The Easter weekend is fast approaching. How will you be spending yours?

Ours is likely to be a mixture of project playroom, Easter Egg hunting and quality family time, finished off with a day out all together.

Egg hunts are definitely something we enjoy doing and one of our Easter traditions, but I’m wondering if now my breastfeeding journey is over we grown ups should start a tradition of Easter cocktails?

What do you think? Do you enjoy a good cocktail? What are your favourites?

Aldi has created a range of spring/summer cocktails that are really great – you can follow the recipes completely or adjust them to your personal preferences. Some of their cocktails include:

• Blackberry Smash
• Prosecco Thyme?
• White Sangria
• Grilled Peach Julep
• The Bellucci Job

Blackberry Smash

Ingredients  

50 ml Oliver Cromwell London Dry Gin

½ a cup of white sugar

½ a cup hot water

10-12 blackberries

25ml fresh lemon juice

6 mint leaves

Sparkling water to top

Methodology  

• Fill a tall glass and a cocktail shaker with cubed ice
• To make blackberry syrup dissolve the white sugar in the hot water. Once dissolved add in 10/12 blackberries and allow to cool down to room temperature before straining and chilling in the fridge
• Add 25ml of blackberry syrup and all ingredients (except the sparkling water) to the cocktail shaker
• Shake hard for ten seconds and then strain through a tea strainer into the ice-filled tall glass
• Slowly top with sparkling water

Decoration / to serve

Garnish with a lemon wedge, blackberry and large mint sprig. Finely dust with castor sugar to give a frosted look.

Tasting notes

Delicious fresh berries and fresh lemon juice combine with the crisp taste of gin to make this cocktail the perfect drink for a summer afternoon. With its uplifting citrus and berry notes, Blackberry Smash is an excellent drink to pair with a summer picnic or a cocktail you can enjoy in the garden.

Prosecco Thyme?

Ingredients  

1 bottle Valdobbiadene Prosecco Spumante DOCG

2 large ripe plums

½ cup of white sugar

½ cup hot water

4 springs of fresh thyme

25ml fresh lemon juice

Methodology   

• Cut the plums into quarters and discard the stones
• Muddle the plums in a cocktail shaker
• To make thyme syrup add dissolve the white sugar in the hot water. Once dissolved add the thyme sprigs. Allow the mix to cool, and then strain before storing in the fridge until needed
• Add 25ml of thyme syrup and ice to the cocktail shaker
• Add the remaining lemon juice and shake hard
• Strain into a rocks glass filled with cubed ice and top with Prosecco

Decoration / to serve

Cut a fresh plum into wedges and place this into the glass. Strip a few leaves of fresh thyme and scatter over the drink.

Tasting notes
Prosecco Thyme is the perfect cocktail for a celebration, whether you’re toasting the Queen’s 90^th birthday or just celebrating the first signs of spring. The cocktail is full of fresh seasonal flavours and zing.

White Sangria

Ingredients                                                                                          

1 bottle of The Exquisite Collection Limestone Coast Chardonnay

Philippe Michel Crémant du Jura to top

1 green apple

1 red apple

15 red grapes

1 stone fruit destoned and quartered

3 strawberries halved

1 punnet of raspberries

Soda water to top

Methodology   

• Add all the fruit to a large jug or pitcher and lightly muddle using the back of a wooden spoon
• Pour over The Exquisite Collection Limestone Coast Chardonnay and stir to combine with the fruit. Refrigerate for 1 hour or ideally overnight
• Take the cold mixture from the fridge pour into a wine glass and add cubed ice
• Top with Philippe Michel Crémant du Jura or soda water for a lighter drink

Decoration / to serve

Garnish with fresh mint springs or fresh basil leaves for a more Mediterranean feel.

Tasting notes

This simple yet tasty cocktail can be made well ahead of time and served on the day. With Aldi’s White Sangria you can use a range of fruit, allowing you to have fun coming up with different taste combinations, and can easily scale it up to share with large parties.

Grilled Peach Julep

Ingredients                                                                                          

50 ml Highland Black 8 Year Old Whisky

6-8 mint leaves

15ml honey

1 peach

10ml fresh lemon juice

Methodology   

• Add the mint to the cocktail shaker and cover with the Highland Black 8 Year Old Whisky. Lightly muddle using a wooden spoon
• Add the honey to the cocktail shaker and stir until dissolved
• To make peach puree cut 1 peach in half and de-stone. Lightly grill the two halves until they begin to caramelise. Add to a blender until smooth and place in the fried to chill
• Add 25ml of peach puree and all the remaining ingredients and stir to ensure all the flavours are combined
• Pour into an ice-filled tall glass

Decoration / to serve

Serve with a large mint sprig.

Tasting notes

The Grilled Peach Julep is a great drink to have after a Sunday roast lamb. The caramelised homemade peach puree adds another depth of flavour to the smoky Whisky notes. The mint cuts through with a crisp and light refreshing finish.

The Bellucci Job

Ingredients                                                                                          

25ml Tamova Vodka

25ml Bellucci Amaretto

3 strawberries

1 teaspoon of white sugar

75ml cranberry juice

2 lemon wedges

Soda water to top

Methodology   

• Cut the strawberries into quarters, add to the cocktail shaker and sprinkle with white sugar
• Using the back of a wooden spoon muddle or press down on the strawberries
• Add the remaining ingredients (except the soda water) and shake hard over ice
• Using a tea strainer fine strain the liquid into a tall ice-filled glass
• Top with soda water

Decoration / to serve

Garnish with a large slice of lemon and place half a strawberry on the glass rim to decorate. Serve with two straws.

Tasting notes

Aldi’s Bellucci Amaretto provides an appetising sweet undertone of exotic marzipan to The Bellucci Job, giving balance to the sweetness of the strawberries and the tartness from the cranberry juice.  The mix of sweet and sour flavours allows this drink to cater to all palates.

Which do you fancy? Of course – you could have some fun creating your own cocktails as well! The Highland Black, squeezed lemon and a top up of coke makes a lovely long drink, or Gin, fresh orange, lime juice and topped up with cranberry is also rather yummy!