Money Saving Drinks

Here are some cost-effective recipes for some drinks, if you're on a tight budget.

Rum & Coke

Probably one of the most simplest and classic of all drinks. 

Ingredients

2ounces rum (your choice)

Cola

Method

Simply put the rum into a highball glass filled with ice

Then top up with cola

Lime wedge for garnish

Variations to the drink include

Cuba Libre- simply add lime

Lounge Lizard- use a dark rum and add amaretto

Some Useful Tips for a Hangover

Now at some point in one's life, they must have had a horrible hangover after a fun night. Here are some useful tips for if you ever have another one.

1. Sip on some Ginger Tea- Sometimes hangovers can come with an upset stomach. So to settle that tummy ache, brew a warn cup of ginger tea. Ginger has been shown to help combat nausea.

2. Getting some fresh air- Oxygen increases the rate that alcohol toxins are broken down. So being in the outdoors or even doing a little exercise will help. You may even release some endorphins to boost that post-hangover mood.

3. Drinking alcohol can lead to dehydration, so fueling up on your water ever so often  throughout the night, may just help avoid the pains of a hangover in the morning.

Virgin Piña Colada

This is a very cool and refreshing drink that is very easy to make for any occasion.

(Serves 2)

Ingredients
14 Ounces pineapple juice
4 Ounces Coconut Cream
2 Cups crushed ice

Method
1. Add the pineapple juice, coconut cream and crushed ice to a blender.
2. Next, blend at a high speed.
3. Pour into a glass of your choice and garnish with a maraschino cherry or a pineapple wedge and serve.

Optional

• If you want to be a bit festive or want to make Piña Coladas for adults who consume alcohol, one can simply add 4 ounces of rum or 4 ounces of Malibu Coconut Rum to the recipe above. 
• Some individuals may not prefer rum, so you can also use vodka or tequila. 

Grapefruit Mojito

(Serves 2)

Ingredients
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/4 grapefruit (peeled and cut into small pieces)
1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves
4 tablespoons honey
Ice & Club Soda (Carbonated Water)

Directions
1. Add the pieces of grapefruit and mint leaves to the shaker. Use a muddler to break down the leaves and mash the grapefruit in order to release their flavours.
2. Combine the freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and honey together in the shaker. Stir to ensure that the honey is entirely dissolved.
3. Add ice to the shaker and secure. Shake vigorously to ensure that all ingredients and flavours are well combined.
4. Pour into glasses, and top off with a splash of club soda.

Garnish with fresh mint leaves or grapefruit peel or grapefruit slice.


Optional:

• Although this is a mocktail, it can also be a great cocktail by simply adding gin or vodka to the recipe. The measurement of alcohol added to the drink will all depend on the individuals' personal preference.  
• The club soda can also be substituted with ginger ale for an amazing burst of flavour and taste. 

Mixing a Cocktail/Mocktail

With getting familiar with the whole idea of this blog, I took the time to include some important information about cocktails/mocktails that might be beneficial to you in the future. 

There are four most popular methods of mixing a cocktail/mocktail. These include:

• To shake a cocktail/mocktail is to mix it in a cocktail shaker by hand. The average time to properly shake is 10 seconds. 
• Stirred cocktails/mocktails are mixed by stirring with ice in a mixing glass until cold. After it is then strained into a cocktail glass. 
• Blended cocktails/mocktails are mixed using an electrical blender. This method is good for mixing fresh fruits and alcohol or juices together along with ice.
• Building a cocktail/mocktail simply means that the ingredients are floated on top of each other. A tooth pick can then be placed in the glass to allow the ingredients to be mixed. 

Some cocktail/mocktail terms one may encounter include:

• Mulls - hot wine punch
• Flip - a drink made with eggs
• Frappe - to serve a cocktail over finely crushed ice
• Punch - mixed spirits or wines with spices, fruit juices and sugar. They can either be served hot or cold.