Homemade Cocktails by Helen McGinn
Drinks writer Helen McGinn, who goes under the alias ‘Knackered Mother’, has written a nifty little book on mastering the art of cocktail making at home. Like Ray and Jeffreys, McGinn, who writes for the Daily Mail and Waitrose Food magazine, took inspiration from the rising interest in DIY cocktails and a growing consumer desire to replicate their favourite mixed drinks at home.
It is, in part, aimed at cocktail lovers suffering from FOMO (fear of missing out) due to children and other obligations getting in the way of a good night out. Homemade Cocktails is packed with recipes grouped by spirit. The gin section will teach you how to shake up a Martini good enough to impress James Bond, while in the Bourbon section you’ll find recipes for classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned, Manhattan and Mint Julep.
Before any cocktails are made, mother of three McGinn talks the reader through store cupboard essentials, the equipment you’ll need to become an at home bartender, metric measurements and the five golden rules for making a good cocktail: use plenty of ice; start with a quality base spirit; keep things simple; shake like your life depended on it; and priorities balance above all things.
