Dussehra 2018: Easy cocktails to make at home and save money on this long weekend

A night out and some booze with friends is the first thing on our long weekend’s to-do list. With a party on charts, the biggest challenge we face is cutting out of the budget when finances get tight. Even when you choose to stay home, you can still enjoy a great drink or two and there's no need to spend a fortune stocking your home bar, either. With just a few essentials and a little planning, you can enjoy a nice variety of easy cocktails. It may even surprise you that some of the cheapest drinks are among the most popular drinks at the bar. Think of that money you've been wasting!

Once you have those basic drink ingredients you can add a little here and there to create new cocktails and continue saving money:

Kiwi Martini

The kiwi martini is a very fun cocktail and it's one of the best drinks that makes good use of fresh fruits. Though there are a few recipes floating around, this is one of the easiest and it's an absolutely delightful green martini to drink.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces vodka (or citrus vodka)

• 1/2 kiwi (skinned)

• 2 teaspoons simple syrup

• Garnish: kiwi slice

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the skinned kiwi with simple syrup to release the fruit's juice.

3. Add ice and vodka.

4. Shake well.

5. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

6. Garnish with a slice of kiwi.

7. Serve and enjoy!

Hawaiian Margarita Cocktail Recipe

Travel to the islands (well, at least in your mind) with this frozen Hawaiian Margarita. It's a terrific blended cocktail with a strong strawberry and pineapple flavour.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of ice

• 1 1/2 ounces tequila

• 1/2 ounce triple sec

• 2 ounces strawberries (fresh or frozen)

• 2 ounces pineapple (fresh or canned)

• 2 dash of sour mix

• Garnish: 1 slice of strawberry

• Garnish: 1 piece of pineapple

Steps to Make It

1. Pour the ingredients into a blender.

2. Blend until smooth.

3. Pour contents into a chilled margarita glass.

4. Garnish with the strawberries and pineapple.

Frog in a Blender

The "frog" is lime wheels that are only lightly blended with the other ingredients, creating the idea of an old witches brew with pieces and parts floating in it. Add a few berries, grapes, or apple slices for the look of even more unknown creature bodies inside your brew. The trick is to avoid blending until smooth as you normally would, only enough to chop things up and mix them together a bit.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of ice

• 2 ounces vodka

• 4 ounces cranberry juice

• 2 lime wheels

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Place the ice, vodka, cranberry juice, and lime wheels inside a blender.

3. Blend for 3 to 5 seconds.

4. Pour into a chilled hurricane or margarita glass.

5. Serve and enjoy!

It’s time to give up on cheap wine or a few bargain beers. With these delicious cheap cocktails, you too can become a competent at-home mixologist.