Three cocktails to try this bank holiday weekend

Ingredients, serves 16

8 tbsp sugar

3 lemons, zest and juice

200ml water

2x750ml bottles rosé wine

300ml peach schnapps

Ice

2 peaches, cut into wedges

Mint leaves

Soda water

Method

1. Add the sugar, lemon zest and water to a pot and heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool and pour into a large jug. Mix in the rosé, lemon juice and peach schnapps.

2. Just before serving, add the ice, sliced fruit, mint leaves and soda water to taste.

The American express

Ingredients, serves 16

For the thyme syrup

180g sugar

180ml water

12 sprigs thyme

For the punch

1 litre cider

720ml dark rum

360ml lime juice

2 tsp Angostura bitters

Ice

2 limes, sliced

Soda water

Method

1. For the thyme syrup, boil the sugar and water together in a pot. Remove from the heat, add the thyme sprigs and cover with a lid. Let stand for 10 minutes, then strain and cool before use.

2. To make the punch, mix the syrup, cider, rum, lime juice and bitters together in a large punch bowl. Add ice and limes and mix together with soda water to taste.

Strawberry fizz

Ingredients, serves 16

500g strawberries, hulled and quartered

4 tbsp sugar

30ml lemon juice

240ml limoncello

2 bottles brut sparkling wine

Strawberries, halved, optional

Mint sprigs, optional

Method

1. Blend together the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice till smooth. Strain the purée through a fine strainer or sieve into a large punch bowl. Discard the solids.

2. Add the limoncello to the strawberry purée and stir well to combine.

3. Just before serving, slowly pour in the sparkling wine. Garnish individual glasses with mint and strawberries, if desired.