NOW EXPERIENCING:If you like your cocktails fruity, these 7 recipes are for you
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If you like your cocktails fruity, these 7 recipes are for you

Read time 4 Mins

Posted 22 Feb 2024

By
Emily Reed

Make these easy, fruity cocktails with the fresh fruit in your fridge.

Our main squeeze? A fruity cocktail. With so many to choose from, and each one bursting with more flavour than the last, it’s no wonder they’re a popular choice – especially while the weather is warm. At this time of year, you also have plenty of fresh produce at your fingertips. From a Pineapple and Gin Punch to a Strawberry Daiquiri, there’s something inexplicably fun about a fruity cocktail. To prove our point, we’ve lined up some fruit-filled recipes below. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to serve some of these in the fruit itself.    
The two-ingredient Garibaldi cocktail
1. Garibaldi cocktail recipeThe Garibaldi is a delicious two-ingredient cocktail. Made from just Campari and ‘fluffy’ orange juice, it is – like most things Italian – far more than the sum of its parts. You might be wondering two things: What is ‘fluffy’ orange? And who the heck is Garibaldi? If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying ‘fluffy’ orange, then let us enlighten you. It’s orange juice that’s either been produced by pulverising it in a centrifugal juicer or whisking with a milk frother resulting in a velvety, fluffy juice, which is crucial for this recipe. As for Mr Garibaldi, Guiseppe is considered one of the founding fathers of modern Italy. The fiery red colour of this cocktail is inspired by the uniform of his followers – the Camicie Rosse, or Redshirts. The fact this cocktail only contains two ingredients is no coincidence: it represents a unified Italy, something that (back in the day) celebrated its new borders, stretching from the northern Alps to the pebbly beaches in the south. Something like Piedmontese Campari and Sicilian oranges, perhaps? You got it! And who better to name it after than the guy who made it possible?
2. Courtside cocktail recipeIf you’re having Australian Open withdrawals or just enjoy sports-themed cocktails, then serve up a Courtside. Let’s see how many tennis puns we can lob into this quick summary of a Wimbledon-inspired tipple, shall we? Like the good English rose this cocktail is, it unites many of the British classics. The key liquor here is gin, London dry gin to be specific. You could also try vodka instead if you wish. A generous serving of apple deuce, ah, we mean juice, and elderflower liqueur will also ace the English countryside perfume that makes this cocktail a grand slam. Given strawberries are the unofficial fruit of Wimbledon (did you know they serve nearly 1.5 million of them during the tournament?) you’ll find a portion of them in the ingredient line-up alongside tart-balancing raspberries. Have a play around with your muddle if you fancy. If they’re in season, try adding blueberries or blackberries to the mix, or try working in other herbs like basil.  
The pretty pink Courtside cocktail
A punch bowl of White Mandarin Sangria
3. White Mandarin Sangria cocktail recipeThis is Sangria, but not as you know it. No jugs of icy red wine here, laden with chunks of fruit. This White Mandarin Sangria is all about good quality ingredients. We recommend a rich chardy (or chenin) as the base for its bigger, riper, more tropical fruit flavours. Because we want it to feel lighter than a typical Sangria, instead of adding brandy, we’ve added a good swig of limoncello to the punch base for some acidity and zing. In terms of fruits and herbs that’ll really make this cocktail sing, it’s all about what will complement the wine’s base flavour. Dried apple pieces, mandarin segments (halved lengthways), bunches of sage, lemon thyme and half a vanilla pod pick up and exaggerate all those delightful flavours of your rich white wine of choice, making for a fresh, zesty, herbaceous mix. Top it all off with a generous splash of soda water or Passiona, if you want something a little sweeter. Mix this one up at your next house party so you can keep the masses (read: your thirsty friends) satiated in the summer sunshine. 
4. Frozen Watermelon Margarita cocktail recipeThis fun ‘n’ fruity spin on the classic Marg features triple sec, tequila blanco and plenty of juicy watermelon. It also comes with some sage advice in relation to preparation: Chop your watermelon cubes BEFORE you freeze them. Otherwise, you'll end up with a huge frozen watermelon. And it won’t be in a cute way, like when Baby carried a watermelon in Dirty Dancing. It’ll be annoying and take up a lot of room in your kitchen. You'll also want to start blending the frozen fruit (with your other ingredients) on a low setting and work your way to high to get the perfect consistency. If the mixture is still a little watery, you can thicken it up by adding more frozen watermelon or even regular crushed ice. This cocktail ticks all the boxes and proves that frozen cocktails are bursting back on the scene in a big, juicy way.
The Frozen Watermelon Margarita
A jug of Pineapple and Gin Punch
5. Pineapple and Gin Punch cocktail recipeGot a punch bowl or large jug at the back of your cupboard just asking to be dusted off and filled with a warm-weather cocktail? Try this punch – a combination of pineapple, lemon, triple sec, gin, sugar syrup and sparkling wine is a guaranteed winner in anyone’s books. The jasmine tea, mint and Angostura Bitters provide the perfect foil to keep all those flavours balanced and sophisticated. The unsung heroes in this punch recipe are the raw ingredients – high-quality produce is key. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice and opt for a tasty pineapple juice as well (better yet, make your own). And keep those ice cubes big! We mean it. If they’re too small they’ll melt in minutes and dilute that flavour you just tried so hard to nail. 
6. Halftime Highball cocktail recipeServed up in a Collins glass, this cocktail is the perfect balance of mezcal, grapefruit and sherry, and was dreamt up by Matt Stirling who co-owns Caretaker’s Cottage, the bar that was just announced as the 23rd best in the entire world. What an accolade! In terms of ingredients, Matt says it’s all about shining a light on some lesser-drunk spirits. “Mezcal and dry sherry just aren’t being drunk enough by folk, so anytime I can put them in a glass, in this case, a glass together, I chalk it up as a win,” says Matt. The finished drink should, according to Matt, taste “savoury, dry and nutty – thoughtful and full in flavour without being too punchy.” This is one hell of an energetic cocktail that anyone can get around; you’ll win extra points for preparing your grapefruit oleo-saccharum (oil-sugar syrup) in advance too – it’s absolutely worth it. Don’t worry, our recipe has all the instructions you need.
The Halftime Highball
7. Strawberry Daiquiri cocktail recipeYou know what they say about a Strawberry Daiquiri: If it’s good enough for Ernest Hemingway, it’s good enough for us. For the record, “they” probably never said that but who doesn’t love a strawberry-flavoured cocktail on a sunny day? A key to this Daiquiri’s success is serving the cocktail ‘up’, meaning chilled, but without ice. The best way is to pop the glass in the fridge for at least an hour before shaking, or in the freezer for 30 minutes if you’re short on time. Don’t forget to double strain either – that way it’ll be silky smooth. For the best flavour results, aim to use a Cuban white rum such as Bacardi or Santisima Trinidad. Never a stranger to flavour variations, try adding a variety of fruit and herbs to the muddle, such as blackberries, peaches, mint or basil. Tasty! 
Want more fruit-forward cocktails? Check out our growing collection of cocktail recipes, which we have filtered here by the "fruity" flavour profile.  
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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
  1. What makes a cocktail fruity?
    Well, fruit (of course!), but seriously, fresh or frozen fruit, fruit juice and fruit liqueurs all play a role here.

  2. What are some popular spirits that pair well with fruit?
    If you’re working with citrus (orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit), try vodka, tequila, gin, whisk(e)y or rum. Berries and watermelon love vodka and gin. For the tropical vibes you get from mango, passionfruit and pineapple, we'd look to mezcal and tequila. Love a stone fruit? Head to the brandy shelf.

  3. Can I use frozen fruit in cocktails?
    You know we love fresh fruit in our cocktails, but you can use frozen if that’s your jam – just be sure to account for that slushly-like texture that will come from the frozen fruit (along with the extra chill).
Authour image
Emily ReedEmily is a Melbourne-based writer partial to a good pét nat. Her hobbies include lining up songs on Spotify at house parties and hovering near cheese platters.
Tags
CocktailsEntertainingGinWine basedTequilaRumSweetFruityEasyTequila & MezcalVodkaLiqueursSummer
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