Our cocktail-making is no horror show

Here at ShortList, we don’t often get to make cocktails at work. But we had good reason. We were paid a visit by Smirnoff, to show us how easy it is to mix our own drinks. ShortList editor Martin Robinson used his love of classic British horror films to create his own bloody-as-hell cocktail. And film editor Andrew Dickens also looked to cinema, creating a Bollywood-inspired cocktail. The point is, there’s no limit on what you could mix. Take a bottle of Smirnoff, open your cupboards and let your imagination run wild.

THE INGREDIENTS

● 35ml Smirnoff No21

● 100ml cranberry juice

● 10ml elderflower cordial

● Two handfuls of fresh strawberries (to be muddled for flesh effect). Plus a slice of strawberry for garnish.

THE METHOD

Step 1 Pour the Smirnoff, cranberry juice, elderflower cordial and mango into a cocktail shaker (or jam jar) and shake up.

Step 2 Pour over ice cubes into goblet (ideally).

Step 3 Finish by mashing and pouring the muddled strawberries over the top for a suitably entertaining horror effect.

MARTIN'S INSPIRATION

ShortList editor Martin Robinson used his love of horror films for his drink, even finding a suitably gothic goblet to keep with his theme. Using Smirnoff Red to give the drink its bones, muddled strawberries and cranberry juice gave a fun, gory effect, while a dash of elderflower gave the horror theme a more pleasant, sugary – and frankly less tart – twist.

THE INGREDIENTS

● 35ml Smirnoff GoldCollection

● 100ml mango juice (available in any large supermarket)

● 100ml iced tea (also available in any supermarket)

● Wedge of fresh lime

THE METHOD

Step 1 Squeeze a handful of fresh limes to make your drink that much more refreshing. Then pour the Smirnoff Gold, mango juice and iced tea into a cocktail shaker (or jam jar if you don’t have one) and lightly shake it.

Step 2 Pour over ice cubes into a tea cup (ideally, the more ornate the better).

ANDREW'S INSPIRATION:

As ShortList film editor, Andrew Dickens was always going to give his cocktail a cinematic theme; he also gave it a Bollywood twist. Mango and iced tea conjure up images of India, while the cinnamon in the Smirnoff Gold gives it a spicy Eastern taste. And there’s only one vessel to serve it in: a tea cup (after all, India is the home of tea). “Smirnoff is the perfect starting point for creating inventive drinks,” explained Smirnoff global brand ambassador Kenji Jesse. So take inspiration from Andrew’s creation and get making your own.

Visit thebar.com/outsidetheglass for more inspiration and even more superb Smirnoff recipes.

Drink Responsibly. Visit drinkaware.co.uk for the facts.