The Art of the Solo Happy Hour: Cocktails for Unwinding at the End of the Workday

A cheerful cocktail bar is definitely fun, but lately, many people want to go down a different road, where the main part is still mixology. That’s the solo happy hour, a period of, well, how many hours you have, where you create yourself a tasty cocktail. It’s usually at the end of a long workday and the goal is to simply relax, unwind, and enjoy yourself.

If you think this is a lonely thing, you couldn’t be more wrong. It’s a deliberate practice many people are embracing: a period of mindfulness and downtime.

The real charm of a solo happy hour is that your time is yours to do as you please. You can pair your cocktail with whatever you wish, be it a great new book, a podcast, a TV show, or a movie.

You can also put on your favorite vinyl record or delve into the casual fun of a relaxing mobile game like the Solitaire online free no download game. The goal is to relax, and a well-crafted drink will elevate that experience to a comfortable ritual.

But what drink should that be? Here are some great suggestions along with their recipes.

Tom Collins

The famous Tom Collins is a cocktail for anyone who likes gin, as it uses it as a base. To make this drink, here’s what you generally need:

• 50ml of your favorite gin

• 60ml of soda water

• 30ml of lemon juice

• A bit of sugar or simple syrup

• Slice of lemon and cherry for garnish

When you get everything ready, just combine it all, except the soda, and mix well with some ice. Then top up the glass with the soda water and garnish. It’s ready!

Old Fashioned

If you’re a fan of bourbon or whiskey, you can hardly do better than the Old Fashioned. It was first created more than 2 centuries ago, in 1806, and it’s listed by the International Bartenders Association (IBA) as one of the most requested cocktails.

The recipe is simple, and it needs only a few ingredients:

• 50ml of bourbon or rye whiskey

• A few dashes of Angostura Bitters

• 1 sugar cube

• A little bit of water

• Slice of orange and cherry (garnish)

To make it, follow these 4 steps:

1. Use your whiskey glass and add the sugar, Angostura Bitters, and water.

2. Add ice and the bourbon or whiskey to fill the glass.

3. Gently stir the drink.

4. Add the orange slice and a cherry at the top as a garnish.

Mojito

Trust me, the best mojito is the one you make at home. Most bars make it poorly, and if you just follow the simplest of instructions, you’ll do much better. Here’s what you need for it:

• 50ml of white rum

• 20ml of fresh lime juice

• Soda water

• 15 or so mint leaves

• 2 teaspoons of white sugar

• A few more mint leaves and a slice of lime for garnish

Mojito is easiest to make if you use a full cocktail set, but you can do without if you follow these relatively simple steps:

1. Get a big glass and add mint leaves, sugar, and lime juice.

2. Try to muddle the mixture as much as you can so the mint leaves can release their oils into the mix. This makes the mint’s taste more pronounced.

3. Add some crushed or regular ice, a tiny bit of soda water, and the rum.

4. Top the glass with soda water and stir everything.

5. Add the mints and lime as garnish.

Bottom Line

Any of these drinks can do the trick for you after a long day of work. It’s up to you to choose one, get what you need in advance, and then make it once you’re done with work. If none of these work, Make Me a Cocktail has a lot more in the database, so browse through and try whatever you like. The goal of the solo happy hour is to indulge yourself. So, enjoy!