Easy - Dark and Stormy with Rum and other Quick Cocktails

Welcome to the latest in a long line of Cocktail recipe pages. This one's focus is on simpler mixes, you won't need a shaker for these, just the glass, the ingredients, occasionally a garnish, some and ice and that's it.

For a less stressful cocktail party, or just solid drinks for any kind of night, I give you..

This is my favourite new discovery, while the world lags behind with their spiced rums and coke, I order a Dark 'N' Stormy with the air and grace of someone who knows better. Amazingly I don't make too many friends telling people about this in the pub. It's simple and amazing.

All you need is a double dark rum, with ginger beer, with ice and a wedge of lime

The rum, ginger, lime combination is difficult to describe, they almost cancel each other out, but compliment each other perfectly.

On a side note re: my bias against the spiced rum trend. What a lot of people have discovered fairly recently is the recently rebranded Captain Morgans with Coke.

Thanks to a mascot that bravely roars "ARRR!!" from every bottle, the drink is commonplace in pubs, clubs and parties.

Captain and Coke is for pond fishers.

(Any) Spiced Rum and Fanta (or any sparkling orange) is for ocean explorers! We call it the super split because ==>

Those are summer drinks really, I'm off season with the next one, but at least come next Winter you'll know that a Whiskey Mac is what you need!

Whiskey Macs are a classic. So damn simple, so easy, so warming.

So bloody early in the year to be thinking about the next Winter.

All you need is a double whiskey, I tend to use Irish whiskey, but I will use Rye on occasion, any type will do, it is to your own taste. All you need now is a single measure of Ginger Wine to mix. If you want ice, that's your problem.

Speaking of Whiskey, specifically Canadian Club, another great one to try is single Canadian Club with ice, a dash of Ginger Ale and slice of fresh orange.

Another perfect three-way!

Really this is just a Gin and Tonic, but specifically uses the wonderful Hendricks Gin. A Scottish brew, and a rather odd one too, they make it using cucumber, a Gin truly of wonder.

Console yourself from that horrible rhyme (for I which I should be hanged) with a single or double measure of Hendricks Gin with ice, mix with Tonic. Before you pour any of the liquids into the glass, line it vertically with 4 or 5 slices of cucumber. Use the ice to hold the slices there.

You don't need to garnish any further, the cucumber is enough, and essential to this drink. It's an odd one to look at but I assure a wonderful drink.

So enjoy this latest collection of great drinks. Any suggestions or questions are welcome in the comment box.