The Most Popular and Easy Cocktails in Kenya
The art of mixology has led to the creation of timeless classic cocktails that remain popular worldwide.
Taste plays a fundamental role in our choice of food and beverages. It is the secret behind the appeal of sweet and dry wines, as well as the diverse flavours found in beer, wine, and spirits. While many people enjoy their favourite drinks neat, there are moments when a mixed beverage is the preferred choice. For centuries, people have been blending drinks to enhance their flavors or even for medicinal purposes.
Cocktail culture continues to evolve, driven by creativity and innovation. Enthusiasts who find that their preferred whiskey, rum, gin, or other spirits lack the desired complexity often experiment with mixing to achieve the perfect taste. Cocktails are a delightful part of the drinking experience, offering a diverse range of flavours to suit different preferences. The art of mixology has led to the creation of timeless classic cocktails that remain popular worldwide.
What Are Cocktails?
Cocktails are skillfully crafted alcoholic beverages that use distilled spirits such as rum, vodka, tequila, whiskey, or gin as a base and flavour-enhancing ingredients. These may include fruit juices, sugar, bitters, citrus, cream, or other mixers. For those who prefer non-alcoholic alternatives, mocktails offer a similar experience without the alcohol content. Additionally, beer cocktails combine beer with other ingredients for a unique taste experience.
Creativity in mixology has resulted in the development of flavorful and refreshing cocktails that can be enjoyed on their own or paired with meals. Whether you prefer a delicate, sweet, and fruity drink or something bold and bitter, there is a cocktail to match your taste.
Popular Cocktails You Can Easily Make at Home
If you’re looking for classic cocktails that are simple to prepare and perfect for any occasion, here are some of the most popular options you can try:
Dawa – A Kenyan favorite, refreshing, and one of the most widely consumed cocktails in Kenya. It was invented by Carnivore restaurant mixologist, Samson Kivelenge aka Dr. Dawa in the 1980s. This cocktail is made with vodka, sugar, honey, lime, and crushed ice cubes.
Mojito – The mojito is a classic, refreshing, and most popular cocktail from Cuba made by mixing white rum, fresh mint, sugar, lime, and soda water. Soda water can be replaced with Sprite. It is easy to make a mojito cocktail, and it is hard to resist the sensation combination of lime and mint.
Daiquiri – A simple yet elegant combination of light rum (white rum), fresh lime juice, and simple sugar syrup. Daiquiri is also a great drink when made with spiced or dark rum.
Manhattan – Manhattan is a popular, classic, lightly sweet and sophisticated cocktail, usually made of whiskey, sweet vermouth, and dashes of Angostura bitters. Rye whisky is mostly preferred over bourbon whiskey due to its spicier profile.
Martini – Martini is a timeless classic made with gin (or vodka) and dry vermouth, garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. The martini is stirred and not shaken because shaking can over-aerate the desired cocktail, changing its taste.
Margarita – A zesty cocktail featuring tequila, lime juice, agave syrup, and orange liqueur, often served with a salted rim. This classic delicious cocktail is popularly known as tequila sour.
Old Fashioned – Old fashioned is a rich and smooth whiskey cocktail made simply with sugar syrup, bitters (for spicing), whiskey, a splash of water, and ice. It is garnished with an orange twist, citrus, or cherry. Bourbon whiskey, Tennessee whiskey, or rye-based are mostly used whiskeys though it depends on your whiskey's preference that works well in an old-fashioned cocktail.
Gin and Tonic – Gin and tonic (G&T) is a simple yet refreshing mix of gin and tonic water, garnished with lime. The gin-to-tonic water ratio depends on your preferred taste. A classic G&T cocktail is excellent to drink on its own, but it doesn't hurt to add bitters to spicy it to your liking.
Cosmopolitan –The Cosmopolitan is a stylish and delicious cocktail of vodka that perfectly balanced sweetness and tart flavours of triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice. The taste can be tweaked by varying the ingredient ratio. The Cosmopolitan is the most popular ladies' night drink in Kenya and is a modern cocktail.
Negroni – The Negroni is a bold, bitter and refreshing cocktail. It is perfect and easy to make a cocktail with an equal ratio of Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth. The sweet vermouth and aromatic herbal gin make Negroni a more palatable drink as they offset some of the Campari's bitterness and bold flavours. Negroni is a classic drink that is excellent and refreshing to sip in summer though there is no bad time to whip one.
Caipirinha –The caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail and the most popular South American country cocktail made with Brazilian spirit. This refreshing cocktail is made almost in a similar way to a mojito. It features cachaca (a Brazilian spirit similar to rum, but it is distilled from fresh sugar cane juice), lime juice, and sugar.
Cuba Libre – The Cuba Libre is Spanish, which means free Cuba, a phrase popular adapted to celebrate the Cuban freedom from Spanish rule after the end of the Spanish-American War. This is a delightful mix of rum, cola, and lime juice. Lime juice should be fresh to keep Cuba libre authentic.
Whiskey Highball – Whisky highball is a simple, refreshing, and elegant two-ingredient cocktail - whisky and ginger ale, served over ice. Ginger ale excellently mixes well with various types of whisky to give your favourite whisky a great taste.
Whether you’re hosting a gathering or simply unwinding at home, these cocktails are easy to prepare and guaranteed to elevate your drinking experience. For the best selection of spirits and mixers, explore our online liquor store, Drinks Zone Kenya, and craft your favourite cocktails from the comfort of your home. Cheers to great drinks and fun moments!