It’s Bank Holiday Barbeque Time!
Bank Holiday BBQ Ideas
Summer is in full swing, the forecast is red-hot sun (with scattered showers!), the garden is green and the smell of the neighbour’s barbeque is wafting over your fence. It’s that time of year again; time to dust off the old barbeque for its annual airing. What better time than Bank Holiday Monday? With the roads and airports chock-a-block with red-faced motorists and holiday makers, get away from it all and take the time out to relax in the garden, throw a party and sizzle-up some bangers with friends.
Here at drinkstuff we have a mind-boggling array of barbeques and summer party accessories . Whether you’re looking for bbq accessories, disposable drinkware, party plates or napkins right up to cocktail sets and Inflatable Hot-tubs! We’ve also included a few recipes and Ideas but if you need a comprehensive collection of cocktail recipes then check out our cocktail books which are jam-packed with ideas for creating your own concoctions!
Food Inspiration
Food is quite rightly the star guest at any barbeque. Nothing can beat the smell of char-grilled meat filling the summer air. With so many choices available at the supermarket it can be easy to settle for pre-made burgers and sausages but if you fancy trying your hand at making your own burgers, it couldn’t be simpler with the Swift Burger Press . Mix up your mince and chosen ingredients in a bowl and spoon into the mould and press down to create your own authentic professional-looking home-made burgers!
Of course, barbeques aren’t limited to burgers and sausages. Be adventurous, try Lamb, Pork Chops or Steak and marinade your meat the night before. Also fish and shellfish are delicious barbequed and don’t forget old favourites like corn-on-the-cob, salads and nibbles like olives and nuts.
If you’re looking for inspiration; here’s a tried and tested marinade recipe from the drinkstuff team. It’s very simple to put together, using some basic food cupboard ingredients:
Smokey BBQ Marinade
300ml Barbeque Sauce
1 Onion, chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
2 Tsps Smoked Paprika
1 Tsp Chilli Powder
4 Tbsps of Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Worcester Sauce
2 Tbsps Tomato Puree
1 Tsp White Wine Vinegar
This tasty and easy marinade is great for white meats such as chicken and pork, although it works just as well with Beef Steak and Fish. Simply mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and add your chosen meat. Ensure that the marinade is covering the meat, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight before cooking as normal on your barbeque. Once your meat is cooked, serve it up with a bowl of fresh salad, cous-cous or even more meat!
For the presentation conscious our Royal Genware Square Plates are ideal for presenting a plate of food a chef would be proud of! For a whole range of tableware and presentation ideas check out our ever-expanding selection of tableware and crockery for more inspiration.
Drinks all round!
Drink selection is a vital part to any gathering of friends, why not throw a BBQ party with a twist and greet your guests with a tray of refreshing Mojitos or a bowl of homemade punch?
Children and designated drivers should never be left out so don’t forget to include a non-alcoholic punch or have a blender on-hand to wizz-up some ice-cream smoothies or fruit-based cocktails. Make sure you have the right glass for the job though; cocktails aren’t just about mixing drinks together it’s about the presentation too!
Another party essential which is a firm favourite here at drinkstuff towers are the Stack Cups . These ingenious lightweight cups have a hollow handle which allows them to be stacked together for easy carrying. They’re perfect for dishing out a round of cold beers when your free-hands are limited!
If you want to save on washing-up we now have a range of bio-degradable plastic cups and recycled napkins to minimise any harmful fallout from your party. Because let’s face it; who wants to be washing up after a few Sangrias!?
We’ve included a couple of our favourite summer cocktail recipes for you. For non-alcoholic ice-cream shakes just swap the Vodka, Baileys and Kahlua for flavoured Crusha or Nesquick, the kids will love it!
Summer Ice Cream Alco-Shakes (Makes 4)
4 Scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream
50ml Vodka
100ml Bailey’s irish Cream
50ml Kahlua
300ml Milk
In a blender or food-processor add all of the ingredients and simply wiz them together until they are blended into a smooth drink. Serve in iced hurricane cocktail glasses with a straw. For extra decadence top with a generous helping of whipped cream!
Sangria (courtesy of the ultimate bar book )
2 Lemons, sliced
2 Peaches, pitted and sliced
120ml Fresh lemon juice
90ml Licor 43 (If available)
75g Superfine sugar
75cl of red wine (Rioja is ideal)
Soda to top up
Combine the lemon and peach slices in a large glass pitcher . Add the lemon juice, Licor 43 and sugar, stirring to combine. Gently stir in the wine. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, add the soda, stirring gently. Slowly pour into ice-filled wine goblets allowing some of the fruit to fall into the glasses.
Licor 43 is an ancient Spanish liqueur which has a distinctive vanilla and citrus twang. It’s not readily available in the supermarket and unless you spend a lot of time hopping over to Spain you’ll rarely see it. However several online stockists do supply to the UK for a reasonable price.
If you want to, you can replace the Licor 43 with another fruity liqueur such as Cointreau, Pimms or Flavoured Vodka.
We hope you take the time to relax and enjoy your summer barbeque. After all it’s the last Bank Holiday until Christmas! One last point to note is of course to drink safely and be careful handling your barbeque, don’t over-stock your coals or go mad with the lighter fluid, nobody wants to eat burnt sausages or worse; spend bank holiday in A&E!
It’s Jamaican Independence Day – Bring on the Rum!
It’s a Great Day for Jamaica, not only after the lightning-fast Olympic antics of Usain Bolt and Johan Blake in last night’s 100m final but also today is the 50th anniversary celebration of Jamaican Independence.
Rum is definitely the flavour of the day, however take your time with it, and certainly don't knock it back in 9.63 seconds! (especially if it's Jamaican overproof!). Perhaps join the celebrations in style with a refreshing chilled Jamaican Iced Tea? We highly recommend mixing it up with our Cocktail Starter Pack which is currently available at a 38% discount from our website and includes a The Bar Book, the most comprehensive cocktail guide ever written, with over 1000 recipes. In case Rum or Iced Tea aren’t your thing!
Jamaican Iced Tea (per Serving)
50ml Dark Jamaican rum
300ml Iced tea
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
1 Teaspoon of Brown Sugar
1 Lime cut into 1/8 size wedges
Pour 50ml of Dark Jamaican Rum into a Cocktail Shaker. Add Spices and sugar if desired and the Ice Tea. Shake well and decant into a chilled glass with a handful of Ice Cubes and a wedge of lime. Chill out, pull up a chair and sip along to the Athletics finals!
Glazed Donut Vodka: All the Taste, Less of the Calories
Introducting Glazed Donut Vodka, a product that only American's could invent. The perfect alternative to that Krispy Kreme dipped in hard liquor, this 35% proof offers all the yummy donut taste with less of the calories. Created by American company 360 Vodka, they have produced the earth's first eco-friendly range of vodkas which includes flavours such as Sorrento Lemon, Madagascan Vanilla and more unusual flavours such as cola, double chocolate and bing cherry. For the perfect breakfast drink, why not try a Glazed Donut Vodka, Bakon Vodka and Maple Syrup Vodka cocktail? We think we'll call it the Glazed Maplebakontini...no we didn't think it was a good idea either.
This unique vodka needs a unique cocktail, such as the Boston Creme Donut, courtesy of 360 Vodka:
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 ounce 360 Vodka Glazed Donut
• 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
• 1 scoop of ice
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate sprinkles
Directions:
Add all ingredients, with the scoop of ice, into a blender and blend until desired consistency. Pour into a rocks glass and top with whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate sprinkles.
Cheers!
The Drinkstuff Blog
Find us on Facebook
Teapot Cocktail Party
Picture the scene; a cake stand filled with daintily cut cucumber sandwiches, delicious Victoria sponge slices, and scones with jam and clotted cream. Obviously served with a teapot and teacups...but hold on a minute, they're drinking Margarita through a straw in a teacup? Known as a teapot cocktail party, this new phenomenon of combining sophisticated afternoon tea with tasty after work cocktails is becoming popular in bars and tea houses across the country.
As any keen teapot cocktail lover will tell you, you can forget serving your Cranberry Woo Woo in a pitcher filled with ice, your grandmother's teapot adds so much more class. Teapot cocktails are most commonly served in a teacup or martini glass, but any regular cocktail glass will do.
Fancy hosting your own teapot cocktail party? If you're wondering what to serve up in your cocktail teapot, we've got some recipe inspiration for you. Why not try a green tea martini or a tea-for-two martini?
Green Tea Martini
90ml green tea, chilled
170ml citron vodka
15ml Cointreau
15ml simple syrup
Place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well and strain into your teapot. Perfect served in an ice filled glass or teacup garnished with an orange twist.
Tea-for-two Martini
130ml spice rum
170ml black tea
90ml simple syrup
130ml cranberry juice
15ml grenadine
Place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well and strain into your teapot. Perfect served in a martini glass and garnish with a cherry.
To help get you started we've complied some great value teapot cocktail sets so you can host your very own teapot cocktail party! Check out our fabulous tea pot cocktail sets including the Teapot Cocktail Set, Tea Party Cocktail Set and Storm in a Teacup Cocktail Set. Absolutely spiffing marvellous!
Tu-de-lu,
The Drinkstuff Blog
Find us on Facebook
The Best Free Cocktail iPhone Apps
Mixing cocktails while using an iPhone is usually a recipe for disaster, unless you happen to be using a cocktail recipe app of course. We've compiled a list of some of the best free (yes, that's right free!) cocktail iPhone apps currently available so you'll be whizzing up martini's faster as fast as you can shake your cocktail shaker. Ideal for any party host or budding bartender, you'll be able find out exactly what the base ingredient is in a Fuzzy Navel and what on earth a Scarlet Pimpernal involves.
Not just limited to every flavour of vodka, the Drinkspiration app by Abolut also has recipes for gin, rum brandy, whisky and tequila, and non-alcoholic cocktails. With a sleek design and vivid imagery, this app lets you post to Facebook and Twitter and helps you select cocktails by time of day, location or even background noise!
The comprehensive web-based cocktail resource now has it's own brilliant app. Simple to use, simple to make, this app helps you create the perfect cocktail, right down to the right glass to use. With over 400 recipes, it's ideal for cocktail parties and even allows you to send recipes to friends! A favourite feature of ours is the ability to shake the phone to pick a random cocktail.
8,500+ Drink & Cocktail Recipes Free
This colourful app does exactly what it says on the tin; there's over 8,500 drink and cocktail recipes you can browse, we don't recommend trying them all in one night however! Fast and simple recipes make this app useful for those who know what they want to make, offering several variations for most recipes.
The Drink & Cocktail Pro Lite app combines functionality and inspiration well. You can search by ingredient, which is perfect if you've got a bottle of cherry brandy that's been sitting in the back of the cupboard for years or if you're feeling adventurous you can select a random recipe! This handy app also features a converter, ideal when referencing US and EU recipes.
Mainly aimed at the American market, thebar.com from mega drinks corp Diageo is still a useful resource. With hundreds of recipes you may find yourself stuck for choice, however, you have the option of browsing drinks by event, such as poker nights, themed nights, BBQs, baby showers...and book club nights. Either way, it's the perfect excuse to throw a party!
Cheers!
The Drinkstuff Blog
Find us on Facebook
The Retro Slush Maker Machine: Tips and Recipe Ideas
Apparently several inches of snow wasn’t enough for some people, they wanted more ice...frozen slushie ice! The Retro Slush Maker Machine from Giles & Posner has been flying out the door (on DPD lorries) after over a month of waiting for stock from our suppliers. We apologise to all our customers who have been kept waiting, we hope you’re now making lots of slushie goodness without too much brain freeze!
- Retro Slush Maker Machine available at Drinkstuff.com
We want you to make the most of your slush maker, which is why we’ve got some tips and recipe ideas to inspire you. Have you got any tips or suggestions? Why not add a product review to our site as we give away Drinkstuff credit to the best reviews?
The Retro Slush Maker Machine in action! This video shows a 7up frozen slushie being made.
YouTube video courtesy of freakzilla3333.
Bored of orange juice slushies? We’ve compiled some recipe ideas for the perfect tasting slushie drink!
Hawaiian Tropical Punch:
250ml Orange
250ml Pineapple Juice
100ml Grapefruit Juice
100ml Cranberry Juice
200ml Club Soda or Lemonade
25ml Fresh Lime Juice
25ml Fresh Lemon Juice
Mix together and pop in the Slush Maker for a yummy, fruity frozen drink!
Frozen Margarita:
1 Sachet of Franco’s Lime Cocktail Mix 170g (Pre-mixed)
Once the Lime Cocktail Mix has turned to slush, dispense into margarita glasses (with a salt rim) and mix in the following amounts of spirit to each glass;
50ml Tequila
25ml Cointreau
Ribena Slush:
1 Part Squash
4 Part Water or Lemonade
Mix together before adding to the Slush Maker – it has to be extra strong for the flavours of the squash to come through. This recipe can be adapted to any squash (use less if double concentrated).
Other Slush Drink Ideas:
Premixed Kool Aid!
SodaStream Mixer (non-diet) pre-mixed according to instructions
Fanta – any flavour!
Mixed Berry Fruit Juice
Rubicon Fruit Juices
Cola mixed with 50ml of Cherry Sourz
Orange & Cranberry Juice mixed with 50ml Malibu
Ginger Beer mixed with 50ml Lime Juice and 50ml Vodka
Tips:
• Drinks with a high sugar or corn syrup base will crystallize faster and produce a thicker slush than those with milk or lower sugar content. Carbonated drinks will set up slower and will not be as thick.
• Where possible, let carbonated drinks lose their fizz for quicker results
• Pre-chilling the liquid will quicken the slush making process
• Still or carbonated diet or sugar free drinks will not slush
• Alcohol does not freeze, which is why you will need to add it afterwards
• If the slush hasn’t formed within 40mins then the drink probably isn’t suitable for freezing
For the finishing touch, why not serve up your slushie with our Spoon Straws and Disposable Smoothie Tumblers. Perfect for enjoying out in the sunshine (for the two weeks of glorious sun we get a year) and keeping messy children happy.
Cheers!
Find us on Facebook
Christmas Cocktails
Oh baby, it's cold outside! So what better way to warm up than with a couple of festive cocktails? We’ve compiled a selection of our favourite winter warmers, fruity punches and spicy cocktails that are perfect for Christmas day drinks and New Year’s parties!
Cinnamon Warmer Cocktail
Ingredients:
• 50ml Cinnamon Syrup
• 10ml Coffee Liqueur
• 25ml Orange Liqueur
• 40ml Tequila Gold
• 30ml Lightly Whipped Crème Fraiche
• Ground Cinnamon
Method:
Pour the cinnamon syrup, coffee liqueur, orange liqueur and tequila into a cocktail shaker. Give it a good shake and serve into a Cancun Cocktail Glass, before topping with lightly whipped crème fraiche and spinkling with ground cinnamon.
Baileys Latte
Ingredients:
• 20ml Espresso Coffee
• 50ml Bailey's Cream Liqueur
• 200ml Stemmed Milk
• Chocolate Shavings
Method:
Prepare the espresso coffee, then pour into your Bailey's Latte Glass along with the Bailey's. Prepare the stemmed milk and and add to the glass, using the remaining froth to fill the glass to the top. Spinkle with chocolate shavings for decoration.
Blackberry Punch Cocktail
Ingredients:
• 75ml Absolut Vodka
• 50ml Lemon Juice
• 50ml Simple Syrup
• 25ml Chambord Raspberry Liqueur
• Champagne or Sparkling Wine
• 3 Whole Blackberries
Method:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, Absolut Vodka, Chambord, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake well and strain into a chilled Absolut Vodka Tumbler Glass filled with crushed ice. Top with Champagne or sparkling wine and garnish with the blackberries.
Mulled Wine Cocktail
Ingredients:
• 100g / 4oz Light Muscovado Sugar
• 1 Star Anise
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 4 Cloves
• 150ml Water
• 1 Lemon
• 2 Clementines
• 150ml Cointreau
• 750ml Light Red Wine (such as Beaujolais)
• Twist of Orange Zest & Star Anise to garnish
Method:
Put the light muscovado sugar in a pan with the single star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves and water. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 2 minutes, then pour into a large jug to cool. Thinly slice the lemon and clementines and add them to the jug. Add the Cointreau and light red wine, before giving it a good stir.
Cover and leave to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve with the LSA Punch Bowl and LSA Punch Cups with ice. Garnish with the twist of orange zest and star anise. Can be served cold or gently warmed.
Minty Mojito Cocktail
Ingredients:
• 25ml Light Rum
• 25ml Fresh Lime Juice
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 100ml - 300ml Club Soda
• Handful of Fresh Mint Leaves
Traditional Method:
In the bottom of a hiball glass, muddle together the lime juice, sugar and mint leaves until the sugar is dissolved. Add the rum, then fill the glass with ice and club soda, before garnishing with a mint sprig.
Shaken Method:
Shake the lime juice, sugar, mint leaves and rum vigorously with ice in a cocktail shaker. Without straining, pour the entire contents in an Islande Hiball Glass and top with club soda. Garnish with a mint spring.
Our Mojito Kit allows you to make Mojito using either method.
Happy Christmas!
The Drinkstuff Blog
Find us on Facebook
One Tequila, Two Tequila…It’s National Tequila Day!
There’s lots of national holidays to be celebrated throughout the year, some better than others. For instance, National Cherry Pie Day is a lot better than International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day, unless you happen to be a dog of course. But what we’re getting excited about is National Tequila Day, celebrated by the good old US of A! We personally think it should be celebrated all over the world, so this Saturday 24th July, wherever you are, don your Mexican sombrero hat, fake mustache and grab the nearest bottle of tequila!
Here to help you on your tipsy way and get you singing along to that tequila song by ALT and The Lost Civilization, we have tips, cocktail recipes and of course everything you need to consume your tequila.
To Enjoy the Perfect Shot:
If you’re feeling hardcore, you can drink it straight like the Mexicans or try a bandera (named after the Mexican flag), which consists of a shot of white tequila, lime juice and sangrita (a sweet, sour and spicy drink), all drunk in equal parts.
The Tequila Cruda, often wrongly referred to as a Tequila Slammer, is one of the more popular ways to drink tequila outside of Mexico. The classic (and often messy) way of doing this is to lick the back of your hand and pour on salt, before licking it off, taking your tequila shot and biting into a lime or lemon wedge.
High quality tequilas, just like a glass of fine scotch, are best enjoyed sipped. Any tequila bottle labelled ‘Reposado’ means it’s been aged and should be enjoyed at length, rather than as a shot.
To Enjoy the Perfect Cocktail:
Just because it’s pricey, doesn’t mean it’s good. If you’re adding tequila to a cocktail, a brand like Sauza is great for adding a smooth flavour to your drink. For a simple cocktail, try making a Herradura Charro Negro:
• 60ml Herradura Anejo Tequila
• 120ml Cola
• Squeeze of Lime Juice
Pour the tequila and cola over ice in a highball glass, give it a good mix and squeeze in the lime.
Fancy something a bit more elegant? Try out this Turquoise Margarita recipe:
• 50ml Tequila
• 25ml De Kuyper Blue Curaçao
• 25ml Lime Juice
• Dash of Sugar Syrup
Shake up all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, before using a fine strainer to pour into a chilled margarita glass. Garnish with a citrus fruit wedge.
Obviously, you can’t serve up a margarita in anything apart from a classic margarita glass! Before pouring, run a lime slice around the rim of your glass, before tipping upside down and coating with salt from a salt rimmer.
If you fancy adding some decorations, a classic fruit slice always works well, which is made super easy with our Citrus Fruit Slicer. Don’t forget your Frappe Cocktail Straws and Cocktail Umbrellas for the finishing touches!
Make sure you have the right tools for the job, a Bar Knife for chopping, a Boston Cocktail Shaker for mixing up the all important ingredients, Stainless Steel Pourer for less mess and a Double Jigger Measure to ensure you don’t go overboard!
If it all seems like a bit too much hassle, do it the cheat’s way with Ice Republic’s Lime Margarita Cocktail Mix. Simply add water and tequila, then place it in your freezer for 6 hours, and it’s ready to drink!
If you're looking for more recipe ideas and tips check out our range of cocktail and tequila books. We hope you have a great weekend experimenting and celebrating National Tequila Day!
Salud!
Meet the new recruits!
At drinkstuff we always like to test our products before selling them and what better way to try out our new Cocktail Fish Bowl than with real fish! Despite not having a name yet, the newest recruits seem to be settling in well, enjoying regular lunchtime breaks and enjoying the scenery.
There’s been some office debate over the names of our two fishes, ‘Big’ and ‘Brother’, ‘Sharkey’ and ‘George’ or ‘Fish’ and ‘Chips’, we’d welcome your ideas and suggestions! While we love the novelty of having fish in a fish bowl, we’ll soon be re-homing our little friends into a bigger tank, before training them to answer the phone!
Our Fish Bowl will hold a little over 6 pints, just enough to hold a fish, but we’d recommend making an extra large cocktail punch for you and your friends instead! You could try making a Blue Lagoon and adding some Gin and Titonic Ice Cubes, maybe try a Disco Fizz with some carefully placed Indoor Sparklers or even a Paradise Martini with some Palm Tree Straws and Paper Cocktail Umbrellas. It’s the ultimate party piece!
We’d love to see some photos of your cocktail creations in our giant fish bowl! Here’s a recipe for a Blue Lagoon to get you started...
How To Make A Pitcher Of Blue Lagoon:
Lots of ice
500ml Vodka
500ml Blue Curaçao
1800ml (1.8 litres) Lemonade
Fill the bowl with plenty of ice, fine or crushed ice works well too. Then pour in the Vodka and Blue Curaçao before filling to the brim with lemonade (approx 1.8 litres) and giving it a very good stir! Garnish with fruit slices and fill with plenty of cocktail decorations and straws. Remember, this is a cocktail pitcher, designed to be enjoyed by a group of people, so don’t try drinking it all to yourself! Enjoy!
Ice, ice baby!
If you’re looking for a new way to impress your party guests this summer, why not try making completely clear ice cubes. It brings a subtle, but interesting difference to your drink and provides a talking point amongst your more observant friends. The best part is, there’s no fancy hundred pound machine involved, you just need your basic kitchen equipment and your ice tray.
If you’ve been waiting to actually see (rather than just taste) the difference your fancy Brita Water Jug can make, this is the perfect example. The filtered water is much more pure and clean and is free from the dust and extra minerals that make your tap water so cloudy.
This might sound like an obvious next step, but there’s more to this process than you might think. You boil the water once, let it cool and then boil the water again. Boiling the water twice eliminates the dissolved air in the water and decomposes minerals in the water that make regular ice so cloudy.
Above is an example of the difference between regular cloudy ice cubes and the crystal clear ice you can make using the above instructions.
Why not try mixing up some icey cocktails at your next garden party? Cocktails with clear ingredients work best, such as a Mojito or Moscow Mule.
To make a Mojito use:
1oz Lime Juice
1tbsp Sugar
6-8 Mint Leaves
2oz Light Rum
4oz Club Soda
In the bottom of a hiball glass, muddler together the lime juice, sugar and mint leaves until the sugar is completely dissolved. Try not to shred the mint leaves as you are only extracting the juices. Add rum, your special clear ice and top with club soda, before garnishing with a mint sprig and slice of lime.
Alternatively, shake all the ingredients, (barr the club soda) in a cocktail shaker before pouring straight into a glass and topping with the soda.
