Best Cocktail Recipes – Happy Hour Drinks

Happy hour is the perfect way to help shake off the day. It’s a time to relax and socialize, remind yourself that you work to live, not live to work.

There are several reasons why drinking a cocktail is a great way to start a dinner. It gives you time to slow down from your day and separate the stress of work from the enjoyment of your personal life. When you sit down to eat, you will relax, so you will enjoy your dinner more. Some cocktails can also help you build your appetite and help your stomach get ready to eat. They are called aperitifs. Similarly, the key to drinking during the day is moderation. No need to go too far. Drinking a cocktail or two before dinner will make you feel very good and enjoy a very pleasant dinner.

Cocktail Recipes

1.) Spicy Man

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces vodka
• ¹⁄₂ ounce *five-spice simple syrup
• 6 mandarin orange slices
• Soda to top
• *Five-spice simple syrup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the mandarin oranges to a mixing glass and muddle.
2. Add the vodka, five-spice syrup, ice, and shake.
3. Strain into a highball glass full of ice.
4. Top with soda. Garnish with a mandarin orange slice.

 

2.) Sweete Heat

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces vodka
• 2 bar spoons *jalapeño simple syrup
• Dash of salt and pepper
• *Jalapeño simple syrup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 chopped jalapeño

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the vodka and jalapeño syrup to a mixing glass.
2. Add some ice cubes and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.
3. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Garnish with a jalapeño slice.

 

3.) Rosemary’s Secret

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces vodka
• 1 ounce grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
• ¹⁄₂ ounce *Rosemary simple syrup
• *Rosemary simple syrup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 sprigs rosemary

DIRECTIONS

1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice cubes and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

4.) Cilantro Blossom

INGREDIENTS

• 1¹⁄₂ ounces vodka
• ¹⁄₂ ounce ginger syrup (see chapter 2 for recipe)
• ¹⁄₂ ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• Dash of orange blossom water
• 12 cilantro leaves
• Soda to top

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the cilantro and orange blossom water to a mixing glass and muddle.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients. Fill with ice and shake.
3. Double strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice.
4. Top off with soda. Garnish with cilantro leaves and a lemon twist.

5.) Green Monster

In this recipe, the brand of vodka matters. Bison Grass Vodka infused with Hierochloe odorata. This herb is more commonly known as sweetgrass, holy grass, and (in Eastern Europe) buffalo grass. The Polish infuse vodka with buffalo grass and call the resulting drink Żubrówka.

INGREDIENTS

• 1¹⁄₂ ounces Bison Grass Vodka
• ¹⁄₂ of a lime
• 6 green grapes
• Dash of chartreuse to coat glass

DIRECTIONS

1. Coat a cocktail glass with chartreuse and set aside.
2. In a mixing glass, muddle six grapes and half a lime.
3. Add vodka and ice and shake.
4. Double strain into the chartreuse-coated cocktail glass. Garnish with a green grape.

6.) Lime In The Coconut

INGREDIENTS

• 1¹⁄₂ ounces rum
• ¹⁄₂ ounce *coconut simple syrup
• 2 lime wedges
• 15 cilantro leaves
• Soda to top
• *Coconut simple syrup
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup shredded coconut flakes

DIRECTIONS

1. Muddle the lime and cilantro in a mixing glass.
2. Add the rum, syrup, and ice, and shake.
3. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass and top with soda.
4. Garnish with additional cilantro leaves and lime wedges.

 

7.) Opy

INGREDIENTS

• 1¹⁄₂ ounces rum
• ¹⁄₂ ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• ¹⁄₂ ounce *ginger simple syrup
• ¹⁄₂ ounce strawberry puree
• Mint leaves
• Soda to top
• *Ginger simple syrup
• • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sliced ginger (you can leave the skin on)

DIRECTIONS

1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass along with ice and shake.
2. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice.
3. Top with soda. Garnish with mint leaves.

8.) Hot Tijuana Nights

INGREDIENTS

• 1¹⁄₂ ounces tequila
• 1 ounce grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
• ¹⁄₂ ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• ¹⁄₂ ounce jalapeño simple syrup
• Jalapeño simple syrup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 chopped jalapeño

DIRECTIONS

1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and shake. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice.
3. Garnish with a jalapeño slice.

 

9.) Suddenly Seamore

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces gin
• ¹⁄₂ ounce St. Germain liqueur
• ¹⁄₂ ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• Dash of Campari liqueur

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the gin, St. Germain, lemon juice, and ice to a mixing glass and shake.
2. Strain into a cocktail glass.
3. Drizzle Campari down the side of the glass so it rests on the bottom.

 

10.) Plum Crazy

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces bourbon
• ¹⁄₂ ounce Heering Cherry Liqueur
• ¹⁄₂ ounce plum juice
• ¹⁄₂ ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

DIRECTIONS

1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a lemon twist.

 

11.) Bees In Kilts

INGREDIENTS

• 1¹⁄₂ ounces scotch
• ¹⁄₂ ounce lavender honey
• ¹⁄₄ ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

DIRECTIONS

1. Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass.
2. Add ice, shake, and strain into a cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a lemon twist.