Cocktails didn’t really feature in my teens – my lovely friend Suzy introduced me to discos in the 1970s, and the drink of choice for Les Girls was either vodka-&-lime, or (for a touch of the exotic) rum-&-black, which tasted more like a jelly cube than a drink.  These were ubiquitous in my circle – even to the extent that my then dance partner, having asked if I’d like another glass, was caught walking round the edge of the dance floor, tipping unattended V&Ls into mine.  Romance, and my taste for the hard stuff, took a bit of a dive…

Recently I’ve noticed a lot of resurgent interest in cocktails – retro brass trolleys feature in every interiors magazine, and I rather fancy joining that bandwagon.  Viva Soul London kindly provided Vogue’s cocktail book from 1982 and, excitedly, I began to order the “essentials” online – even thinking how economical I was being by skipping the Crème de Menthe!  Within moments my basket was unaffordable, and I’ve had to think of another way to dip my toes in the water of this particular hobby (and a little more restrained than Dita von Teese in her champagne bath). 

To my amazement, on hearing the word “cocktail” every girlfriend goes misty-eyed at the thought, so I’ve decided that, one by one, I’m going to recreate those old school favourites (and grow my new-to-me drinks cabinet at a slightly more elegant speed than my Ocado basket!). 

Wish me luck!  I’ll keep you posted – and let me know your favourite too.  Cheers!