World Cocktail Day 2023: Easy beverage ideas & recipes including Kraken Dark ‘N’ Stormy & French Martini

World Cocktail Day is fast approaching and if you’re planning an alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverage this weekend - you’ll want to read on. From a tropical tiki mix to a booze-heavy old-fashioned, we’ve scoured the internet for our favourite recipes and compiled the best below.

The ‘official’ birthday of cocktails takes place on Saturday (May 13) and will be celebrated by pubs, bars and restaurants across the UK. For those at home, it’s an excuse to dust off the cocktail shaker and learn some easy but delicious cocktail classics.

The cocktail is celebrated on this day as it is believed to be when the term ‘cocktail’ was officially defined. In a New York newspaper called ‘The Balance and Columbian Repository’, editor Harry Croswell described a cocktail as: “A stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters.”

While still technically true, the definition is far more flexible now and incorporates the use of liqueur, fruits, juices, and an array of herbs and spices.

There are thousands of different cocktail recipes incorporating different styles and techniques. We’ve collated a selection of our favourite, more accessible drinks with a seasonal blend - what’s stopping you from having a snowball in May?

French Martini

• 40ml vodka
• 20ml Chambord liqueur
• 60ml pressed pineapple juice
• Shake ingredients and double strain into glass
• Garnished with a pineapple wedge

For more information, visit the BBC Good Foods website.

Tequila Sunrise 

• 50ml Tequila
• 2 Large Oranges (juice)
• Pour ingredients over highball glass with cubed ice 
• 2 Tbsp Grenadine (gently pour)
• Garnished with a slice of orange.

For more information, visit the MOB website.

Kraken Perfect Storm

• 50ml Kraken Black Spiced Rum
• 200ml Ginger Beer
• Juice of 1/2 fresh lime
• Pour ingredients over highball glass with cubed ice
• Garnished with a wedge of lime.

For more information, visit the Kraken Rum website.

Tom Collins 

• 50ml London dry gin
• 25ml freshly squeeze lemon juice 
• 15ml sugar syrup
• Pour ingredients into Collins glass with cubed ice 
• 125ml soda water
• Garnish with lemon zest 

For more information, visit the Waitrose website.

• 60 ml Tequila 
• 30 ml Orange Curaçao
• 30 ml fresh lime juice
• Salted rim and lime wheel garnish

For more information, visit the Anders Erickson website.