Recipe: Beat mid-week blues with these seven cocktails 

Want to make bar-like cocktails at home? Check out these recipes:

1. Gin TNT 

Ingredients: Juniper Bomb - 50ml, Cold brew black Tea - 20ml, Lime juice - 10ml, Sugar syrup - 5ml (optional), Tonic Water - top up and coconut biscuit/cookie to garnish

Method: Add all ingredients to a highball/tall glass with ice, garnish and serve. 

Recipe for cold-brew black tea: Add 10-12 grams loose leaf tea in a jar. Pour 750ml cold water in it and seal the jar. Place it in a cool and dry place or within the fridge overnight. Strain the tea after 8-10 hrs. (Cold brew tea can be stored for a day in the fridge after straining).

2. Highball

Ingredients: 1 part Suntory Whisky Toki, 3 parts soda water and Lemon peel for garnish

Method:
• Take a highball glass, fill it up to the top with ice. Stir to chill the glass.
• Now add Toki and stir to chill whisky
• Top with sparkling soda
• Garnish with lemon peel for the fresh kick

Also read | Celebrity baker Juhi Pahwa shares her recipe for Apple Cinnamon Cake and gluten-free Chocolate Cupcakes

3. Hennessy Spicy Blazer

Ingredients: Hennessy Very Special - 50 ml, Liquorice powder - 0.5 tsp, mineral water - 30 ml, Black Pepper - 1 pinch, White Sugar - 1 Tbsp, Ground Cinnamon - 1 pinch and Cinnamon Bark to garnish

Method:
• Mix all the ingredients in a metal shaker.
• Flame the liquid before pouring from one half of the shaker to the other half 4-5 times. Put out the flame and let cook. 
• Pour into an Old-Fashioned glass filled with ice cubes. Garnish with Cinnamon bark.

4. Mango Meltdown 

Ingredients: 1.25 oz Brugal Anejo Rum, 0.5 oz of Disaronno Amaretto Liqueur, 4 oz of Mango puree, 1 oz of Strawberry mix, Mint Sprigs for garnish

Method: 
• Blend all ingredients together except the strawberry mix.
• Pour the strawberry mix into a Highball glass and pour the blended mixture over it to create a lava flow effect. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Related | Recipe: This chilled Mango Thandai is equal parts refreshing and decadent 

6. Cosmopolitan

Ingredients: 40 ml Absolut Citron, 20 ml Triple Sec, 20 ml Lime Juice, 20 ml Cranberry Juice, 1 Twist Orange Zest, Ice Cubes

Method: Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add all ingredients. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange zest twist.

7. Tom Collins

Ingredients: 45ml Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin, 20ml Lemon Juice, 20ml Simple Syrup

Method: Build with ice into a collins glass. Stir well and top with Soda Water. Garnish with lemon and orange wheel.

7. Ginger Bomb 

Ingredients: Juniper Bomb - 50ml, Honey ginger syrup - 20ml, Soda - top up and mint sprigs and ginger candy to garnish

Method: Add all ingredients to a highball/tall glass with ice, garnish and serve

Recipe for honey-ginger syrup: Take one cup of water in a small pot, add 1 cup of honey and a 6-inch peeled and sliced piece of ginger and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Refrigerate overnight, then strain, discarding the solids. Bottle and store in the refrigerator.

Recipe for ginger candy: 

• Take 170 gm fresh ginger. Peel the skin off and cut the ginger into thin slices. Place all of the pieces in a saucepan and add enough water to fully cover them. Simmer uncovered over medium-high heat for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the water. Place drained ginger in a separate bowl.

• Now place about 100 grams of granulated sugar in the empty saucepan. Add the reserved 3/4 cup ginger water and stir together. Bring to a low boil and completely dissolve the sugar. Add the slices of ginger. Continue to boil gently, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are translucent and the syrup has thickened slightly, about 15-20 minutes.

• Immediately remove the pan from the heat and drain, using a colander over a big bowl to collect the syrup. Separate the ginger slices on a baking sheet and spread them around for them to dry well. Place 90 gm sugar in a large, clean bowl. Toss the cooled pieces in the sugar a handful at a time to coat in a thin layer.

• Allow the sugar-coated ginger to dry for a while (3 hours minimum). Store in an airtight container at room temperature, your candy will keep for about two weeks. 

(Mango Meltdown recipe is from Norwegian Cruise Line; Gin TNT and Ginger Bomb's recipe are from
Anand Virmani, Co-founder, Distiller and CEO, NAO Spirits & Beverages)