Fridge cocktails: three recipes for uncomplicated entertaining

From this point in the year onwards, the precious bottle space in your fridge should be reserved for pre-mixed cocktails that you can store for weeks. Most are fairly boozy, which is why they can be kept in a bottle and won’t go off quickly once they’re refrigerated.

There are some essential, but rather cheap, purchases that must be made before you get stuck into these drinks. You’ll need a two-litre jug to mix everything up in, a couple of one-litre swing-top bottles, a funnel to get the liquid into the bottles and some basic office labels to stick on them so that you know what you’re drinking. You also need to add the date that you bottled the cocktail so you know how old it is. It may still be fine to drink, but the flavour will start to dissipate after the recommended storage time and I don’t want to be responsible for something that doesn’t taste amazing.

Stout Old Fashioned

Makes 14, 70ml servings. This will keep for a month in the fridge.

1. Pour the Guinness into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the stout has reduced to about 75 per cent of its original volume. You need 150ml of stout syrup for the cocktail, so don’t let it reduce to less than that.

2. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved, then pour the syrup into a large jug.

3. Add the whiskey and bitters to the jug, and stir for 30 seconds before adding the water. Stir for 10 seconds, then decant into a clean one-litre swing-top bottle. Label it with the name and date, and stick it in the fridge to chill.

4. For each serve, shake the bottle, then pour 70ml into an iced tumbler and stir it with a teaspoon for 10 seconds. Add a strip of orange peel to garnish.

Bee’s Knees

Makes 10, 100ml servings. This will stay good for a month in the fridge. Once opened, keep refrigerated and finish within a week.

1. Pour the honey into a large heatproof jug with the boiling water. Stir for 10 seconds before adding the gin, cold water and lemon juice, then blitz it all up with a hand blender. Decant into a clean one-litre swing-top bottle. Label it with the name and date, and stick it in the fridge to chill.

2. When you fancy one, shake the bottle, then pour 100ml into a martini glass and garnish with lemon peel. If you want it even colder, you can serve it on the rocks or, if you have a thirst, pour 100ml into an iced long glass and top it up with 100ml water.

White Negroni

Makes 11, 90ml servings. This will keep for six months, unopened, in your fridge. After you open it, you will still get another month out of it.

1. Pour the gin, Lillet, Suze and water into a large jug, then stir for 30 seconds. Pour into a clean one-litre swing-top bottle. Label it with the name and date and stick it in the fridge to chill.

2. For each serve, shake the bottle, then pour 90ml into an iced tumbler and stir with a teaspoon for 10 seconds. Drop in an orange wedge to garnish.

Recipes extracted from ‘Irish Kitchen Cocktails’, out now from Nine Bean Rows

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