5 spring cocktails to stir the senses

If you’re in the mood for a little cocktail theatre, thirsty for some inspiration, or want to switch out old favourites for new spirits, these rums, gins and tequilas hit the sweet spot…

1. Mermaid Spiced Rum & Ginger

To fully appreciate the bold flavour of Mermaid Spiced Rum (£39.90, 70cl, The Isle of Wight Distillery), it’s best enjoyed as a slow sipper before sharpening your mixology skills.

Here, the sunny Caribbean collides beautifully with fruits and spices foraged from the sandy shores of the Isle of Wight. Instantly enticing, apricot, honey, black salt and vanilla notes make themselves known with a long, lingering, honeyed finish.

Here’s how to fire-up the spice with a ginger mixer…

Ingredients: 50ml Mermaid Spiced Rum, ginger beer or ginger ale. Garnish: Fresh mint sprig and a maraschino cherry.

Method: Fill a glass with ice. Add the rum and top with ginger beer or ginger ale, stir slowly and garnish with a fresh mint sprig and maraschino cherry.

2. Duppy White Rum Pink Ting

This versatile and vibrant white rum is a fast-track to a beach hut, swaying palm trees and reggae music filtering through the air.

A Jamaican jewel, on the nose, The Duppy Share Duppy White Rum (£21, 70cl, The Duppy Share) exhibits bold banana aromas with mango, tropical fruits alongside a smooth caramel sweetness with punchy pimento spice on finish.

Ready, steady, stir…

Ingredients: 50ml Duppy Share White Rum, Pink Ting Sparkling Grapefruit Soda. Garnish: Lemon wheel.

Method: Fill a glass with ice. Add the rum and top with grapefruit soda, stir slowly and garnish with lemon.

3. Hendrick’s Wild Garden Cup

A label to love and stylistically beautiful, if you’re not captivated by the butterfly eyes on Hendrick’s Flora Adora Gin (currently £26, was £31, 70cl, Amazon), the bouquet will win you over, big-time. Florals abound with subtle herbal notes, hints of violets and garden flowers, finishing smooth as a silk stocking.

Here’s how to stir things up with a fragrant gin that’s as good as it gets in long drinks and cocktails…

Ingredients: 50ml Flora Adora, 25ml lemon juice, 25ml simple syrup, soda water. Garnish: 4 raspberries, 6 mint leaves, 3 cucumber wheels.

Method: Fill a glass with ice. Add the gin, juice and syrup, top with soda, stir slowly and garnish with raspberries, mint and cucumber.

4. Kraken Cherry Tiki

The Kracken’s latest release, Kraken Black Spiced Rum Black Cherry & Vanilla (£23.50, 70cl, Tesco), is a little cracker – and if you’re partial to a black forest cherry dessert, this is the rum for you. Utterly delicious, think dark spiced rum infused with rich cherries and Madagascan vanilla with a lip-smacking finish.

Rich and flavoursome, it’s the ideal partner for tiki cocktails…

Ingredients: 40ml Kraken Cherry Rum, 20ml Cointreau, 30ml pineapple juice, 40ml mango & passion fruit coulis, 15ml lime juice, 10ml grenadine. Garnish: Pineapple leaves and half a passion fruit.

Method: Half-fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients, shake vigorously and strain into a hurricane glass filled with ice. Garnish with pineapple leaves and half a passion fruit.

5. Picante Paloma

An A-list agave, if you really want to call the shots, Patrón Reposado Tequila (£44.09, 70cl, Amazon), brings everything to the cocktail arena. Straight up it offers true drinking pleasure with a wonderful balance of fresh agave and oak wood, with citrusy florals, honey and touch of pepper on the lingering finish.

Here’s a classic cooler to put you in a sunny mood with thoughts of heading down Mexico way…

Ingredients: 60ml Patrón Reposado, 60ml grapefruit juice, 20ml lime juice, 15ml ginger juice, fresh basil leaves, Fever Tree Ginger Beer. Garnish: Twist of grapefruit zest.

Method: Fill a glass with ice. Add the tequila, grapefruit, lime, ginger juice and basil, top with ginger beer, stir slowly and garnish with twist.