Let's say that you are organizing a dinner at your home and that you want to offer your guests with a welcome drink or of end of dinner. A good prosecco or a sip of amaro are always welcome, it is true, but why not surprise them by serving a cocktail? You don't necessarily need to be an expert mixologist or have special tools, just respect the proportions and voilà, that's it … No, the cocktail is done!
We have made a selection of 5 drinks to do at home, what do you think, can we try them?

Hugo
Let's start with something simple and undemanding from an alcoholic point of view. Hugo is very thirst-quenching and is perfect for an aperitif based on savory dishes such as cured meats, cheeses or canapés.
Doses for 2 glasses:
300 ml of Prosecco
4 tablespoons of elderberry syrup
150 ml of sparkling water
10 leaves of mind
Lime or lemon

Begin at stepping on lightly 5 mint leaves in each glass until they release all their scent. At this point paid in each glass 2 tablespoons of elderberry syrup, 150 ml of Prosecco and 75 ml of sparkling water, jumbled up briefly and, if you like, add a few drops of lime or lemon juice to cool.

American
A classic. The Americano is perfect for an aperitif or a relaxing after dinner. If you want to serve it as an aperitif, we advise you to combine it with platters of cheeses or salami with strong flavors.

Servings for two glasses:
60 ml of Campari
60 ml of red Vermouth
soda
1 slice of orange
1 lemon
Ice

First of all, take a potato peeler, peel the lemon and cut the zest in regular slices. Then, fill a glass (preferably a tumbler) with some ice cubes, about ¾ and pour in each glass 30 ml of Campari and red Vermouth and finish with a splash of soda. Now that your cocktail is ready you can garnish each glass with half a slice of orange and lemon zest.

Gin Tonic with elderberry and grapefruit
A balanced and thirst-quenching mix of flavors! To prepare two glasses you will need:
4 glasses of Gin
8 juniper berries
1 pink grapefruit
4 tablespoons of Elderberry syrup
Tonic water

Start from base: put the juniper berries in a paper bag and beat them lightly to release all the aromas, put two in each glass. Then, add 2 tablespoons of elderberry syrup and mix everything. Now that the base is ready add 4 ice cubes in each glass, 2 small glasses of gin and fill the glass with tonic water. Complete the drink with a grapefruit wedge.

Martini
Timeless. Elegant.
Preparation for two glasses:
fill cocktail glasses with ice to cool them. Pour more ice into a mixin-glass for a third of its capacity; add 2 tenths of Martini Dry and 8 tenths of gin and mix. Remove the ice from the cups and throw away the water that, in the meantime, may have formed there. Pour the cocktail into the cups while retaining the ice, add to each cup one or more green olives strung on a stick and serve.

Goodnight Cocktail
The drink dedicated to George Clooney based on vodka, cranberry, lime and ginger. This cocktail is perfect to end a dinner or an evening.
Servings for two glasses:
10 cl of Vodka
6 cl of cranberry juice
8 drops of Angostura Bitters
2 teaspoons of brown sugar
1 cucumber
1 lime
2 pieces of ginger
red currants for garnish

First of all cut the lime into 4 parts and peel the ginger making 2 slices for each glass. Then, remove the peel from the cucumber and set aside 2 strips.
Take two glasses Old Fashioned and crush the lime with 1 teaspoon of sugar, the 2 slices of ginger and 1 of the two strips of cucumber peel.
Now add 5cl of Vodka, 3cl of cranberry juice and 4 drops of Angostura Bitters to each glass. Fill each glass with flaky ice and mix everything together. Decorate the drink with a bunch of blackcurrant and the cucumber slice rolled up on itself.

October 2021
Giulia Ferrari