CHILL OUT OVER COCKTAILS

In 1979, a little-known singer by the name of Rupert Holmes shot to the top of the charts in the United States, Canada and Australia with a song called ‘Escape’ – better known as ‘The Pina Colada Song’. The lyrics told of a man and woman who had grown apart but would eventually rediscover love thanks to a newspaper ad and a secret longing for pina coladas.

If it sounds tacky, that’s because it was. But in crafting the song around the pina colada, Holmes appealed to the part of us that yearns to relax, put our feet up and dream of an idyllic life of leisure.

Aside from selling a truckload of records, Holmes also helped whet the public’s appetite for cocktails – especially pina coladas.

Cocktails first became popular in the 1920s during the period of Prohibition, when alcohol was banned in the United States. Illegal production of liquor flourished, but the poor quality of bootleg spirits meant that fruit juices, honey and sugar were added to make the beverages more palatable.

Once Prohibition was lifted in 1933, the need to disguise poor-quality alcohol ended and the cocktail lost ground. But then, in the 1960s, something occurred that would ensure the cocktail would forever remain associated with glamour and sophistication: James Bond, played on the big screen by Sean Connery, asked for a martini ‘shaken, not stirred’.

There have been countless characters in film and TV associated with a particular cocktail. There’s The Dude and his white Russian in The Big Lebowski, Don Draper and the old fashioned in Mad Men – and who could forget the Hamiltons in Fawlty Towers who both loved a screwdriver? And then there was the iconic 1988 film Cocktail starring Tom Cruise. But James Bond and his martini are arguably the most glamorous.

Today cocktails still maintain an air of mystery and the exotic. They may not be as quick to pour as a glass of wine or as cheap to open as a stubby of beer, but when you want to relax and treat yourself, no other kind of drink comes close. Meet you at O’Malley’s …

MALIBU GRACIE

    1 part white rum

    1 part coconut milk

    1 part fresh pineapple juice

    Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, and shake vigorously. Half-fill a tall cocktail glass with crushed ice, then add the liquid. Enjoy!

MAKING YOUR OWN COCKTAILS

Incorporating homemade cocktails into modern life needn’t be difficult. It takes a little bit of preparation and time, sure, but it’s a great way to spend an evening with friends at home, or round off a night out.

•  Invest in a good cocktail guide or check the internet for recipes.

•  If you try a cocktail in a bar that appeals, find the recipe and have a go at re-creating it at home.

•  The spirits and liqueurs that are the main ingredients for cocktails are expensive, but you can gradually build up a collection of the bases for your favourite concoctions. Perhaps add a bottle each payday. And don’t forget a trusty blender!

•  Go crazy and try inventing your own! On the previous page is one of our most successful concoctions – it’s named after our dog.

•  Source fun cocktail glasses and shakers from op shops and antique stores.

•  Make your next celebration a cocktail party. Beforehand, decide how many cocktails you will offer, and check you have all the ingredients and equipment to hand.