I love a drink, and while there is nothing wrong with knocking the top off a stubby or opening a cheeky bottle of sauv blanc (no matter what the wine snobs say), I prefer the reliable consistency of spirits. The twang of a good G&T, the pleasure of a perfectly balanced martini, or the joy of a rum and Coke at the footy.

Back in the ’50s, it was far more common for a home to have a
bar, and the cocktail shaker to be employed regularly. Cocktails in the 2020s, however, are a far more egalitarian affair – no fancy cocktail shaker or strainer required. Just chill your glasses and away you go! Here are some of my favourite mixed drinks to make at home for friends.

DIRTY NEGRONI from a San Fran biker dive bar

On assignment for delicious. with photographer Catherine Sutherland, we hit a dive bar that was a former Hell’s Angels hang-out and – after we’d drunk enough ‘manly’ beers – persuaded the big bloke in the leather waistcoat behind the bar to make us Negronis. After all, we explained, it was just a shot of gin, vermouth and Campari; all of which were standing there in all their fading ‘seldom-opened-since-Easy Rider-was-on-release’ glory. The drink was rough but passable – all the sugar! The solution was to disguise with a little salt rim on the next round.

By round four it hit us: we could add brine from the olive jar instead. We’d worked in Madrid the year before and fell in love with the combination of vermouth and green olives at the vermut bars there. Orange zest with the olives would have been the perfect tweak but I wasn’t man enough to ask for a three- olive-and-orange-zest stick garnish, which lifts this drink to a greater level. Oh, and add a little less Campari and use a good vermouth for the best results. Use about a teaspoon of brine for every 90ml drink, or more if you are feeling a bit hairy.

ELDERFLOWER & ROSE GIN GARDEN

Miss Pearls was, and is, a doyenne of Melbourne bar culture at her zenith, presiding over the rather louche Madame Brussels rooftop bar in much the same way Catherine the Great ran the Russian court. It was dangerous fun, the go-to drink was a jug of its Gin Garden. I have zero recollections of what was in it, but come summer you’ll find me pre-mixing 500ml of elderflower cordial with 700ml of good gin so I can pour this mix with soda to order. If I get my sh*t together I will have infused the skins of cucumbers in the gin for 24 hours beforehand. By the way, all the sugar in the cordial disguises the booziness of the drink so be careful. You can make this drink with an elderflower liqueur like St Germain, but it’s much more expensive! Garnish with slices of peach, cucumber and pop a nasturtium leaf on top so it looks like a pretty pond. This summer I got fancy and started garnishing with a spritz of rosewater and swirl of fresh raspberry juice, which brings a pretty pink blush to the drink.

BILLY TEA

Driving through the dry country of the Mitchell Plateau in the far north of WA, ice is a luxury. So when you find it, celebrate with this simple libation that is perfect for slaking away the dust from seven hours driving over corrugations. This cocktail is best made in an old billy can where it was originally conceived. Place two sliced lemons in the can and then pour in 1 litre of apple juice and two bottles of the best ginger beer. Add whisky to taste – we are talking at least half a bottle. Yes, you can swing the billy round in a big circle like you are a vintage swagman – but only if you are around a campfire and never when you are making the second round. Serve in enamel camping mugs filled with ice. The cocktail has the colour of weak billy tea but has somewhat more punch.

PEAR & ROSEMARY GIN FIZZ

Often when people demand I make them a cocktail, there’s lots of booze available but few mixers, so I have to improvise. This is one such example of MacGyvering my way out of a situation. Pear and apple both love the flavour of rosemary but while I prefer apple juice with whisky, I think pear juice has a beautiful affinity with good gin.

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