarnish with half a passionfruit (sprinkle with vanilla sugar, optional)Serve with a shot glass ofprosecco or Champagne

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