The Ultimate Cocktail Guide

The Negroni is a simple cocktail to make because it consists of just three ingredients used in equal measures and doesn’t require shaking or even stirring (although there is some debate about that).

Where the drink came from is mostly unknown, however, one well-known rumour is the drink was first created in Florence, Italy, in 1919. Legend goes that Count Camillo Negroni asked a bartender in his favourite haunt to strengthen his preferred Americano cocktail by adding gin instead of normal soda water.

The barman did so and added a slice of orange instead of lemon and so the Negroni, according to myth, was created. Many bartenders have added their own twists to the simple recipe, including rum, vodka or whisky-based concoctions. However, the classic stands as the most popular.

An all-year-round tropical-inspired cocktail using the trademark whiskey and peach notes from Southern Comfort.

With a tip of the hat to the popular cocktails of the ’90s, such as the Sex on the Beach and Seabreeze, it delivers a familiar taste with a unique twist.

A versatile drink to be enjoyed in the evening while out partying or equally while out dining with friends.

With this sophisticated drink we want to reposition the traditional G&T with the Gin & Elderflower; a floral twist on this classic.

The lime cuts through the sweetness of the elderflower for a perfectly balanced botanical drink and the raspberries add a colourful garnish.

Beautifully botanical, gin is one of the oldest spirits around – and still one of the most popular.

Upgrade the classic G&T to a Sweet & Sour, to allow the contrasting sweet honey and bitter lemon balance with Belvoir’s own home-made Raspberry Lemonade and the aromatic hit of gin.

The Appletini harks back to the mid-1990s when it was created in West Hollywood. The original mix is vodka-based with 25ml apple schnapps and 25ml orange liqueur.

However, Appletiser’s take on the modern classic offers less alcohol with more apple flavour, a great daytime drink or pre-dinner beverage.

A play on sweet and sour means the drink will be a hit with almost everyone because it is one of the most appealing flavour combinations.

First served by Gaspare in Italy in the 1860s. It may have been named the Americano as a result of its popularity among visiting Americans.

It is also rumoured the Americano was the starting point of the Negroni when one customer asked for his to be made stronger with gin instead of diluted with tonic.

Sloe gin is in. This cocktail has a harvest festival flavour with its fruity, plummy ingredients. The tonic works well with the gin by cutting through it, followed by a hint of lemon and mint.

It is an easy make because it has just a handful of ingredients, meaning you can spend more time serving your customers than shaking or stirring drinks.

The Ginger Mojito cocktail is a tall drink using the new Fentimans range of House of Broughton Syrups. The House of Broughton syrups consist of a list of six all-natural flavours Cucumber, Rose, Raspberry, Ginger, Elderflower and Simple.

The House of Broughton Ginger syrup balances the sweetness of the rum and is topped off with Fentimans Soda Water. The Ginger Mojito cocktail is a refreshing long drink.

The Bramble is a classic English cocktail and the No.1 gin cocktail in the UK. It was created by Dick Bradsell in the mid-1980s in Fred’s Club, Soho, and has become a staple on cocktail menus across the country.

Gin remains a popular choice among consumers with the spirit’s share of cocktail serves growing 12% year on year. Funkin’s Pre-Batched Bramble Mixer gives operators the opportunity to make a variety of Brambles, tapping into seasonal occasions without having to invest in costly ingredients.

The flavours in a Bramble are versatile and familiar so bar staff can use this mixer to create a range of other drinks, including Sangria – simply add red wine.

The Cuba Libre dates back to Havana in about 1900, after the Spanish-American War (“Free Cuba” being the battle cry during the conflict that led to Cuban independence).

It is a combination of golden rum, cola and fresh lime. Fever-Treeset about creating the first cola, designed to enhance the complex flavours of premium dark spirits such as rum. It is made from a rich blend of kola nut, exotic spices, citrus and Madagascan vanilla.

These vanilla plants flower once a year and must be hand-pollinated by highly skilled farmers. It’s thanks to the vanilla farmers’ tenacity that our cola has such a rich, round flavour that is perfectly balanced with the blend of 20 different spices needed to create this unrivalled mixer.