Making a good cocktail is about much more than just measuring ingredients and shaking. We went to a cocktail masterclass to get the insider secrets that will make your cocktails legendary.

According to our professional barman, ‘the secret to a good cocktail is ice’. It’s important to chill your glass with ice first to drop the temperature to make sure the drink isn’t weakened. An iced glass keeps ice cold, which ensures the cocktail isn’t diluted by melting ice.

But it’s not just the taste that’s important! ‘Part of the cocktail is how it looks; the theatre of creating it is half the battle’. So put a little extra care into your creation, and you’ll be a skilled mixologist in no time.

You should always pick a Daiquiri as it’s the easiest cocktail to get wrong, but the easiest to get right. So if you order a Daiquiri and enjoy it, you’ll hopefully enjoy all the other cocktails on the menu!

Some people might not know this but to pull off the best Cosmopolitan you should be using a citrus vodka (or some fruit in the glass) as it’s a citrus-based cocktail. Cointreau is the next spirit to go into the mix – some people use triple sec, but Cointreau adds a much better flavor! And of course you need some good quality cranberry juice.

'It’s all in the shake, you have to shake it hard’. And to get the best finish, use a fine strainer when you pour the Cosmo, to catch all the ice particles that would usually dilute the cocktail.

Add a bit of orange peel into the drink, as this mixes the oils from the skin, which improves the taste – removing any possible sharpness – but it should be a thick-skinned orange!

In a Margarita, there’s tequila, Cointreau, 25ml of lime (juice) and 12.5ml of sugar syrup.

When salting the rim of the glass, keep the glass upside down and wipe off the excess liquid in the glass. This will stop a salty flavor overpowering the drink.

Mojitos are made differently from bar to bar, as everyone has their own technique when creating one. Again, icing the glass makes sure the ice in the drink is ice cold, so make sure you’re generous with your starting portion.

Put the limes in the glass first – 5/8s of one lime – and 12.5ml of sugar syrup. Next comes muddling (crushing the limes and sugar in the glass) with a pestle to get a little more juice, followed by mint, ice and a large shot of rum.

Then it’s time to mix! The churning (mixing) is an important part of the procedure as it infuses the flavors. Not too fast, but not too slow!

Now, to make sure your mojito's full of minty goodness, be sure to smack the mint, as it releases the flavor and scent into the drink. And if you want to add a little sparkle to your Mojito sprinkle a little icing sugar on top; it’ll make it look all snowy.

Remember: the quality of the lime or lime juice is important! If you’d like to make it a little juicier, you can roll your limes for a fresh burst.

Make sure to get the perfect balance between lime, sugar and rum. If you use just over 1½ to 1¾ shots of white rum, around an ounce of lime juice and a teaspoon of sugar, you should be creating a little magic in a glass.

Daiquiris need to be shaken hard; the most commonly-used shaker is a three-piece shaker, as the ice doesn’t move around as much inside, so your Daiquiri won’t be diluted by ice particles. Because who wants a watered-down Daiquiri? We sure don’t!

Did you know there are two kinds of Sex on the Beach out there? Well, there’s an American and an English version, and we went for an American. If you want to give it a go you need vodka, Midori, Chambord, cranberry and a little bit of pineapple juice.

First add lots of ice to your glass! Pour in a shot of vodka, half a shot of Midori and half a shot of Chambord into your shaker along with a splash of cranberry and pineapple juice. When pineapple juice is shaken, it gives a nice foaminess to the top, adding a nice texture to the drink. But not shaking too hard is key here!

Use simple ingredients – it’s unnecessary to use expensive vodka. Keep it simple, shake it a decent amount, dress it up nice – dressing it up makes it taste even better – and you’ll have a good Sex on the Beach.

Although there are few ingredients in an Old Fashioned, it can be difficult to get right. But if you have the right balance of alcohol, it shouldn’t be difficult to make at home.

An important part of an Old Fashioned is muddling (crushing or squeezing with a pestle) the orange to release the citric flavors and juices into the drink.

Unlike other cocktails, this one is all about the dilution and you’re able to change the drink because of this, by adding more bourbon if needed. But start off with two shots of bourbon – and start off slow. Bartenders love to make an Old Fashioned to show off their skills.

Put more ice and more bourbon in the glass, as ‘slow and steady wins the race’, followed by 2.5ml of sugar syrup. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to please everyone and, if you have a sweet tooth, it may be difficult to enjoy an Old Fashioned. Remember: stirring the cocktail slower rather than faster is key and you don’t want to over mix.

For those of us that need a little extra kick in our life when we enjoy a cocktail. This coffee treat features vodka, kahlúa and one shot of espresso. If it’s good coffee, you should get a foamy head like the pineapple juice in the Sex on the Beach.

You can use different flavoured sugar syrup to add flavor like amaretto as something associated with coffee will give it another dimension.

Using tweezers will ensure your coffee beans are placed in the perfect spot for the perfect garnish.

Similar to the Daiquiri, a Pina Colada only has three ingredients: Bacardi, pineapple and coconut juice. Having some coconut purée will also come in very handy though.

You’ll want a large measure of rum to make sure you can taste this delicious Tiki drink. And because of its Tiki origins, you can go crazy with the garnish, which is always fun!

If you’re a gin lover, this is the staple drink you need to be making! It contains gin, Maraschino liqueur, Crème de Violette (violet liqueur, optional) and lemon juice.

This is an old school drink, which is very simple. The gin and cherry liqueur blend well together, and the lemon juice balances out the sour and sweetness. And with a little Maraschino cherry swimming at the bottom, it’ll be a sweet treat all around.