Cocktails In The Age Of Social Media

Social media gives us access to everything we could possibly need, right at our fingertips. It’s made us feel connected now more than ever – whether this is to our loved ones, followers, or even influencers. It also holds a certain gravitas as it influences almost everything we do, from our thoughts, actions, spending patterns, to what we eat and drink. As a result, a new kind of marketing has emerged, with brands partnering with influencers to promote their products to reach a wider audience, given the number of people online. Users in the United States spend around an hour and 57 minutes on social media every day. The Association of National Advertisers reported that 75% of advertisers in the US use influencer marketing as an advertising tactic. Some influencers may even take matters into their own hands and simply generate trends for their followers to recreate. There are influencers for practically every niche, and chances are, you follow a few already.

And since people are staying more, they are also posting more, with one trend becoming increasingly popular. Whether shared by influencers, celebrities, or ordinary folk, it appears that people are posting more about their drink concoctions and cocktail hours. Cocktails in the age of social media point us towards new trends, fun experiments, and an avenue of sharing our own creations that help us feel connected to a community of people online.

Here are some cocktails currently making rounds on social media, which you can easily do at home:

Ina Garten’s Giant Cosmopolitan

The bigger, the better!

Source ; CREDIT: Ina Garten Instagram, Thrillist - No changes were made to the image

Ina Garten made waves on social media last month when she shared a video of herself shaking up a giant Cosmopolitan at nine-thirty in the morning – clad in her signature denim button-down, no less. If you haven’t seen the video and think that giant is an exaggeration – it’s not. The Barefoot Contessa ’s Cosmo recipe results in a gallon’s worth of the cocktail.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups of vodka – good vodka
- 1 cup of Cointreau, Triple Sec, or any other orange liqueur
- 1 cup of cranberry juice cocktail
- 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice – emphasis on ‘freshly squeezed’

Preparation:
1. Mix all the liquids in a big pitcher.
2. Transfer as much as you can into a cocktail shaker with ice filled halfway – an oversized shaker is advised, if you have one.
3. Shake for thirty seconds.
4. Transfer to a martini glass – also oversized, if possible.

In Ina’s words, How easy is that?

Spiked Dalgona Coffee

A frothy, boozy delight

CREDIT: SKYY Vodka, Elite Daily - No changes were made to the image

This instantly appealing frothy coffee recipe was originally popularized on short-form video sharing platform TikTok. Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, it’s also easy to remember since it is made up of equal parts of its ingredients, and is as delicious as it looks. For a more adult take on the now-iconic drink, you can splash in some booze. Think of it as a modernized and unconventional Irish Coffee or Café Amaretto – or call it whatever you want depending on what alcohol you choose to throw in. This recipe is adapted from SKYY Vodka’s Cold Brew Dalgona Whipped Coffee, but you can always tweak it as you wish.

Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of instant coffee
- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons of SKYY Infusions Cold Brew Vodka. (Note: The original recipe calls for hot water, so you can replace one tablespoon of alcohol with this if you are going to whip the mixture by hand, as it will take a while longer.)

Preparation:
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Whip in a mixer or by hand until it reaches a thick and fluffy consistency.
3. Top the mixture over a glass with ice and milk.

Sip your fluffy drink, and you’ll soon be floating on cloud nine.

Stanley Tucci’s Negroni

Upping the classic Negroni ratio to 2:1:1

CREDIT: Stanley Tucci Instagram, The Guardian - No changes were made to the image

Another celebrity-slash-Renaissance man who has jumped on the cocktail hour bandwagon is Stanley Tucci, who prepared a Negroni for his wife Felicity. The three-minute video originally posted on Instagram walks viewers through his simple Negroni recipe – with twists and substitutes depending on what you have on hand. It may not be suited for the purists out there, but it’s simple enough to whip up on the fly. The video appears to have sparked a revival of the Internet’s love for Tucci. Since it has been reposted on Twitter, it’s amassed over five million views.

Ingredients:
- 2 shots of gin – can be substituted for vodka
- 1 shot of Campari
- 1 shot of sweet vermouth

Preparation:
1. Add the liquids to a cocktail shaker filled generously with ice – or pour over ice after mixing, if preferred.
2. Serve in a coupe or martini glass.

As Stanley Tucci captioned, Drink up!

White Claw Slushie

The next-level adult slushie of your dreams

CREDIT: Christopher Lane/Getty Images for White Claw, Insider - No changes were made to the image

Yet again, TikTok has proven that it’s not entirely about showing off your dance moves synced to catchy pop songs. Users are also continuing to one-up each other with the latest food and drink trends, and the alcoholic seltzer, White Claw is a new star of these videos. White Claw slushies are a refreshing and flexible beverage choice for hot summer days. You can always customize it depending on your preferences too.

Ingredients:
- White Claw, any flavor
- A handful of ice
- Ginger Ale – optional
- Shot of vodka
- Frozen fruit

Preparation:
Blend until nice and homogenous and drink immediately, for best results.

Whether you are a cocktail novice or an aspiring mixologist, these cocktails are exciting additions to your repertoire. You can even check out our ‘Must-Have Tools for the Home Bartender’ for some supplies to up your cocktail hour game. Perhaps you'll find yourself posting your creations on social media alongside those of your friends, strangers, and favorite influencers as well. Cheers!