Of course, one occassion requires a bit more festive cocktails and other occassions just ask for easy ones. Think of a long day at work and ready for some relaxation kind of situation 😉. To help you find the right cocktail for the right occasion or moment, we created a list with our favorite cocktail moments and the cocktails that match these best.

Spring Day (in the park)

On a lovely spring day, there is nothing better than to gather with friends and chill out in the park. For refreshments, you choose cocktails that you can easily prepare at home or that don’t require too much work when in the park. Take fresh and easy cocktails, like the Ginger Melon. Just pour all the ingredients into a large bottle and take it with you in a cooling bag (filled with ice cubes).

Want to go bubblier, then take a bottle of Bols Cucumber and mix this on the spot with tonic water. This is a great low-alcohol alternative to your standard Gin & Tonic and a perfect refresher on a sunny day. Or just take one of our Easy Mix Cocktail Packages to get all you need in one pack!

Barbecue Party

Another great thing to do on a sunny day is to throw a barbecue party. And it’s also a great moment to show off your cocktail skills! You can go with the light and easy-to-mix drinks like Bols Watermelon with bitter lemon, but we dare you to go next level and really show your friends what you got. Surprise them with a bright blue and freshly shaken Margarita Azul. It’s the perfect festive cocktail and delicious cocktail that will take your mind to a tropical beach. This in combination with your barbecue… Do we need to say more?

One of our other barbecue favorites is the Ginger Mule. This fresh and spicy cocktail is not too heavy and perfect to enjoy next to a freshly cooked barbeque meal. To tingle your tastebuds even more, serve the smooth and complex Red Light Negroni. Our Amsterdam twist to this classic Italian aperitif cocktail has a beautiful balance between bitter and sweet, herbal and fruity and a strong alcoholic kick and melting ice. The best to enjoy during the sunset hours.

Beach Party

Organizing a beach (themed) party? Then let us take you to a tropical paradise! Flavours like coconut, pineapple, and banana in beautiful Tiki cocktails are the best to really get the tropical vibes going. One of the best cocktails for this occasion is of course the Piña Colada. A beautiful combination of Bols Coconut liqueur, rum, pineapple and coconut cream. It really is, the ultimate tropical cocktail!

One of our Tiki favorites and the father of all Tiki cocktails is the Mai Tai cocktail. We switch rum for Bols Genever Barrel Aged to give the cocktail a bit more complexity and depth and call it the Aged Mai Tai cocktail. Together with the fresh lime juice, sweet and fruity Bols Dry Orange liqueur and the almond notes of the orgeat syrup you have your tropical cocktail ready.

And if you can’t have your party at the beach, then you better bring the beach to you. And which cocktail does this better than the Sex on the Beach. This sweet vodka cocktail with many fruity influences is on almost every beach club- or pool bar menu, so it definitely can’t be missed during your beach party.

Family Dinner

For this occasion, it’s best to go for the easy-to-drink, not-so-heavy cocktails. You don’t want your grandma falling off her chair when dinner is over. With a family dinner, you really need to think about the different levels of alcohol tolerance within the family. Go for low(er) alcohol cocktails or even virgin ones, that don’t have too complex flavours. Rather go for sweet, fresh and/or sour cocktails.

Our best recommendation for a cocktail that the whole family can enjoy is the Elderflower Spritz with the sweet notes of Bols Elderflower liqueur. For those who need to drive or just don’t like to drink alcohol, take a Virgin & Tonic with 1 part Damrak Virgin with 3 parts tonic water, ice cubes and orange slices for garnish.

After Dinner Cocktails

When all the family members left the building and you need a moment to cool off, it’s time for an after dinner cocktail. Or when you have guests that are up for a little extra during or after dessert, a cocktail is a nice way to end the dinner well. The perfect after dinner cocktail is sweet and indulgent, but with a nice kick to avoid that after dinner dip and get that digestion going. And if dinner isn’t the end of the evening, take a cocktail with an alcoholic kick and a shot of caffeine to really get you back on your feet again. The Espresso Martini for example, will do just that!

Other cocktails that are great to serve after dinner are the After Eight, inspired by the English chocolate or the Grasshopper. This last cocktail does not only have a surprising flavour, its light green colour is also something to attract the eye.

Photo by Antenna on Unsplash

Girls' Night Out/In

Whether you and your girls hit the bar or the sofa, cocktails are not to miss during a girls' night. According to a survey that we did amongst 500 respondents in the Netherlands, the Pornstar Martini is women's most favorite cocktail. So, this would be the perfect cocktail for your girls' night. The Pornstar Martini is not only a delicious, fruity cocktail, it’s also a fancy one too. Especially when you serve it with a shot of prosecco on the side.

Besides the Pornstar Martini, there is another cocktail that can’t be missed during an evening with your friends. You may have guessed it because it was the signature cocktail of Carrie and her friends in the show Sex and the City. It’s the Cosmopolitan. People often expect this drink to be overly sweet due to the pink colour and the Sex and the City connection. Yet, a good Cosmopolitan is a balanced mix of sweet, sour and a slight bitterness created using Bols Vodka, Bols Triple Sec liqueur, cranberry, and lime.

Last but not last least is the Strawberry Margarita. This strawberry twist to the classic Margarita is delicious to enjoy frozen or just nicely cooled.

Guy's Night Out/In

If you are a man, for you and your boys it’s the same. Whether you go out or stay in, a cocktail is always good to get you in the mood. For this occasion, we don’t recommend the sweet, fruity cocktails, but more the complex and somewhat heavier drinks. Of course, if you feel like serving sweet and fruity, do your thing!

According to our survey, this cocktail is the favorite amongst the Dutch men. And not only for Dutch men. One of the most famous, notorious and loved cocktail recipes in the world is the Old Fashioned. We like to serve it with Bols Barrel Aged Genever, which makes this cocktail a Very Old Fashioned.

Another great drink and especially created by our Master Bartender for a unique product we call Bols 100% Malt Spirit Genever, is the Dutch Connection cocktail. The grainy, grassy notes of the 100% Malt Spirit match incredibly well with the sweet Bols Dry Orange liqueur. And with only two ingredients, it’s a very easy-to-create cocktail.

To proof that a guy's night can be fancy too, we recommend this delicious cocktail served in a fancy martini glass. The Bols Manhattan made with Bols Barrel Aged Genever, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters is a full-bodied, rich and intense cocktail with a strong flavour. So, nothing that you guys can’t handle.

Birthday Party

Of course, your birthday calls for a celebration and could not be missed in this list of the best cocktail moments. In the end, it’s the most important day of the year 😉. You can have numerous cocktails to serve during your party, but it’s best to choose some cocktails that guests can also easily prepare themselves. This way you have enough room to actually spend time with them.

A great party cocktail is the Gin & Tonic. It’s easy to prepare and a cocktail that you can serve and drink all night long. Use 1 part Damrak Gin and 3 parts tonic, pour of over ice and garnish with orange slices. Party on!

Want to go more fancy and sophisticated, then choose the Elderflower Royale. A delicious mix of Bols Elderflower liqueur and champagne, which you easily build in a champagne flute. This is also a great drink to welcome your guests once they arrive.

But it doesn’t stop there! Your birthday party is also a great occasion to serve one of the other previously mentioned cocktails. This way you can please your family members, girlfriends and boyfriends all at once. Have fun!

See, for every occasion there is a cocktail! Want to have even more recipes to explore for any other cocktail moments? Check out our Bols Cocktail Gallery.