Aperol Spritz
A sparkling, refreshing aperitif with orange bitters.
Ingredients: Aperol, prosecco, soda water. Serve over ice with an orange slice.
Cocktail collection
Party Starter Cocktails That Get the Night Moving cocktails.
Party Starter Cocktails That Get the Night Moving is all about the drinks you reach for when you want the evening to feel like it has properly started. These are not slow, thoughtful cocktails for sitting quietly in the corner. They are the ones that bring a bit of buzz to the room, get people talking, and make everything feel more fun from the first round onwards. Bright flavours, familiar favourites, a bit of colour, a bit of sparkle, and drinks that people are genuinely pleased to see coming their way.
This collection works because it leans into cocktails that feel social. You have refreshing, easy crowd-pleasers, a few bolder party staples, and the sort of drinks that always seem to get people saying, “go on then, I’ll have one of those too.” Some are crisp and citrusy, some are fruity and playful, some bring a little bit of theatre, and some have enough kick to keep the mood going. Together, they make sense for birthdays, house parties, pre-drinks, celebrations, or any night where the goal is energy rather than elegance.
If you want cocktails that feel fun, recognisable, and built for a good atmosphere, this is a strong place to start. These are the drinks that help break the ice, lift the tempo, and turn a casual get-together into a proper night.
This collection works because it leans into cocktails that feel social. You have refreshing, easy crowd-pleasers, a few bolder party staples, and the sort of drinks that always seem to get people saying, “go on then, I’ll have one of those too.” Some are crisp and citrusy, some are fruity and playful, some bring a little bit of theatre, and some have enough kick to keep the mood going. Together, they make sense for birthdays, house parties, pre-drinks, celebrations, or any night where the goal is energy rather than elegance.
If you want cocktails that feel fun, recognisable, and built for a good atmosphere, this is a strong place to start. These are the drinks that help break the ice, lift the tempo, and turn a casual get-together into a proper night.
Recipes in this collection
Party Starter Cocktails That Get the Night Moving recipes
Browse every active cocktail currently linked to this collection.
Blue Lagoon
A vibrant blue cocktail with vodka, blue curacao, and lemonade, served in a highball glass with a citrus garnish.
Ingredients: Vodka, blue curacao, and lemonade combine to create a tangy and refreshing cocktail with a bold blue colour.
Confetti Spritz
A characterful cocktail built around prosecco, blood orange liqueur and berry cordial, finished with a clean, memorable lift.
Ingredients: Prosecco, Blood orange liqueur, Berry cordial, sparkling wine. Serve well chilled.
Cosmopolitan
A stylish cocktail with cranberry and lime juice.
Ingredients: Vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice, triple sec.
Crimson Disco
A characterful cocktail built around rum, cranberry liqueur and orange cordial, finished with a clean, memorable lift.
Ingredients: Rum, Cranberry liqueur, Orange cordial, sparkling wine. Serve well chilled.
East 8 Hold-Up
A vivid modern vodka cocktail combining pineapple and passion fruit with lime and the bittersweet orange bite of Aperol.
Ingredients: 45 ml vodka; 15 ml Aperol; 20 ml pineapple juice; 15 ml fresh lime juice; 7.5 ml rich sugar syrup; 5 ml passion fruit syrup.
Electric Sunset
A characterful cocktail built around tequila, orange syrup and citrus juice, finished with a clean, memorable lift.
Ingredients: Tequila, Orange syrup, citrus juice, Grenadine cordial, Soda water. Serve well chilled.
Enzoni
A modern gin-and-Campari sour softened by muddled fresh green grapes, lemon and sugar.
Ingredients: 5 fresh green grapes; 30 ml London dry gin; 30 ml Campari; 20 ml fresh lemon juice; 15 ml rich sugar syrup.
Espresso Martini
A rich, coffee-flavoured cocktail with vodka and espresso.
Ingredients: Vodka, fresh espresso, coffee liqueur, and sugar syrup.
Festival Fizz
A characterful cocktail built around vodka, raspberry syrup and citrus juice, finished with a clean, memorable lift.
Ingredients: Vodka, Raspberry syrup, citrus juice, Lime cordial, Soda water. Serve well chilled.
Firefly Cooler
A characterful cocktail built around gin, pear syrup and citrus juice, finished with a clean, memorable lift.
Ingredients: Gin, Pear syrup, citrus juice, Elderflower cordial, Soda water. Serve well chilled.
Harbour Lights
A characterful cocktail built around rum, pineapple syrup and citrus juice, finished with a clean, memorable lift.
Ingredients: Rum, Pineapple syrup, citrus juice, Lime cordial, Soda water. Serve well chilled.
House Party Punch
A characterful cocktail built around rum, orange juice and passion fruit syrup, finished with a clean, memorable lift.
Ingredients: Rum, Orange juice, Passion fruit syrup, lime juice. Serve well chilled.
Late Night Disco Punch
A characterful cocktail built around rum, pineapple juice and lime syrup, finished with a clean, memorable lift.
Ingredients: Rum, Pineapple juice, Lime syrup, lime juice. Serve well chilled.
Long Island Iced Tea
A strong, refreshing cocktail combining multiple spirits with a hint of citrus and cola.
Ingredients: Vodka, Gin, White Rum, Tequila, Triple Sec, Lemon Juice, Cola. Serve over ice.
Margarita
A zesty drink featuring lime and tequila.
Ingredients: Tequila, lime juice, triple sec, salt rim. Serve chilled.
Mojito
A refreshing cocktail with mint, lime, and rum.
Ingredients: Mint, lime, rum, sugar, and soda water. Serve over ice.
Moscow Mule
A refreshing cocktail made with vodka, ginger beer, and lime, served in a signature copper mug.
Ingredients: Vodka, ginger beer and lime juice.
Neon Lemonade
A characterful cocktail built around vodka, lemon syrup and citrus juice, finished with a clean, memorable lift.
Ingredients: Vodka, Lemon syrup, citrus juice, Blue curacao cordial, Soda water. Serve well chilled.
Paloma
Paloma is sharp, lively and properly structured, with Tequila, Grapefruit soda, Lime juice and Salt giving the drink a clearer flavour story and a more useful reason to make it.
Ingredients: Tequila, Grapefruit soda, Lime juice, Salt. Serve over ice.
Pina Colada
A tropical blend of pineapple, coconut, and rum.
Ingredients: Rum, pineapple juice, coconut cream. Blend with ice.
Pornstar Martini
A fruity, passion fruit-flavored cocktail, served with a shot of prosecco.
Ingredients: Vanilla vodka, passion fruit puree, lime juice, sugar syrup, and prosecco.
Rum Punch
A generous tropical rum punch with pineapple, orange, lime and grenadine. Colourful, fruity, balanced and built for sharing.
Ingredients: Rum, Orange juice, Pineapple juice, Lime juice, Grenadine
Screaming Orgasm
An unapologetically rich 1980s dessert cocktail combining vodka, coffee liqueur, amaretto, Irish cream, cream and milk.
Ingredients: 37.5 ml vodka; 37.5 ml coffee liqueur; 37.5 ml amaretto; 37.5 ml Irish cream; 37.5 ml cream; 37.5 ml whole milk.
Sex on the beach
A fruity, vodka-based cocktail with peach schnapps and tropical flavours.
Ingredients: Vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry juice, and orange juice.
Slow Comfortable Screw Against The Wall
A deliberately over-the-top long drink layering vodka, Southern Comfort, orange juice, sloe gin and Galliano.
Ingredients: 45 ml vodka; 15 ml Southern Comfort; 90 ml fresh orange juice; 15 ml sloe gin; 15 ml Galliano.
Starlight Sling
A characterful cocktail built around gin, cherry liqueur and pineapple modifier, finished with a clean, memorable lift.
Ingredients: Gin, Cherry liqueur, Pineapple modifier. Serve well chilled.
Sundown Tiki
A characterful cocktail built around dark rum, passion fruit juice and orange syrup, finished with a clean, memorable lift.
Ingredients: Dark rum, Passion fruit juice, Orange syrup, lime juice. Serve well chilled.
Sunset Reception
A characterful cocktail built around vodka, peach liqueur and raspberry cordial, finished with a clean, memorable lift.
Ingredients: Vodka, Peach liqueur, Raspberry cordial, sparkling wine. Serve well chilled.
Tequila Sunrise
A vibrant, fruity cocktail made with tequila, orange juice, and grenadine, served in a tall glass to showcase its sunrise effect.
Ingredients: Tequila, orange juice and grenadine.
Tokyo Iced Tea
A vivid green Long Island Iced Tea variation built from five spirits, melon liqueur, lime and lemon-lime soda.
Ingredients: 15 ml white rum; 15 ml gin; 15 ml vodka; 15 ml reposado tequila; 15 ml triple sec; 15 ml green melon liqueur; 30 ml fresh lime juice; 50 ml chilled lemon-lime soda.
Tropical Tailwind
A characterful cocktail built around rum, mango juice and coconut syrup, finished with a clean, memorable lift.
Ingredients: Rum, Mango juice, Coconut syrup, lime juice. Serve well chilled.