When entertaining, you can impress your guests by going the extra mile to create a unique soirée with amazing cocktails. We love to win our guests over with a handmade cocktail when they first arrive. So I’ve partnered with Cointreau to share two cocktail recipes that you’ll be wanting to host your friends with this weekend (or tonight!).

When making these recipes, make sure to note the homemade syrups when factoring in prep time. During the free time you have while you are making these syrups you can prep your other ingredients such as squeezing your citrus. If you are taking the time to make these recipes, it’s about the same amount of work to make one cocktail as it is to make a large batch for the whole night spent with friends.

If you make either of these amazing cocktails with my recipes I’d love for you to share it on IG by tagging @juliahengel, @Cointreau and #CointreauSoiree. Enjoy!

Honey Blossom Collins

For shaker:
¾ oz Cointreau
1 ½ oz The Botanist Gin
1 oz Americano-Style Aperitif Wine
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
½ oz Honey Chamomile Syrup (See instructions)

Club Soda

Garnish:
1 Lemon
3-4 Mint sprigs
Orange Blossom Water (spray with aromatizer)

Build in a cobbler shaker or Boston tin and shake hard with plenty of ice. Strain into a collins or highball glass with 1-2 large ice cubes (we used a 1 ¾ inch square cubes mold). Top with club soda. Using tongs or tweezers, insert three lemon wheels down the sides of the glass (we cut in half). Garnish with a mint bouquet (Take 3-4 mint sprigs, bunch them together in your palm and twist them together lightly. Tear off the stems and lightly slap the leaves in your palm to release their oils.) Shower micro-planed lemon zest all over the top and finish with a spray of orange blossom water.

To make honey chamomile syrup: Boil 1 ½ cups of water and add two chamomile tea bags. Turn the heat off and let the bags steep for 20 minutes. Combine with equal parts honey (1 ½ cup) until well dissolved. Cool before using. Will keep for up to two weeks.

Grapefruit Cobbler

For shaker:
¾ oz Cointreau
1 ½ oz Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
½ oz Grapefruit Juice
½ oz Cinnamon Syrup (See instructions)
Angostura bitters

Garnish:
Charred Grapefruit (See instructions)
Mint
Cinnamon Sticks

Build in a cobbler shaker or Boston tin and shake hard with plenty of ice. Strain into a rocks glass, tiki mug, or your best vintage etched glassware. Pack with plenty of crushed ice. Garnish with a charred half-moon grapefruit and a mint sprig tucked behind it. Liberally dash Angostura bitters over the mint and around the garnish. Finish with micro-planed cinnamon all over the top.

To make cinnamon syrup: Boil 1 ½ cups of water. Turn the heat off and add an equal amount of sugar (1 ½ cups). Break 3-4 cinnamon sticks in half and drop them in the syrup. Let the syrup infuse for at least 40 minutes and cool before using. Will keep for up to two weeks.

To make charred grapefruit: Pick out the smallest grapefruit you can find. Slice it in half from the top to the bottom. Setting the cut side down, make thin horizontal slices. It should look like a half-moon. Sprinkle sugar on the slices and place them under a broiler until slightly charred.

Thank you to Cointreau for sponsoring this post.