The Best Drinks to Enjoy this Spring

It's finally spring! The weather is warming up, the flowers are blooming, and the birds are singing. This is the perfect time of year to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. And what better way to celebrate the season than with a refreshing drink? Here are some of the best drinks to enjoy this spring. 

Sloe Gin Fizz

Spring is the perfect opportunity to take things ‘sloe’. The sloe gin fizz provides the perfect balance of vibrant zestiness and darker, richer berry fruits. Sloe gin is typically sweeter than Juniper gin, making it a great choice for those that love a sweet liquid treat.

Ingredients

• 50ml sloe gin
• 25ml lemon juice
• 2 tsp sugar syrup
• Ice
• Sparkling water
• Lemon slice
• Fresh or frozen blackberry

Method

• Chill a tall glass, ideally one that’s similar to a ‘Hurricane’ glass. 
• Pour the sloe gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup into a chilled cocktail shaker and fill up with ice cubes. 
• Shake, shake, shake for 10-15 seconds until the outside of the shaker feels cold to touch. 
• Strain the mixture into the tall glass (fill this with more ice too). 
• Top it off with sparkling water and stir gently. 
• Garnish with a lemon slice and a blackberry!

Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour

Cinnamon and maple - now there are two words that definitely come to mind when we think of spring. Not only for their golden brown hues but also for their signature taste. Spice flirts with sweet for this delicious spin on the classic, fluffy whiskey sour. This is always a sweet yet refreshing favourite in the summer months, so swapping sugar syrup for maple and adding cinnamon makes this the perfect spring treat.

Ingredients

• 60ml of your chosen bourbon or rye whiskey 
• 20 ml of freshly squeezed lemon juice 
• 15 ml egg white
• 15 ml of maple syrup
• 3 drops of Angostura bitters to serve 
• Pinch of ground cinnamon powder. 
• Orange slice to garnish

Method

• Chill cocktail glasses, ideally a rocks glass. 
• Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full with ice. Pour in your whiskey, egg white, lemon juice, cinnamon and maple syrup and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds. 
• Pour the fluffy, cold whiskey sour mixture into the glass and add the drops of Angostura bitters. Garnish with an orange slice, sip up and enjoy!

Mulled Cider

Christmas is the time of year that calls for mulled wine, but spring is the season for delicious, hot apple cider! Turn the ‘cider in a beer garden on a hot day’ experience into a ‘hot cider curled up on the couch in my pjs’ situation instead with this juicy, delicious mulled cider recipe!

It’s certainly got our interest piqued! We’re breaking out the pots and pans for this traditional recipe, check out how to make it here:

Method

• To avoid the liquid cracking a glass, make sure you have strong, glass mugs like a hot whiskey or an Irish Coffee glass. 
• In a large saucepan, pour the cider, Calvados, apple juice and sugar and gently heat (here’s where the ‘mulled’ part comes in). 
• Add the orange zest and spices, get it to a bubbly state, and turn down and keep on a low heat for 20-30 mins.
• Use a large spoon or ladle and scoop the hot liquid into glass mugs.

Ingredients

• 1½ litres of dry cider
• 7 tbsp Calvados
• 400ml apple juice
• 75g dark brown sugar
• Zest of one orange, shavedinto strips
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• 1 tbsp allspice berries

Salted Caramel Rum Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate is a no brainer in the cooler months, a liquid hug that keeps us warm and content. Now a regular fixture in ice cream and popcorn, salted caramel is a flavour that continues to soar in popularity. So what happens if we mix hot chocolate, salted caramel and a little rum? Well let’s be real, there can really only be a scrumptious outcome! Here’s how we can mix two of our favourite vices (chocolate and booze) into a delicious spring tipple.

Ingredients

• 25ml dark rum of your choice 
• 2 tsp of ‘dulce de leche’ or thick caramel
• 150ml of whole milk
• 50g chopped milk chocolate of your choice 
• Pinch of flaky sea salt

Method

• Over a medium here, warm the milk in a saucepan until it begins to simmer. 
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir slowly until it’s all melted through. 
• Take a deep breath and enjoy that sweet, chocolatey scent. 
• Pop the pan back on the heat until it’s warm, then add the rum mixture and a pinch of flaky sea salt. 
• Pour into a mug and let your tastebuds die and go to chocolate heaven.

Want to get your drinks cabinet or home bar ready for spring? Explore the huge range at sessionsliquor.com.au or better yet visit a sessions liquor store in Melbourne and the staff will be happy to help you stock up on all things spring!