Nothing says ‘summer’s coming’ more than the sound of ice rattling around a well-handled cocktail shaker. And nothing tastes more like it than the thirst quenching result, whether it be a mojito, margarita or martini. As the weather turns warm, now’s the time to concentrate on your summer cocktail list.
That won’t be hard for many venues around Australia and New Zealand: cocktail bars are something of an institution here, with a select few, including the likes of The Baxter Inn in Sydney and Black Pearl in Melbourne, named among the world’s best bars in recent years.
As for the cocktails, the good news is that aside from the winning new concoctions that appear each year, the old favourites are still, well, favourites. Gin and vodka are more popular than ever – with both spirits experiencing an increase in sales in recent years – and provide a trusty base for a range of classic drinks. And with cocktails drawing such a crowd, you want to be able to serve them in glasses that will prove as eye-catching on Insta as they are durable in the dishwasher. After all, cocktail-gazing is big business, with the likes of Cocktails Australia attracting more than 30,000 followers.
Step forward the Libbey selection from Trenton. This glam glassware will ensure all your options are covered, no matter what you’re pouring. Got a modern crowd wanting to go Old Fashioned? Pick the ‘Carats’ thick-bottomed tumbler that provides the ideal base for grinding aromatics, while giving the honey-coloured cocktail a pleasing glint and sparkle.
Alternatively, the ‘Salud Grande’ is great for, you guessed it, martinis – as well as a host of contemporary cocktails. Fashioned with a timeless thin stem and flared bowl, it boosts a drink’s clarity and colour, and brings an instant dose of Jazz Age glamour. And for the tantalising pink shimmer of a La Vie En Rose, select the elegant ‘Speakeasy’ champagne coupe, with its solid stem which allows the drink to stay perfectly chilled while being held. Cheers to that!
Smoked Dill Martini
Ingredients
- 15ml of gin
- 45ml of Dill Aquavit
- 20ml of sweet vermouth
- 5ml of dry vermouth
- A dash of Angostura bitters
Method
- Fill a large glass or cocktail shaker with ice.
- Pour in all the ingredients, then stir.
- Strain into a Libbey ‘Salud Grande’ glass and serve.
La Vie en Rose
Ingredients
- 25ml of fresh lemon juice
- 10ml of sugar syrup
- 1/2 the white of 1 egg
- Drop of grenadine
- 35ml of pinky vodka
- Curl of lemon zest to serve
Method
- Pour the lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white into a cocktail shaker.
- Add the grenadine and Pinky vodka.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake hard.
- Strain into a Libbey ‘Speakeasy’ champagne coupe.
- Add the lemon curl and serve.
Honey I’m Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 1/2 a teaspoon of honey
- 2 dashes of angostura bitters
- Splash of soda water
- 50ml of bourbon
- Curl of orange zest to serve
Method
- Place the honey in a Libbey ‘Carats’ tumbler.
- Add the Angostura bitters and a splash of soda water.
- Rotate the glass to mix the honey, bitters and soda.
- Add ice and pour in the bourbon.
- Garnish with orange curl and serve.
The beauty of cocktails lie as much in how they look as how they taste—which is why you need the perfect glassware to complement the perfect drink.
