Summer cocktails

With this summer ESL lesson, students will learn vocabulary to talk about cocktails and making cocktails, will watch a video about 5 summer cocktails and will practise the vocabulary with a fun role-play. This lesson will be useful for bartenders and restaurant workers, as well as anyone who enjoys cocktails. You can combine it with “How to describe wine”, “The surging sales of non-alcoholic drinks”,   “Idioms: eating and drinking”, “Idioms: the summer”, and “Idioms: holidays”.

Speaking: First, students discuss their favourite drinks and other questions related to cocktails and making cocktails.

Vocabulary: Students take a look at photos of different cocktail preparation tools (jigger, strainer, shaker, muddler, ice tongs,etc.) and match the words given to the correct photo. Then, they complete a few sentences with the correct tool depending on what it is used for. Next, students put the basic cocktail preparation steps in order (this activity helps with seeing the target vocabulary in context and with vocabulary extension).

Listening: Students watch a video “5 summer cocktails in 5 minutes” and complete the recipes with the ingredients they hear.

Speaking: Next students complete a role-play activity. One student (the customer) is given a cocktail  menu, while the other student (the bartender) is given a description of each cocktail on the menu. Students role-play the situation according to the instructions given. There are also useful phrases provided for students to use.

Writing and speaking: Finally, students write the recipe of their favourite cocktail.

Use the conversation cards to revise the target vocabulary of this lesson!