Cocktail lover? You’ve come to the right place! University nights out can become expensive especially when you start to drink only when you get to the club, so many students will have a ‘pres’ drink before leaving for the club! Why not spice up your pre-drinks by creating some easy and simple cocktails! If you were organising a little get together at your house or flat why not make some for your guests or your friends to try as well. Below is a list of some affordable cocktail recipes for those on a budget but still want to drink something fancy at home. Also mentioned are some places that you can visit for cocktails that usually have deals that are worth a visit for celebrations such as birthdays, or well-deserved drinks after assignments! 

Cocktail Days this Year we Recommend to Celebrate

Cocktail and Mocktail Recipes for Home 

Places to Go for Cocktails and Deals!

A Few Fun Cocktail Days to Celebrate This Year: 

National Pina Colada day – July 10th 

National Mojito Day – July 11th 

National Daiquiri day – July 19th

Simple and Easy Cocktail Recipes for Students (Affordable Ingredients!) 

A Hint of Holiday Dreaming  

(Strawberry mojito style cocktail but you can use any type of fruit for this!)

Ingredients: 

A handful of strawberries 

A handful of mint leaves

1 or 2 shots of white rum (or not for a non-alcoholic beverage) 

1 lime squeezed

Crushed ice 

Soda (to top it up)

1 tablespoon of sugar 

How to: 

Halve or quarter the strawberries

Squash the strawberries, mint leaves, sugar and lime together first so it is like pulp, and then add the soda and white rum if you would like the drink to be alcoholic. Mix the ingredients, and strain so that the drink does not have lots of lumps in it!

Ingredients for the Strawberry Mojito (Just add the alcohol).

The finished drink served in glasses!

Sex on the Sandy Beach 

Ingredients: 

1 to 2 shots of vodka

2 shots of peach schnapps

Orange or pineapple juice

Cranberry juice

Add a cocktail umbrella (optional!)

How to: 

Mix all of the ingredients!

Pina Colada and getting caught in the rain’

Ingredients: 

White rum

Coconut cream

Single cream

Pineapple juice

How to: 

Mix all of the ingredients 

Serve over ice

Cheat: Don’t buy the first three ingredients and just use Malibu as a replacement!

Lockdown Fizz 

Ingredients: 

Watermelon 

Vodka (or not for a non-alcoholic beverage) 

Lemon 

Watermelon sweets

Sprite 

Pink lemonade or Rose lemonade 

How to:

With a standard blender place the watermelon, a handful of watermelon sweets (sour patch watermelons or a pack of sour watermelon sweets found in most stores!) sprite and pink lemonade then bleeeeend. 

Add vodka to the mix and blend further. (leave this step out if you wish not to include)

Add some extra watermelon sweets,  add the squeezed lemon and mix.  

Ingredients and tools to make the watermelon cocktail.

Finished Cocktails!

Bloody Mary

Are you looking for something more savoury and different? Why not try a Bloody Mary! Not only is it a yummy cocktail it is like having a small lunch so win-win. 

Ingredients: 

1 to 2 shots of Vodka (do not add if you want a virgin mary which is the non-alcoholic alternative!) 

A small bottle of tomato juice

Half of a lemon squeezed 

3 drops of Worcestershire sauce 

2 drops tabasco 

Pinch of salt 

Pinch of black pepper 

Cubed ice to serve  

To garnish: A stick of celery (optional!)

How to:

Mix all of the ingredients and pour over the cubed ice in a glass. Place the stick of celery in the middle. (You can eat this while drinking, afterwards or just add it for decoration!)

Our Recommended Best Places to Go for Cocktails in Bournemouth 

Slug and Lettuce – 2 for 1 cocktail hour (ask at the bar when these hours are as they change). There are two venues in Bournemouth town, there is one on Christchurch Road and the other is on Bournemouth Square. They both have pretty decor and a really fun vibe, the cocktails are amazing as well, the recommended cocktail would be the Pornstar Martini! Check out the website for more information: Ihttps://www.slugandlettuce.co.uk/bournemouth/food-and-drink

Turtle Bay – 2 for 1 cocktails from 11.30 am until 7.00 pm and from 9.30 pm onwards on weekdays and 10.00 pm Friday to Sunday. The cocktails are similar to Slug and Lettuce but they have a few other unique creations. Turtle Bay has a Caribbean style with a great Caribbean menu! Check out the website: https://www.turtlebay.co.uk/restaurants/bournemouth

TGI Friday – A decent range of cocktails and mocktails with a mix of traditional and classic to wacky and unique cocktails! It is worth a visit to BH2 for these drinks! Smartphone users can enjoy 2 for 1 valid from 8.00 pm Sunday to Friday. Here is the website! https://www.tgifridays.co.uk/locations/bournemouth/

Be At One – Cool cocktail bar with happy hour deals! A massive range of quirky cocktails that will get your evening started! Check their website out https://www.beatone.co.uk/cocktail-bar/bournemouth

Aruba – Bar on the beach, a cool venue with amazing cocktails that are slightly more pricey but there are certain student benefits! If you download their app and become a member for free there are 2 for 1 cocktails Monday to Sunday from 12.00 pm to 10.00 pm, and other deals for beverages and food etc, worth having a look at the app! Check their website out: https://aruba-bournemouth.co.uk/

Thank you for reading! We hope you have a fabulous time creating, drinking and visiting these places for cocktails and mocktails! Comment below with any ideas on what you would like to hear from us next at Bournemouth University blogs.