What I really puts me off making cocktails at home is the incredible list of ingredients you have to buy; so few stores stock half bottles or even quarter bottles of spirits. Who wants bottles of odd, obscure, liqueurs and weird spirits siting around till the in-laws come at Christmas?

Which is why I was rather taken with the two Freixenet Summer Cocktails detailed below; not a huge expense to gather ingredients. Of the two recipes below one is re-printed as supplied – the ingredient list for The Freixenet Sunshine Crush is more than manageable, with Raspberry Liqueur usable in many different guises (a chocolate and raspberry cake is already in the pipe-line) being the only other ingredient required.

The second recipe, originaly Freixenet Colada, I’ve modified. The original recipe, while not requiring much more than Overproof Navy Rum, also called on Coconut Essence, which I have no idea of where to find. Thought I’d try substituting the coconut and the rum with a Malibu pre-mix for Island Punch…

“a premixed cocktail containing Malibu Coconut, Pineapple, Banana, passion Fruit and Mango Flavours”

Waitrose stock this Malibu pre-mix at £14 for a litre pouch. Not quite the same I realise and the use of ‘flavours’ rather than natural juice is a little disconcerting; but one preserved. The result wasn’t too shoddy mind!

The quality of a cocktail is in its complexity of flavours. Or so I’ve been led to understand. The Malibu mix lacks a little something on its own and certainly benefits from a dash of Angostura bitters. It makes for a grand, long, summery drink.

The Sunshine Crush, (who forgot the strawberries!?), with a squeeze of three different citrus fruits, mint and the raspberry liqueur was wonderful. It was designed with Freixenet Cordon Rosado in mind but work perfectly with the Cordon Negro.

The Freixenet Sunshine Crush

• 1 wedge Orange
• 1 wedge Lemon
• 1 wedge Lime
• 1 Raspberry
• 1 Strawberry
• 1 Sprig Mint
• 25ml Raspberry Liqueur
• Freixenet Cordon Rosado

Squeeze the citrus fruits into a high ball glass. Add the berries and mint. Pour over the Raspberry liqueur. Add crushed ice. Top up with Freixenet Cordon Rosado.

The Freixenet Punch

• 40ml Malibu Island Punch mix
• Freixenet Cordon Negro
• Dash of bitters

Pour the Malibu mix over ice in a chilled glass. Top up with Freixenet Cordon Negro. Finish with two dashes of bitters.

The original Freixenet Summer Cocktails recipes (Freixenet Sunshine Crush and The Freixenet Colada) were created by Shaken & Stirred of Oxford.