An elegant and slightly flamboyant Japanese-Peruvian fusion with delicate, floral notes and a fruity finish

Inspired by our restaurant's Japanese-Peruvian roots, and to mark the 1-2 November Day of the Dead celebrations, this drink combines white rum and sake with a dash of bitters and a red-wine float: the result is a light, layered cocktail with delicate, floral notes, juicy berry fruit and just enough theatre to impress without being hard to make.

Shak Nematulloev, bar manager, Ayllu, London W2

One of the UK budget's big surprises? A discount on gherkins. And while they'll always be good on a burger, there are many more unusual ways to indulge, from fried cheese treats to savoury ice-cream

In John Healey's first budget as chancellor this week, he announced that he will remove import tariffs on more than 100 products - including, crucially, gherkins. Baked beans and boiled sweets, too, but gherkins stole the limelight, perhaps due to gen Z's long-held obsession with all things pickled, including cucumbers.

But for those who think of a gherkin as either something to be chomped straight from the jar or swiftly removed from a Big Mac, do not worry: there are, in fact, plenty of ways to get more bang for your newly discounted gherkin buck.

A lively tequila sour shaken up with an injection of tamarind and star anise

Rich tamarind chutney gives this vibrant tequila sour a sweet-sour depth that pairs brilliantly with crisp apple juice.

Dhononjoy Roy Dip, mixologist, Kokum, London SE22

Like a classic espresso martini, but with the addition of vanilla vodka

This is our twist on the much-loved classic. It takes inspiration from a classic espresso martini, with the addition of vanilla vodka bringing with it an oaked edge that cuts the sweetness of the sherry.

Andréa Nuninger, restaurant manager, Àclèaf, Plympton, Devon

A touch of homemade scotch bonnet jam turns up the heat in this classic concoction

Our daiquiri sums up what All Roads is all about: familiar flavours with a little twist. Pineapple, rum and lime are a classic combination, and the addition of scotch bonnet jam brings a subtle warmth that makes this just as good for those first crisp autumn evenings as it is on a sunny day.

Malika Green and Paschelle Brown, All Roads, London SW9

Try a millionaire's martini, a Campari that couldn't be simpler and a booze-free blackberry fizz (plus an Aperol that doesn't need a spritz)

I make a variation on this year-round. Bring on the autumn.

A warming, comforting, spiced drink that's ideal for autumn, and pairs brilliantly with a slice of carrot cake

The move into autumn proper leads our taste buds to crave warmth and comfort in equal measure. And what could be more warming and comforting than a spiced vodka and citrus cocktail spiced with nut liqueur? Slice of carrot cake optional.

Bruce Dorfling, bar manager, Palé Hall, Bala, Gwynedd, Wales

A classy autumnal aperitif with a pleasingly bitter zing

I adore calvados, and this highball was built off the back of a love for calvados and tonic. This refreshing aperitif expands on that idea andfeels really quite sophisticated in comparison.

Johanna Cole, general manager, Eleanore, Edinburgh

A velvety, Guinness-based, punch-style pick-me-up

Punch isn't just for summer parties, and this Caribbean-inflected one, featuring rum, brandy, stout, lemon and nutmeg, will warm the cockles of a crowd on any autumn evening. It's named after Prince Buster, the Jamaican ska legend and inspiration for our bar's name.

Will Hawes, co-founder, The Prince Bar, London EC1

Kemi Badenoch-autographed cocktail offered as raffle prize. Plus, Bruce Springsteen's surprisingly normal nightwear

It's funny, isn't it, how many things we take for granted in life? How many things go wholly unmentioned, even wholly unconsidered in any even minutely conscious way - and yet, when they are suddenly kicked away you realise just how much of your internal organisation, your mental integrity, your structural soundness altogether, rested on these unexamined pillars.

The classic Mexican combo of espresso and Licor 43 gets a shot in the arm with a decent hit of cold-brew coffee liqueur

The carajillo is a ubiquitous drink found across Mexico, and it comes in many forms. Some bars simply pour espresso over ice and add a shot of Licor 43, while others shake coffee with the liqueur and serve it straight up. Whatever the variation, the non-negotiables are coffee and Licor 43. Our version takes those two core ingredients and lengthens the drink with a light, delicious cold-brew coffee liqueur. It's the perfect serve for a warm afternoon, a sweet after-dinner treat or an uplifting nightcap.

Tom King, head bartender, Cometa, London W1

Thoroughly British, a bit rustic, and very much an early-autumn treat

This easy, food-friendly drink is built around the flavours of the countryside - sharp apple, local honey, garden herbs - rather than imported citrus. A touch of blackberry gives colour and depth without turning it too sweet, and echoes the kind of preserves and foraged fruit that run through our food menu.

Laurissa Heywood, co-owner, Pignut & The Hare, Scawton, North Yorkshire

Palatable premix cocktails - well, ones that adults like, at least - are far and few between

For somebody whose children recently learned how to crack open a tinnie, this week's tasting was a perilous one. Cans covered in seductive, brightly coloured pictures of parasols, palm trees and their favourite fruits filled the kitchen, and both the seven- and the five-year-old tried to take a swig. Premix cocktails are disproportionately marketed to young drinkers - gateway booze, if you will, as the likes of Bacardi Breezer pineapple was for me - and often have a one-note, cloying taste. Absolut's passionfruit martini and Malibu's piña colada are cases in point: both have sugary, synthetic fruit flavours that mask, or even eliminate, the taste of the base spirits. Is it any wonder that, in 2024, Britain had the worst rate of child alcohol consumption in the world? These drinks make it easy to forget that you're even drinking alcohol.

Perhaps more than any other theme, writing about premix cocktails has made me confront the very question of why we drink alcohol. Take me as an example. My Bacardi Breezer years were undoubtedly a question of booze for function; it loosened my teenage inhibitions and I had a laugh. The fact that this so-called "alcopop" was so saccharine chimed with my childish predilection for sweetness, and conveniently masked the flavour of the rum, which may at the time have offended my uninitiated palate. Twenty-five years on, and my palate is a different place, and I welcome the notes and nuances of a well-mixed drink. I now drink alcohol to savour it, and I like what I'm drinking to give me pause; it doesn't need to be hard work, but I do like it to make me think.

Make a batch of this vodka- and vermouth-infused tipple to keep fresh in the fridge and sip over the weeks ahead

We came up with this when we were looking to create some fun, bespoke but easy-to-serve cocktails that we could pre-batch for busy services but that still had an edge. Vodka is an especially good base for infusions because it's so neutral, while martinis are having a real moment right now, so this ended up ticking all our boxes, being something that's recognisable but fun, and also noticeably our own.

Alex Mammone, general manager, and Matt Beardmore, executive chef, Legare and Luna, London SE1

Whether you love a traditional spritz or tend towards a wilder libation, this August there are bubbly and sophisticated drinks to suit every taste

This summer, UK web searches for "Hugo spritz", an elderflower-flavoured aperitif, overtook searches for "Aperol spritz" for the first time. As the spritz craze shows no sign of slowing down, pub chains are taking wild liberties, calling anything fizzy and served in a large glass over ice a spritz - and charging £10-plus for it. Echo Falls blue raspberry spritz? Pink gin spritz (Slug & Lettuce)? Raspberry vodka and honey spritz (Young's)? Malibu cranberry spritz (Stonegate)? Mamma mia!

Traditionally, the spritz is an Italian cocktail made from prosecco, a bitter aperitif or liqueur, and a splash of soda water to keep things steady. While Venetian bartenders are more likely to judge it by eye, there is a simple 3-2-1 formula for making a spritz at home: three parts prosecco, two parts liqueur and one part soda water. I've gone with 75ml/50ml/25ml - keep the same ratios to make a smaller (60ml/40ml/20ml) or larger (90ml/60ml/30ml) drink. Of course, you can then adjust it to make it stronger or weaker (I have been known to leave out the soda …).

The favourite spicy brunch cocktail gets a Scottish twist, complete with Buckfast and a slice of pickle for punch

This is our take on the ultimate brunch cocktail, though of course we had to give it a Gaelic stamp of some kind, so have added a shot of Buckfast and renamed it Maìri. If you're not familiar, Buckfast is a sweet tonic wine, apparently known for its "healing" properties, made in Devon by Benedictine monks, but that has been adopted by the Scots as our own.

Clare Coghill, chef-owner, Café Cùil, Isle of Skye

Low-cal, crisp and fruity, these are our expert's favourite non-alcoholic and hard seltzer cans to pop in your bag this summer

• I tried 75 low- and no-alcohol drinks: here are my favourites

Since White Claw disrupted the drinks-in-tins category with its UK arrival in 2020, hard seltzers have continued to grow in popularity. Loved by celebrities, festival-goers and commuters alike, these alcoholic sparkling waters are known for being low in calories, sugar and with minimal ingredients, while containing roughly the same amount of alcohol as a standard lager (up to about 5% ABV).

Hovering at about 100 calories a can and with a few carefully chosen (usually) natural flavourings plus spirit, it's easy to see why seltzers have gained a reputation for being a relatively light choice when picking up a couple of cans. But what makes a good seltzer?

A vibrant and playful twist on the classic cocktail, with a bright, citrus kick and a subtle herbal note

Fresh, vibrant and full of summer character, this is a playful twist on the classic. It's juicy and refreshing, with a bright, citrus kick and a subtle, herbal note that keeps things light and balanced. It also works very well with non-alcoholic tequila. If you like, double the syrup quantities, because it's delicious drizzled over pancakes or diluted with sparkling water for a refreshing, summery drink.

Adrian Gonzalez Parrondo, director of bars, Six Senses, London W2

The elderflower drink is enjoying explosive growth, with Campari, Sarti Rosa and limoncello varieties also taking off

It's the summer of spritz as British sales figures show the Hugo elderflower cocktail snapping at the heels of the market-leader Aperol to be this year's favourite drink.

The number of Hugos ordered in bars nearly tripled in the three months to the end of June while demand for the vibrant red Campari spritz surged 52%.

A frozen piña colada-style boozy drink/dessert

A frozen drink and a classic dessert all rolled into one. Instead of piña coladas and getting caught in the rain, we're whipping up these and manifesting a sunny summer.

Jayma Voorheis, general manager, Half Cut Market, London N7