Home cocktail kits to shake up date night in lockdown

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The delta strain has closed down bars in Sydney, Victoria and Queensland, but that doesn’t mean that date night has to be cancelled.

Cocktail mixer kits and hampers have been spiking in popularity across the eastern seaboard, offering the opportunity for something a little fancier than another bottle of vino for those of us still stuck at home.

Kits vary in their complexity with this espresso martini one from The Hamper Emporium giving you the full bartender experience with bottles of Belvedere vodka, coffee liqueur and simple syrup that you mix together with a can of cold filter coffee and serve with dark chocolate coffee beans and toffee popcorn brittle.

Mr Consistent does a simpler version that comes with a ready to serve espresso martini mixer that you pop into a shaker with some vodka and garnish with coffee beans.

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For something a little fresher, Capiche has a bloody Mary cocktail kit that comes with tomato juice, vodka, hot sauce and a native spice mix. Or you could take yourself to Italy with a negroni kit like this one from Gourmet Basket that includes gin, vermouth and Campari along with a box of dark chocolate coated oranges.

If you really want to recreate the experience of going out, this date night bundle from Mr Consistent gives you the choice of two mixers so you and your significant other don’t have to drink the same thing. For $80 you choose between margarita, cosmo, sours, bloody Mary or sangria mixers, and get two tumblers and a container of dried florals to garnish, you just need to BYO alcohol.

One happy customer said the kit was “a great way to spend lockdown and have PJ party.” Someone else said it “turned a mediocre lockdown date night into a night of whirlwind romance like our early 20s!! But seriously, this is like having $30 cocktails straight from the comfort of your own home.”

Lots of different companies are offering at home cocktail kits so check to see if everything you need is included. For example, some will supply you with a cocktail shaker and glasses while others only include the liquids.

If you need a hometender cocktail making set, Myer has some fancy old fashioned ones starting from $80.

With hospitality venues closed due to stay at home orders, many restaurants and bars are also offering at home cocktail kits or cocktail deliveries so check in with your local to see if you can continue to support their business through lockdown.

In Sydney, you can get a margarita delivered from Chechos in Penrith and Tequila Mockingbird in Paddington, or pick up a take away cocktail from Dulcie’s in King’s Cross.

In Melbourne, Black Pearl, Bar Americano, The Everleigh and Romeo Lane are all delivering cocktails so all you have to do is pour.

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