Cocktail trends 2022
New Year’s Eve cocktails – tips directly from the bartender
Aged spirits like whiskey, cognac, or rum cause more headaches than gin or vodka.
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In an interview with spot on news, Thomas Kraft reveals everything about the cocktail trends of 2022 and gives cocktail tips for New Year’s Eve.
The turn of the year is approaching and the preparations for an unforgettable New Year’s Eve party are already in full swing. For many, cocktails and alcoholic mixed drinks are part of a successful celebration. But which cocktails are the easiest to prepare at home and are there also cocktails that are less likely to cause a hangover?
The news agency spot on News asked the specialist directly and with Thomas Kraft, school founder and training manager of the German Bartender School in Fürstenfeldbruck, about the trend drinks of the year 2022.
What is the trend drink of the year 2022?
Thomas Kraft: For us, this is a spirit that has been forgotten for many years – the tequila and the somewhat less well-known Mezcal. Both spirits are agave distillates from Mexico, which are currently experiencing a real renaissance both pure and in drinks. Which cocktails are popular at New Year’s Eve parties this year? The trend is currently going back to its roots – classic drinks such as Negroni, Margarita, Old fashioned, Martinis etc. are recapturing the counters. I am assuming that this trend will continue into the living rooms of the Republic and that many a classic will be drunk on New Year’s Eve.
What are the easiest cocktails to make at home?
Kraft: Basically, a good drink doesn’t have to be complicated to make. Highballs are relatively easy to prepare at home. These drinks often consist only of a high-quality spirit and a filler, such as ginger ale or soda water. Of course, there are also more elaborate highballs, but here you can conjure up really great drinks with just a few ingredients. Important here is the quality of the ingredients used and the use of good dry ice.
Which non-alcoholic cocktail would you recommend?
Kraft: It’s not easy to give a general answer to that, because it always depends on one’s own preferences. If you want a sparkling, refreshing drink, I can recommend a non-alcoholic mojito variant with fresh mint, fresh lime juice, some cane sugar and soda water. And if you want something a little fruitier, you can also work with fresh passion fruit or raspberries, they taste really great.
With a view to the energy crisis and rising inflation: Which cocktails are there that taste delicious and are easy on the wallet at the same time?
Kraft: Since almost all raw materials have become significantly more expensive, in my opinion there is only one serious tip to go easy on the wallet: Drink less, but with more enjoyment.
Which cocktail has the lowest risk of a hangover?
Strength: Two things are of essential importance for the hangover: What do you drink and how much do you drink. Various studies show that consuming aged spirits like whiskey, cognac, or heavy rum causes more headaches than gin or vodka. Basically, it is very helpful if you eat enough and also a little more fat and drink a glass of still water regularly between drinks. Both delay the metabolism of alcohol in the body and mitigate the consequences. In principle, however, it is always the case that the quantity makes the poison. If you overdo it, you shouldn’t complain about a headache the next day. If you enjoy it in moderation and don’t overdo it, you’ll usually get away with it quite well. And another tip for headaches: coffee or espresso with fresh lemon tastes terrible, but it helps tremendously, without any pills.