The last thing that hosts think about during barbecue or weekend parties is the cocktail. Many wish they hired a cocktail mixer, but many popular cocktails can be made at home easily. Some can be made a few weeks or days in advance and in large volumes so that it’s the last they need to worry about. Here are some of the best cocktail recipes for your next party:

Raspberry gin
This easy-to-make cocktail can make you a connoisseur among friends and family. The following ingredients can make four servings:

Ingredients

• Gin – 1 bottle (750 ml)
• Fresh raspberries – 400 grams
• Refined sugar – 200 grams

Method
Fill a clean jar with the raspberries and tip it with sugar. Then, pour the bottle of gin, close the lid, and swirl until the sugar dissolves. Store the jar in a cool, dark place, and swirl it once every day for a week. After about 2-3 weeks, stir the gin through a sieve in the bottle, and store in a cool place. It can be consumed anytime in the coming year. You can use the raspberries as a cocktail garnish or turn them into a granita.

White wine sangria
This is not the regular red wine sangria, and this refreshing cocktail can be made just an hour or night before the crowd arrives. These ingredients make up 8-10 servings:

Ingredients

• White wine – 2 bottles (1500 ml)
• Ginger wine – 300 ml
• Elderflower cordial – 80 ml
• Lime – 6 (sliced)
• Peach – 4 (sliced)
• Raspberry – 80 grams (whole)
• Ice cubes
• Sparkling water – 1 liter
• Edible flowers – a handful

Method
Add the peaches, lime, raspberries, elderflower cordial, white wine, and ginger wine into two large jars equally and refrigerate for at least an hour. Just before serving, add the sparkling water, edible flowers, and ice to the drink.

Elderflower and gooseberry vodka
One of the best cocktail recipes for your next party, this is a must-try for its cherubic taste. These ingredients make up 8-10 servings:

Ingredients

• Vodka – 2 bottles (1500 ml)
• Golden caster sugar – 350 grams
• Gooseberries – 600 grams
• Elderflowers – 40 heads (stalks discarded)
• Lemon peel – 12 strips

Method
Divide the gooseberries between four 1-liter jars and add the flowers and top it with the lemon peel equally among the jars. Finally, pour the vodka and seal the jars with a lid. Let it infuse in a cool and dark place for two days to a week. After infusion, pour the contents into a large bowl through a sieve and let it drip the infused vodka slowly. Meanwhile, add the sugar into a pan filled with 500 ml of water and simmer and cook until the sugar turns into a syrup and reduces to half. Then, cool the syrup to room temperature, add about 200 ml to the infused liquor in the large bowl, and discard the sieved solids. Stir the syrup in the infused vodka until it dissolves. Add more syrup if you want more sweetness. Finally, store the cocktail in bottles in a cool and dark place for use up to a year later.