INSTA WORTHY COCKTAILS

Becoming an Instagram sensation can be thirsty work

Becoming an Instagram sensation can be thirsty work. With food and product ‘grammers’ running rampant, here’s a little inspiration for an Instagram theme that’s relatively untapped so to speak. These colourful concoctions are delicious, easy enough to make and style at home and totally Insta-worthy.
 

STEP 1:

Pick a cocktail recipe. Here are a few classics that can be made with ingredients you’re sure to have around the house.
 

APPLE MARTINI

Perfect For

Welcome drink for a dinner party

Ingredients

• 2 shot Kettle One Vodka
• 2 shot pressed apple juice
• ¼ shot Monin Pure Cane sugar syrup
• Martini glass
• Garnish Maraschino cherry

How

SHAKE all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.
 

BLOODY MARY

Perfect For

Friday afternoon with a newspaper
 

Ingredients

• 2 shot Kettle One Vodka
• 4 shot Tomato juice
• ½ shot Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 7 drop Tabasco hot pepper sauce
• 4 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 2 grind Black pepper
• ⅔ pinch Celery salt
• Glass Collins
• Garnish Salt & pepper rim plus celery stick

How

ROCK rather than shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice and fine strain into ice-filled glass.
 

MOJITO

Perfect For

An afternoon by the pool
 

Ingredients

• 12 fresh Mint leaves
• 2 shot Matusalem Platino rum
• ¾ shot Freshly squeezed lime juice
• ½ shot Monin Pure Cane sugar syrup
• Top up with Soda (club soda)
• Glass Collins
• Garnish Mint sprig

How

Lightly muddle mint. Add rum, lime juice and sugar. Fill glass with crushed ice and stir. Top with soda and serve with straws.
 

STEP 3:

It’s best to place your cocktail in front of a light source. Soft, diffused daylight through a window is cost effective and the perfect backlight to stream through the glass and liquid for an oh-so-appetising glow.
 

STEP 4:

Let’s start styling. Add a bit of dimension and flavor to the picture you’re about to take by adding a drink’s ingredients to your composition. For example, a mojito can be accessorised with the bright yellow of a whole or sliced lemon and rich green of a sprig of mint. It almost gives your Instagram followers a taste of what’s in the glass and makes your picture so much more sensory.
 

STEP 5:

You’re all set up, the cocktail is ready and there’s just a couple more finishing touches. Nothing says “drink me” more than a frosted glass so pick the right glassware for your cocktail of choice and stand it in the freezer for 5 minutes. When you begin to shoot the condensation begins to drip and add a dramatic flair to your frame. You’ve got to be quick once the glass is out of the freezer though. The effect doesn’t last long.
 

TRICKS OF THE TRADE:

Here are some other top tips to help you create that Insta-worthy cocktails

• If using a smart phone to photograph your subject, focus on the darker part of the image. Your phone will take the exposure reading and brighten up the rest of the frame making your image pop.

• Unless you have a good macro lens and tripod, back up a bit to create some space between your camera and your drink especially if you’re using your phone. To make sure your image is in focus, some props recommend a distance of 2 to four feet from your subject.

• Try lots of different angles to find the best light. Overhead shots can be very dramatic, or even rather than shooting the whole glass get up close and personal and crop in tight for dynamic details like the crushed ice or bubbles in your drink

 
So there you have it, the recipe a great Instagram profile. We’d love to see your work and follow you so don’t forget to hashtag #AfricanAndEastern