Shaken not stirred – the SMARTY way to learn mixology

Summer is the ideal time to perfect your cocktail-making skills. These long, warm evenings call for nothing more than a refreshing Mojito or a creamy Pina Colada.

But do you know your jigger from your muddler? No. Then here’s a crash course in mixology…

First up, pick your cocktail

Are you feeling fruity? Sharp? Sour? If you’re in need of a little cocktail inspiration Review Geek has collected their top 6 cocktail apps. Most let you browse hand-picked recipes and give helpful how-to instructions. But if you’d like things to be a little easier, get your cocktails delivered straight to your door with Nio Cocktails.

Next up, picking the right glass

You probably didn’t realise that were so many different glass types to choose from – highball, lowball, flute, brandy sniffer, sour glass, coupette, pousse-café – so where do you start?

There are plenty of places to find out what type of glass you should use for your cocktail. The Difford’s Guide shows you all the different glasses and gives a little bit of history behind each one.

Presentation is everything

How about making sure your cocktails look amazing as well as tasting great. The Lost Tiki Lounge offers some super-cool DIY guides for cocktail umbrellas, coconut cups, Tiki lights, and swizzle sticks. They’ve also got a great list of cocktail recipes and beginners guides.

When DIY just isn’t enough…

For the cocktail connoisseur, why not take mixology to the next level and get a lesson from the pros. Mix, muddle and mash your way to cocktail-making glory with a Virgin Experience Day.

So, what are you waiting for? We’ll have a Strawberry Daquiri. And don’t forget to take some great pics for your Insta.