Giada De Laurentiis' Favorite Tricks For A Better Cocktail

Cocktails always have a way of making an occasion feel special, whether it is a formal event, a garden party, or simply a casual dinner with friends. Making cocktails at home is a lot of fun, but there is also pressure to get them right, as the overall flavor can be ruined if the balance of ingredients isn't quite right.

Fortunately, Italian foodie extraordinaire Giada De Laurentiis is partial to a cocktail or two herself, and she has shared plenty of tips on her channels on how to level up your drinks. From an innovative way to make ice cubes to her quick wine-chilling tip, her advice will help you ensure that your cocktails are at the top of their game.

Whether you have a big dinner party coming up or you simply want to make sure your next Cosmo hits the mark, these tips from Giadzy will give you the confidence to get mixing. Let's explore Giada De Laurentiis' favorite tricks for a better cocktail.

Choosing whether to add ice to your cocktail can be a bit of a conundrum. On one hand, it will keep your drink perfectly chilled, and somehow it just seems like an essential part of the cocktail. But as it melts, it slowly dilutes the previously wonderful concoction, and the last few sips can end up like a tasteless slushy.

Thanks to Giada De Laurentiis, however, you don't have to make this difficult decision. Instead of making ice with water, she recommends creating ice cubes from the drink itself. This way, your ice can top your drink up as it melts, rather than watering it down — genius! It takes a little forward planning if you want the ice to match the cocktail precisely, but it isn't difficult — just prepare a portion of the drink and pour it into an ice cube tray to freeze, ready to adorn your cocktail a few hours later.

Alternatively, you can create universal ice cubes that you can add to any cocktail, to ensure you always have a few on hand for an impromptu drink. Ingredients like white rum and citrus, such as lemon or lime juice, will match virtually any cocktail, or you can experiment and see which ones work best. If entertaining guests, you can add fresh herbs or spiral citrus peel to the ice cubes before freezing, to create a visual surprise that will definitely be a conversation starter.

If you're making a traditional cocktail, such as an old fashioned, but you want to give it a unique twist, Giada De Laurentiis suggests replacing the usual sugar syrup with something a bit more interesting. Hailing from Northern Italy, Amarena cherries are one of Giada's favorites, and she puts them to good use as part of this classic cocktail.

Amaro means "bitter" in Italian, and these sour cherries are often packed in syrup to make them suitable for use in desserts. Giada's trick is to use this cherry syrup to flavor the old fashioned instead of a regular sugar syrup. The result is a variation on a vintage cocktail that surprises the palate while still keeping the essence of the original. She loves to finish the drink with a few of the Amarena cherries on a skewer for presentation and extra cherry flavor.

You can also use the syrup in other cocktails or to give depth of flavor to mocktails. Make sure to buy the correct version of the cherries, as sometimes they are sold drained. Next time you purchase a pack of cherries for a dessert, remember to save the delectable syrup for your next pre-dinner cocktail.

When you are mixing up cocktails, herbs probably don't enter your mind as essential ingredients, but trust an Italian to bring them into the mix, and with great success. Giada De Laurentiis adds fresh herbs to numerous cocktails, creating an attractive visual effect in addition to the aromatic elements they contribute.

One of her favorite cocktail and herb combinations is her lemon thyme prosecco, which she likes to serve at casual evenings where a light, refreshing option is in order. It couldn't be simpler to make, combining prosecco, lemonade, and a few sprigs of fresh thyme per glass. She gives an extra tip to release the flavors from the thyme, suggesting rubbing the leaves between your fingers before adding them to the drink. The long stems of the thyme with the feathery leaves attached look beautiful in a tall Champagne flute, and add a touch of elegance to the delicious, bubbly cocktail.

Another herby addition to her cocktails is her version of the classic Italian aperitif, the Hugo cocktail. Usually made with fresh mint leaves, Giada switches them out for basil leaves instead, which complement the elderflower liqueur beautifully. Fresh herbs can work in a variety of cocktails, so try your favorite herb next time and see what a difference it can make.

Cocktails are a popular drink option when you are in the party mood, but for those who prefer to keep an eye on the calories, they can often prove a little overindulgent. Often made with sweet fruit juices or creamy liqueurs, they aren't the kindest option if you are trying to keep things light.

With this in mind, Giada De Laurentiis has a tip to keep cocktail calories low while still indulging in a celebratory tipple and reducing the hangover. She recommends choosing a lower-proof spirit for your cocktail, as this will reduce the potency of the drink and the calorie count at the same time.

The great thing about this cocktail tip is that it isn't restricting you to a particular type of spirit in your search for a more angelic cocktail. There are plenty of delicious lower alcohol spirits and liqueurs, including sherry, white port, and vermouth, meaning you can make low-calorie versions of your favorite cocktails without feeling like you're missing out. Plus, the lower proof alcohol means you can sneak in a second (or third) without feeling too guilty.

Even if you don't have time to implement Giada De Laurentiis's genius hack of making non-diluting ice cubes, the Italian queen of cocktails has another cooling trick up her sleeve if you are using bottled alcohol. She describes how she uses her quick trick to chill bottles of wine that friends bring over that haven't been kept in the fridge.

It involves putting the wine in the freezer, but not the "Oops, I forgot all about it and it cracked" method. Instead, she wraps the bottle in a wet dishcloth and freezes it for just 10 minutes. The moisture causes the wine to chill faster, meaning you can serve it much more quickly than from the fridge. This trick can be used for any bottled drinks that you want to add to your cocktails, including mixers. Just be sure to set a timer to avoid it cracking and wasting a precious bottle of vino.

If you're worried that drinking cocktails regularly in summer may be a little too sinful, turn your hand to a delicious option that will keep you hydrated during those balmy evenings. Giada De Laurentiis' watermelon martini has all the satisfaction of the classic drink, but with a big helping of fruit to up the health stakes.

The clue is obviously in the name, but watermelon is rich in water, consisting of 92% of the stuff. This means that Giada's delicious martini will keep you feeling refreshed as you sip on it throughout the evening. It also happens to look a stunning pink color, too, as if you needed any more convincing.

To make the watermelon juice for your martini, blend the seedless flesh and strain before mixing it with vodka, lime juice, and ice to create a perfectly balanced drink that is both sweet and refreshing. The water content should also reduce the negative effects of the alcohol, so it's definitely a winner in the height of summer.

Cocktails are often smooth sippers, full of sweetness from fruit or syrups that allow them to go down easily — maybe too much at times. If you fancy taking your cocktail up a notch in the excitement stakes, Giada De Laurentiis suggests the addition of a little chili.

It may sound strange, but infusing a bourbon cocktail with chiles can be a genius move, if you get it right. This is not about adding ghost peppers into people's drinks to melt their taste buds, but rather about incorporating a subtle heat that plays off the warmth of the liquor. Giadzy's choice of pepper is dried Calabrian chiles, which are shaken along with bourbon, beer, ice cubes, and maple syrup, which brings balance to the spice. Once shaken, the drink is strained, but Giada likes to serve one chili in each glass as a novel garnish.

Calabrian chiles have a medium heat level, with a Scoville rating of around 25,000-40,000 units. If you want to play it safer, you can try other types of chiles, such as a poblano or jalapeño pepper instead.

Store-bought bottled drink mixers are convenient if you are short on time and need to whip up a cocktail in a hurry, but if you want to improve your cocktails and make them a little healthier in the process, Giada De Laurentiis suggests that you make your own mixers. She points out that pre-made mixers are often packed with corn syrup, and that making your own means you can control exactly what you are drinking. Even so-called low-calorie or low-sugar drink mixes are often full of colorings and additives that many people prefer to avoid, so making your own allows you to avoid those pitfalls.

Crafting your own cocktail mixers gives you the chance to be creative in the kitchen and tailor your drinks more closely to your own tastes. There are so many elixirs you can create, from a simple syrup, which you can then infuse with any flavors you wish, to homemade grenadine or elderflower cordial. By following Giada's advice, you can keep your cocktails as fresh and authentic as you wish, and save money as well by avoiding brand-name mixers.

If you're having a cocktail soiree or a full-blown dinner party, deciding what to serve your guests can be a challenge, especially if you're trying to impress. Giada De Laurentiis advises that choosing the cocktail menu and the food menu shouldn't be separate tasks, as choosing a theme for both will lead to a more cohesive and ultimately enjoyable evening.

Giada loves to entertain outdoors and enjoys serving frizzante, refreshing cocktails to match light, al fresco food. If you're serving seafood or salad, consider a mojito or a daiquiri, or pair a bellini with cured meats and fresh fruit. If the food is going to be more substantial, choose deeper, richer flavors for your drinks instead. An old fashioned or Manhattan will be able to stand up to the flavor of red meat or rich casseroles.

Don't forget about dessert, either. The after-dinner drink could be the one that leaves a lasting memory on your guests, so pair it well with your choice of sweet course. An espresso martini is the ideal match for an indulgent pudding such as tiramisu or a chocolate dessert, whereas the tangy, fruity flavors of a classic Cosmopolitan will work perfectly with a lemon tart.

If you like a tequila cocktail, but find it just a little too intense, Giada De Laurentiis has a handy tip for mellowing it slightly. Instead of pairing the Mexican spirit with lime, as is classically done in a margarita, she advises using orange slices instead.

Switching lime for orange allows you to still enjoy the fun pairing of the tequila with citrus, but the much sweeter notes in the orange help to take the edge off the spirit. Her favorite way to enjoy this new pairing is to muddle the orange slices in a glass to extract as much sweet juice as possible, then add a generous serving of tequila and a few ice cubes. If this is still too strong, you could dilute the drink with soda water to create the perfect sipping cocktail for a summer evening.

Not every tip for fabulous cocktails has to be about the alcohol, and Giada De Laurentiis knows how important the presentation of the drink is, too. Naturally, she is a fan of Mediterranean drinks and has a fun trick to jazz up your next bowl of sangria.

As well as arranging all of the delicious fresh fruit beautifully, Giada likes to put the final flourish on top with a scattering of edible flower petals. This can take your sangria from looking like an average bowl of punch to a show-stopping centerpiece that will catch people's attention. Edible flowers are easy to get a hold of these days — either at the store or online — and you can match the colors to your table setting, or whatever else you fancy.

Giadzi's sangria is a breeze to make, combining orange juice, sparkling wine, and fresh fruit, meaning you can spend a few extra minutes focusing on the presentation. Now your cocktails won't just taste awesome; they will look the part, too.