We all have those nights where we don't want to be bothered by others. After all, you're your own best company, right? And when you're craving some 'me time' from your busy schedule in order to recharge (or de-stress), one thing can help make the experience even better: cocktails! What could be better for your night of self-discovery than sipping on a classic cocktail that is specially designed to be made for one?

If you're like me, perhaps your idea of a solid drink is the 7£ boxed wine or adding Bailey's to your coffee. That's why I asked our resident mixologist to create 3 refreshed classics for my (and your) solo nights in. You'll be surprised at what you can mix without even a shaker!

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Dark N' Stormy

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Despite the very wintery name, we think it's actually an amazingly cool summer drink. Perhaps it's the dark appearance or the rum at its core that got it its moody name, but this one is an amazing drink that you should def add to your go-to's. Like its Russian cousin, the Moscow Mule, it delivers a chilled ginger punch - but we love the added sweetness and warmth of the rum. The best thing about Dark N' Stormy is that you can basically whip it out in like 2 sec if you don't get too fancy (ohhhh, those lazy nights!)

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Here's how:

• Take a tall glass and fill it all the way with ice
• Pour 60ml dark rum in (this is the 'dark' part, but if you only have white rum - go for it!)
• Top with ginger beer - should be ~90ml or 1.5x the rum. but honestly - top it and you'll be fine
• Stir to make sure it's all mixed together well

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As to which rum - don't get fancy here, 'cause the ginger will be so dominant it honestly won't matter. We like Captain Morgan Dark, not that you asked.

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If you want to make it better and fancier:

• Squeeze in the juice from half a lime (throw in a slice for the looks)
• Rub the rim with mint leaves
• Mix in some orange zest and garnish with a twisty strip of its peel

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Negroni

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Do you have The Big Red staring at you from the back of the liquor shelf, asking why you never use it? Campari is an amazing drink and best used mixed because of its bitterness (though we sometimes like it as is, with a bit of ice and orange zest). Try making a Negroni before a snack (or during, or after really) and you'll find the Campari is slowly becoming your go-to bottle (after gin, of course):

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• Grab a glass for mixing and fill it with ice (no mixology set needed, any wide glass with room for ice will do)
• Add 30ml of Gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth (90ml total) and stir in the ice to chill
• Pour into a lowball with ice (or any glass with a bit of ice)
• Got an orange? Add a strip of peel. if you don't, that's fine, don't worry about it. you'll forget it's part of the recipe in 2 negronis max!

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Which gin should you use? Personally, we like base Tanqueray for mixed drinks, especially when the heavy flavored Campari is part of the mix. For sweet Vermouth, grab a Martini Rosso and you'll be fine :)

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Old-fashioned

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This one has an annoyingly outdated name. But Whiskey cocktails are terrific classics and should really get more respect - and this one is one of the best. While you can make it suuuuper complicated if you want, here's a simple version:

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• Grab a lowball (honestly, a coffee mug is fine, it's just a drink!)
• Pour in 60ml whiskey (traditionally US bourbon or rye, but I actually love smoked Speyside whiskey. As long as it's not too sweet it'll work well)
• Mix the sugar into the whiskey with a teaspoon until it melts. If you have a cube of brown sugar go for that, but you could also add 1/2 a teaspoon of white sugar to get going
• Got bitters? great, add 3 dashes. don't worry about it if you don't. Most of the time we forget anyways. Much like the negroni - you won't care in a couple.
• Add ice to cover, and garnish with orange peel, a squeeze of juice flavor, and a cherry

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Loved these options? Feel free to try your own and experiment to find the best mixes for you. After all, no one will know when you mess it up :) Let us know what you think and how your creations turn out!

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