WHY not toast this rare sunny weekend with a refreshing summer drink?
It’s easy to create a cocktail that looks super-fancy but has a budget price tag.
So try impressing pals with some of these ideas . . .
GET DUPED: Aldi and Lidl have own-brand versions of premium spirits and many people will struggle to tell the difference.
A bottle of Grey Goose vodka is £42 from Waitrose whereas Aldi’s Saint Germont French vodka comes in at £16.99.
The supermarket’s Aperini Superiore, £6.99, is a more affordable take on Aperol, £17, from Sainsbury’s.
Or try Lidl’s Finton’s Special gin, £11.99, instead of Gordon’s, £19, from Waitrose.
SWEET SAVING: Many classic cocktails, such as mojitos and daiquiris, call for sugar syrup.
A bottle of Monin pure cane syrup is £3.25 at Sainsbury’s, but it’s super-easy to knock up your own, far cheaper, version.
You just need 150g of caster sugar and 75ml water in a pan.
Heat gently until the sugar is dissolved.
Pop in a sterilised jar and place in the fridge — it will keep for a few weeks.
FINESSE FOR LESS: A finishing flourish on a home-made drink adds the wow factor.
Try dehydrating citrus fruits otherwise set for waste.
It’s a great way to preserve fruit for longer and can also help intensify the flavour of cocktails once added.
Just take your chosen fruit and slice thinly before spreading in a single layer on a wire rack in the oven.
Bake for nine hours on a low heat and store in an airtight container.
When ready you can drop the slices into your drink.
Dehydrated oranges work particularly well with an Old fashioned or try a lemon with a margarita.
PLAN for a relaxing summer with the Richmond six-seater wooden patio set from Argos, now reduced from £400 to £192.
SAVE: £208
SHARE your large chocolate eclairs, with a two-pack from Morrisons for £2.
Or get two packs for £3.
SAVE: £1 on two
DOWNLOAD the Asda Rewards app and get 30 per cent in your cashpot when shopping the outdoor living range until July 28.
You can then spend the money elsewhere in the store.
GET in the pink with the reversible striped beach towel from Next for £16, or get a rosy glow with similar from Asda for £7.
SAVE: £9
GET stuck into the Mix’ems Mega Slime Set, £12.99, included in B&M’s two-for-£20 offer on toys.
PICK up a toy with 20 per cent off at playmobil.com/en-gb/ using code JULY20.
It takes the mobile horse-riding school down from £59.99 to £47.99.
Offer ends tomorrow.
WICKES vinyl matt emulsion (2.5L) is £15 a tin, but now two for £24, with further offers on own-brand and Crown paints at the store.
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