5WhyKnowing your alcoholic beverages is a lot like knowing your music. Some people are happy to go along with popular opinion, but without venturing outside your box, you’re certain to have an aggressively average, Nickelback kind of experience.
So, if your stale relationship with your gin and tonic, take a look at our short list of approachable drinks you can order at the bar this weekend that you might not have tried yet.
#1 Dark and Stormy
When you’re feeling that you want to graduate from your mixer but aren’t quite in the mood for a cocktail, a Dark and Stormy is your perfect in between. Dark rum, ginger beer, lime, bitters and boom – the perfect macho-friendly cocktail (that you won’t accidentally drink too fast).
#2 Old fashioned
Next time you find yourself sitting by a fireplace, smoking a cigar and toasting to “industry” with a man wearing a monocle, order an old fashioned. Alternatively, do it at your local watering hole and sip on the smooth taste of sophistication. An old fashioned will typically be made with bourbon, but the term itself also refers to a method of combining; two shots of a sprit, some zest and bitters, stirred down over ice. Opt for rum for something sweeter, or even tequila (made with chocolate bitters).
#3 Charlie Chaplin
How many times have you ordered a cocktail off a plastic list on a bar top and immediately regretted it? Personally, I’m a fan of ordering tried and tested cocktails unless I’m in a verified cocktail bar. One of these that flies under the radar is the humble Charlie Chapin. Sloe gin (a type of berry), apricot brandy, lime juice, shaken and strained. It’s sweet, but without being overpowering.
#4 Tequila lime soda
Are you a calorie counter that’s committed to your VLS? Keep reading. Not only will swapping in tequila actually give your drink some flavour, it has proven health benefits. It’s probiotic, prebiotic, helps with digestion, and if you ask for 100% agave varieties (with no hidden sugars) then you can say goodbye to those nasty hangovers.
#5 Daquiri
It’s a common misconception that the famous daquiri only comes in frozen-slushy machine form. The classic form of the cocktail can be found outside of bowling allies, and is a well-balanced blend of white rum, lime and sugar. You can even request for the sweetness to be tailored for your liking. Plus, take your cue from “Wedding Crashers” and do group orders in one hand gesture.
