The Quarantini and other gin-based isolation cocktails

It seems obvious to me that self-isolation can be improved by adding alcohol (but only if you're over 18 and enjoying responsibly). After all, alcohol kills germs and when coupled with immunity boosting ingredients you get delicious cocktails that you can make at home.

If you don't have a cocktail shaker in the cupboard (and I don't because I left it in the distillery when Boris called lockdown), use a jar with a lid.

The Quarantini

50ml Dancing Dragontail Summer Gin

50ml Lemon juice

2 tablespoons honey

A splash of water

Shake all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker/jar with ice and pour into a martini glass. You can also use warm water instead and mix it all into a mug if you feel like you need some sweet comfort. I found some lemon sorbet tucked away in the freezer which was a bit of a bonus to sloosh into my glass.

The Covidiot

50ml Blushing Monkey Pink Gin

10ml Eternal Absinthe

100ml Orange Juice

10ml Honey or Syrup

2 raspberries

Shake all of the ingredients with ice in your cocktail shaker/jar. Strain into a glass and garnish with all of the pasta and loo roll you've been hoarding. You might feel a little bit huggy after drinking this so be careful; there's a 2 metre exclusion zone in force.

Reeba Fever

50ml Dancing Dragontail Summer Gin

Sprig of fresh mint

25ml Raspberry syrup

Juice of half an orange

15ml Dry vermouth

15ml Baklava syrup or honey

Reeba, our head distiller, invented this cocktail last summer. I thought the name was appropriate and hope you wistfully enjoy the photo of the outdoors. Shake all of the ingredients with ice, strain into a martini glass. Baklava syrup is made by muddling baklava with hot water and straining, which some may consider to be waste of fine baklava so you could just use honey and eat the baklava instead.

The Eye Stinger

25ml Dancing Dragontail Summer Gin

Juice of one lime

Pour Dancing Dragontail into a shot glass and the lime juice into another. Alternately neck each one from the shot glass until you experience the wincing and watering of one or both eyes. I stopped taking photos at this point!

The Dry Cough

50ml Gutsy Monkey Winter Gin

Pour a large Gutsy Monkey into a tumbler, take a sip, cough into your elbow, repeat.

Let's not forget that the gin and tonic was created in the 19th century by the British in India in their fight against malaria.

Our spirits may be shaken, but never stirred!

So wash your hands, stay safe, be kind to each other, drink responsibly and share toilet paper.

Note: No toilet paper was harmed or hoarded in the making of this post!