I’ve made a lot of drinks over the years – for superyacht guests, friends, and once, for a very dirty (iconic) popstar who told me it was the best Bloody Mary she’d ever had. It’s been eight years, and I’m still clinging to that compliment.

These are my ride-or-die drinks – a mix of classics and little tweaks I’ve made over time. All excellent life choices, obviously.

From the BBC Baileys Banana Colada I discovered in Antigua (life-changing) to the Piña Deluxe that’s basically a tropical milkshake with rum, these are the drinks I’ll make again and again until someone pries the cocktail shaker out of my hand.

#1. The Piña Deluxe 🍍

Vibe: classic piña colada meets tropical milkshake energy. One scoop of vanilla ice cream and it’ll be the most delicious thing you’ve ever tried.

Ingredients

• 1 cup ice
• 60 ml (2 oz) white rum
• 90 ml (3 oz) pineapple juice
• 60 ml (2 oz) coconut cream
• 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
• Pineapple slice + cherry to garnish

Method

1. Blend everything until smooth.
2. Pour into a chilled glass, garnish, and enjoy your five-minute holiday.

#2. Salted Caramel Espresso Martini ☕

Vibe: sweet, smooth, and unapologetically extra. Like dessert, but caffeinated.

Ingredients

• 60 ml (2 oz) vodka
• 30 ml (1 oz) freshly brewed espresso (or strong coffee)
• 15 ml (½ oz) coffee liqueur (like Kahlúa)
• 15 ml (½ oz) salted caramel syrup (homemade or store-bought – Monin Salted Caramel Syrup is great)
• Ice
• Optional: a pinch of flaky sea salt + caramel drizzle for garnish

Method

1. Add vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, and salted caramel syrup to a shaker with ice.
2. Shake hard until the outside of the shaker feels frosty and the mix is foamy. Literally shake it until your arms ache!
3. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass.
4. Garnish with a caramel drizzle or a tiny sprinkle of sea salt.

Serve in: a coupe glass with three coffee beans on top if you want to be fancy.

🍯 Homemade Salted Caramel Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup water (split: ½ cup for caramel, ¼ for thinning)
• Pinch of sea salt

Method

1. Heat sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it melts and turns light amber. Swirl the pan — don’t stir.
2. Carefully add ½ cup of water (it’ll bubble up). Stir gently until smooth.
3. Add a pinch of sea salt and, if it’s too thick, stir in the remaining ¼ cup water.
4. Let it cool completely before bottling. Keeps in the fridge for up to a month.

#3. Frozen Mango Margarita 🥭

Vibe: golden, slushy sunshine in a glass. Sweet, tangy, and super summery.

I’ll be honest – I hate regular margaritas.

But about once a year, I convince myself I’ve developed new tastebuds, order one, and immediately remember I have not.

But a frozen fruity marg? That’s a whole different story. I’ll happily drink those until someone takes the blender away.

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen mango chunks
• 60 ml (2 oz) tequila
• 30 ml (1 oz) triple sec (or Cointreau)
• 30 ml (1 oz) fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp agave syrup or honey (optional, depending on mango sweetness)
• Ice (a handful, for texture)
• Garnish: lime wheel + Tajín or salt for the rim

Method

1. Rim your glass with lime juice and dip it into Tajín or salt.
2. Blend mango, tequila, triple sec, lime juice, agave, and ice until smooth and slushy.
3. Pour into your prettiest glass and top with a lime wheel.
4. Sip slowly… or don’t.

Serve in: a coupe, margarita glass or low-ball glass with a salted rim.

#4. Bloody Lime Mary 🍅

Vibe: classic brunch energy with a fresh twist – bold, spicy, and way more drinkable than the usual version.

Ingredients

• 60 ml (2 oz) vodka
• 120 ml (4 oz) tomato juice
• 15 ml (½ oz) fresh lime juice
• 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 2–3 dashes Tabasco (or more if you like spice)
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Optional: splash of pickle juice or olive brine for extra depth
• Ice
• Garnish: celery stick, lime wedge, and whatever snacky garnish makes you happy (pickles, olives, mini mozzarella balls, go wild)

Method

1. Fill a tall glass with ice.
2. Add vodka, tomato juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, and seasoning.
3. Stir well (don’t shake – we’re not trying to explode a tomato smoothie).
4. Garnish and serve with an energy that says “I’m fine, I swear.”

Serve in: a tall glass with lots of ice and unnecessary garnish drama.

#5. BBC (Baileys Banana Colada) 🍌

Vibe: dessert meets beach bar enlightenment.

I first had this in Antigua when I was working on a yacht there, and I’m pretty sure that’s what enlightenment feels like. It’s creamy, sweet, and tastes like the tropics.

Ingredients

• 30 ml (1 oz) Baileys Irish Cream
• 30 ml (1 oz) white rum
• 60 ml (2 oz) coconut cream
• ½ ripe banana
• ½ cup crushed ice
• Optional: drizzle of chocolate or caramel syrup inside the glass
• Garnish: banana slice or toasted coconut flakes

Method

1. Add everything to a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour into a chilled glass (lowball, martini or hurricane all work).
3. Garnish with a banana slice or a sprinkle of coconut flakes.

Serve in: something pretty and cold – ideally with sun, palm trees, and zero emails.

#6. Aperol Spritz (The Honourary Mention) 🧡

Vibe: bright, fizzy – the definition of it’s 4pm somewhere.

I have to include this one for two reasons.

1. Because I was literally drinking them today in the sunshine, and
2. Because when someone serves me a bad Aperol Spritz, I want to roll my eyes so far back I can see last summer. It’s honestly not that hard – just add a proper splash of soda water to save it from a glass of sadness.

The best Aperol Spritz I’ve ever had?

At the Aperol Bar at the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town – they serve them on tap. SO GOOD!!!

Well worth the hike up (or, you know… the cable car).

Ingredients

• 90 ml (3 oz) prosecco
• 60 ml (2 oz) Aperol
• Splash of soda water (the crucial bit — not too much!)
• Ice
• Orange slice to garnish

Method

1. Fill a large wine glass with ice.
2. Pour in prosecco first, then Aperol, then finish with just a splash of soda water.
3. Stir gently (don’t shake – we’re not animals).
4. Garnish with a juicy orange slice and enjoy your main-character-in-summer moment.

Serve in: a big wine glass with loads of ice, extra orange slices if you’re feeling fancy.

✨ Pretty Drinks Club Essentials

If you’re feeling inspired (or just need an excuse to upgrade your bar setup), here are a few of my favourite Amazon finds.

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. No extra cost to you, just prettier drinks all round.)

🥂 Cocktail Shaker Set
Essential to every home bar

🍸 Crystal Coupe Glasses with Gold Rim
My forever favourites – timeless, elegant, and instantly make your drink look fancy.

🍊 Mixed Dehydrated Citrus Garnishes
These make every cocktail look Pinterest-ready (and smell incredible).

🌹 Rose Ice Cube Mould
Completely unnecessary but we LOVE.

🍯 Monin Salted Caramel Syrup
The secret weapon for espresso martinis (and coffee).

☕ Monin Coffee & Cocktail Syrup Gift Set (5x5cl)
Perfect for testing flavours without committing to a full bottle.

And that’s the line-up – my forever faves, tested and perfected through years of hard research (someone had to do it).

What is your favourite cocktail? Let me know in the comments!

Head to the Pretty Drinks Club for more recipes, or…