It’s getting warmer outside, which means one thing in this house – it’s almost that time of year when you can sit outside and drink! When you’re sent a bottle of whisky and prosecco to try out some delicious Aldi Spring and Summer Cocktails, well, it had to be done.
Aldi spring and summer cocktails don’t need many ingredients, indeed, you might even have some growing in your back garden. I have to admit that usually I’m a wine kind of girl, and haven’t had cocktails in a long time – mainly because I thought they were a lot of trouble to make (how wrong could I be?). I know we’ll be trying these out as the evenings get warmer and we can sit outside again!
Grilled Peach Julep
Ingredients
50 ml Highland Black 8 Year Old Whisky
6-8 mint leaves
15ml honey
1 peach
10ml fresh lemon juice
1) Add the mint to the cocktail shaker (we don’t have a cocktail shaker, so just used a blender container) and cover with the Highland Black 8 Year Old Whisky. Lightly muddle using a wooden spoon.
2) Add the honey to the cocktail shaker and stir until dissolved.
3) To make peach puree cut one 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 fridge to chill.
4) Add 25ml of peach puree and all the remaining ingredients and stir to ensure all the flavours are combined.
5) Pour into an ice-filled tall glass and serve with a large mint sprig.
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. Personally, I loved it – it softened the whisky and I’d never think of mixing it with peach – but it worked a treat!
Prosecco Thyme
Ingredients
1 bottle Prosecco
2 large ripe plums
½ cup of white sugar
½ cup hot water
4 springs of fresh thyme
25ml fresh lemon juice
1) Cut the plums into quarters and discard the stones
2) Muddle the plums in a cocktail shaker (again, we used a blender container)
3) 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
4) Add 25ml of thyme syrup and ice to the cocktail shaker
5) Add the remaining lemon juice and shake hard
6) Strain into a rocks glass filled with cubed ice and top with Prosecco. Cut a fresh plum into wedges and place this into the glass. Strip a few leaves of fresh thyme and scatter over the drink.
Prosecco Thyme is the perfect cocktail for a celebration, whether you’re toasting the Queen’s 90th birthday or just celebrating the first signs of spring. The cocktail is full of fresh seasonal flavours and zing. We could taste the thyme, but preferred to have it just with the thyme syrup and the plums, leaving out the lemon juice. It was delicious anyway – and definitely worth trying out!
We enjoyed both Aldi Spring and Summer Cocktails over two nights on the Easter Bank Holiday. They’re both delicious, and definitely something we’ll be trying again – once I’ve bought a Cocktail Shaker!
We were sent a bottle of each to make these Aldi Spring and Summer Cocktails – all opinions are my own. Aldi’s website is over here. (please open one near us soon!)