Cocktail Recipes: Honky Tonk Woman, Elderflower Lemonade, Long Island Tea

Are you a fan of sweet, sour, fruity cocktails?

Bengaluru's RCB Bar & Cafe has some vodka-based drinks that will help you discover a new favourite.

These pretty cocktails are great for entertaining too.

Honky Tonk Woman

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 60 ml vodka
• 45 ml sweet and sour mix, available for purchase online or at a liquor store
• ¼ watermelon, chopped + small watermelon wedges or 3-4 scooped watermelon balls, to garnish
• 2-3 torn fresh kafir lime leaves + extra to garnish
• Small bunch fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
• Cordial glass (please see the pic above. You can also use a regular glass)

Method

• Juice the watermelon in a blender.
  Keep aside.
• Muddle or mix the torn kafir lime leaves with the chopped lemongrass.
• Transfer the watermelon juice along with the muddled kafir lime leaves and lemongrass into a shaker.
  Add the sweet and sour mix.
  Add the vodka.
  Shake well until all the ingredients are well-combined.
  Strain and pour it into a cordial glass or a regular glass.
  Garnish with freshly-scooped watermelon balls or wedges and a kafir lime leaf as per the pic above.
  Serve.

Editor's Note: Fresh kaffir leaves are available at certain vegetable sellers at your local market who stock 'English' vegetables or at gourmet grocery stores.

For a not so sweet cocktail, skip the sweet and sour mix and instead add a squeeze of lime and stevia powder. Each brand of stevia has its own stevia for sugar substitution ratio provided on its packing.

Skip the vodka for an excellent mocktail.

Elderflower Lemonade

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 20 ml sweet and sour mix, available for purchase online or at a liquor store
• 10 ml elderflower syrup, available for purchase online
• 75 ml white spirits mix (15 ml each of tequila + vodka + white rum + gin + triple sec)
• Bottle of lemonade
• Slice of star fruit, to garnish
• Tall glass (please see pic above)

Method

• In the tall glass, pour the sweet and sour mix. 
  Add the white spirits mix.
  Add the elderflower syrup.
  Top with lemonade. 
  Garnish with a starfruit and serve.

Editor's Note: For a not so sweet cocktail, go slow on the elderflower syrup and skip the sweet and sour mix and instead add a squeeze of lime and stevia powder. Each brand of stevia has its own stevia for sugar substitution ratio provided on its packing.

Skip the white spirits for an excellent mocktail.

Long Island Iced Tea

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 30 ml sweet and sour mix, available for purchase online or at a liquor store
• 75 ml white spirits (15 ml each of tequila + vodka + white rum + gin + triple sec)
• Cola to taste
• A lime or sweet lime wedge
• Ice
• Tall glass (please see pic above)

Method

• In the tall glass, combine the white spirits with the sweet and sour mix.
  Add ice.
  Stir well and top it with the cola.
  Garnish with a lime wedge.
  Serve.

Editor's Note: For a not so sweet cocktail, opt for a diet cola and skip the sweet and sour mix and instead add extra lime and stevia powder. Each brand of stevia has its own stevia for sugar substitution ratio provided on its packing.

Skip the white spirits for an excellent mocktail.

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