We bid summer adieu with a last round of cocktails reminiscent of carefree days lounging in a hammock with a book and an exotic iced beverage. Hold on to the last warm rays of summer sunshine with these spirited thirst quenchers as autumn breezes lurk on the horizon.
NIXTA SPRITZ
1.5 parts Nixta Licor de Elote
1 part Amaro Montenegro
.25 parts Lemon Juice
4 parts Seltzer
Pour Nixta, amaro and lemon juice in a highball glass. Add ice and top with seltzer. Garnish with a long, orange twist.
MERMAID’S LAGOON
3 parts Absolut Elyx
1 part Blue Curaçao
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Top with Lemonade
Fill your Copper Mermaid (or use copper Mule mug or any type of glass) full of cubed ice, measure ingredients and stir gently to combine. Garnish with a sprinkle of Maldon’s Seat Salt.
STRAWBERRY SMASH
2 oz Bootlegger New York Craft Gin
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
1.5 oz local strawberries
Place strawberries at the bottom of a shaker and muddle. Add ice and all the ingredients. Shake hard and pour into a highball glass. Garnish with mint sprig or lemon wheel.
TEREMANA WATERMELON MANARITA
2 oz. Teremana Blanco/Reposado Tequila
1 oz. Lime Juice
.5 oz. Agave Nectar
4 Large Chunks of Watermelon
Muddle the watermelon in a shaker with all ingredients. Shake with ice and strain into a glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a watermelon wedge.
FIOLRIDIAN
2 oz. FIOL Rosé
1 oz. Martini Fiero
0.75 oz. blood orange purée
1 mist of yuzu
Build all ingredients into a large wine glass with ice. Garnish with an orange peel and rosemary sprig.
SALCOMBE ROSE SPRITZ
1.25 oz Salcombe Gin ‘Rosé Sainte Marie’
0.5 oz Aperol
Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic water
Simply fill a large wine glass with ice. Add the Salcombe Gin ‘Rosé Sainte Marie’ and Aperol. Top up with Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic water. Stir gently and garnish with a twist of orange peel on the side of the glass.
Photo by Briana Tozour on Unsplash
The countdown for the last month of summer has officially begun. For those of us clinging to the breezy freedom before the start of school and “back to the grindstone” mentality, our cocktail recipes infused with ripe fruit and boozy botanicals will help your mind linger at the beach, lake, campsite or summer destination of your choice.
FRIESLING
9 bottles of Riesling
½ gallon of Kelvin’s Frose Blanc Base
1 750 ml of Rockey’s Botanicals
½ gallon of White Grape Juice
50 oz Vodka
4 oz Lemon Juice
4 oz Lime Juice
4 oz OJ
½ gallon water
Mix all ingredients together and garnish with fruit of your choice. Batch makes approximately 44 cocktails.
SPRING MEETS SUMMER PUNCH – Created by the team at Fords Gin
1.5 oz Fords Gin
1 dash (or 1/2 barspoon) Absinthe
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
2 ounces sparkling water
1 dash Angostura bitters
2 cucumber slices
1 lemon and 1 lime wheel (for garnish)
Add all ingredients except sparkling water into shaker and shake until chilled. Strain over ice in rocks glass and top with sparkling water. Garnish with a cucumber slice, lemon and lime wheels.
Batched Recipe: – Makes approximately 10 servings
16 oz Fords Gin
1 oz Absinthe
4 oz fresh lemon juice
4 oz fresh lime juice
6 dashes Angostura bitters
1/2 cup sugar
32 ounces sparkling water
16 cucumber wheels (thin)
3 limes
3 lemons
8 lemon wheels (for garnish)
8 lime wheels (for garnish)
Peel 3 limes and 3 lemons with a peeler and muddle peels with sugar in a large punch bowl or pitcher.
Add Fords Gin, absinthe, citrus juices and Angostura bitters. Stir until well mixed. Carefully add ice and top with sparkling water. Garnish with cucumber, lemon and lime wheels. Serve in punch or rocks glasses, adding ice as needed.
RED RASPBERRY
2 oz El Tequileño Reposado Gran Reserva
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
0.5 oz raspberry liqueur
0.5 oz agave syrup
2 oz cranberry juice
6 raspberries
Add all ingredients to a shaker over cubed ice. Shake until ice cold. Strain into a highball glass over cubed ice. Garnish with fresh raspberries and edible flowers.
SUNNY COVE
1 oz Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’
0.5 fl oz Elderflower Liqueur
Fever-Tree Elderflower tonic water
4 medium strawberries and one for garnish
2 thin slices of cucumber
10 mint leaves
Place 10 mint leaves into a highball glass, fill with ice and leave to one side. In a Boston shaker, muddle together the fresh strawberries, cucumber, Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’ and Elderflower Liqueur. Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Double strain the mixture over the ice into the old highball glass. Top up with Fever Tree Elderflower tonic water and a little crushed ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint and half a strawberry.
FIOL COLADA ROYALE
1.5 oz. FIOL Prosecco
0.75 oz. Coconut Cartel Rum
0.75 oz. Plantation Pineapple Rum
0.75 oz. coconut syrup
0.75 oz. fresh pineapple juice
Shake all ingredients except FIOL Prosecco vigorously with plenty of ice. Serve into a white wine glass with ice. Top with FIOL Prosecco. Garnish with shaved coconut, pineapple leaves and a dehydrated pineapple.
SPICED SOUR – by Megan Coyle
1 ½ oz Egan’s Vintage Grain
½ oz fresh lemon juice
½ oz fresh blood orange juice
½ oz Cinnamon/Clove Rich Simple Syrup*
The white of one egg
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Dry shake until pressure changes, add ice and hard shake until fluffy. Double strain into a large coupe. Garnish with chocolate bitters in a pretty design and\or a dried blood orange round balanced on the rim.
*Make a rich infused simple syrup (1:1 water to sugar) by adding 2 cinnamon sticks and 4-6 whole cloves to the water, leaving them in until the finished syrup comes to room temperature.
Although the dog days of summer are behind us, we’ve got some cooling libations that double as dessert, others that incorporate India’s first award-winning premium vodka, a fruity punch to celebrate National Rum Day and cocktails packed with fresh fruit and herbs to keep you happily hydrated.
IRISH COFFEE MILKSHAKE
1 Cask & Kettle Irish Coffee (brewed at the smallest setting)
1 scoop of chocolate ice cream
1 shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream
Blend together, pour into a cup, and garnish with an ice cream bar.
Smoke Lab, India’s first homegrown premium vodka, serves up authentic Indian flavors with its Aniseed Flavored Vodka. Aniseed, a popular Indian spice, offers refreshing notes of fennel and licorice and finishes with a creamy, sweetness and delicate fennel blossom note on the palate. This new aromatic spirit has won the top-of-class Masters Award from the London-based Asian Spirits Masters Competition as well as gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, SIP Awards and Bartender Spirits Awards.
SUMMER ANISEED MULE
2 parts Smoke Lab Aniseed Vodka
½ part Blue Curacao
¾ part fresh lime juice
Ginger beer
Combine all ingredients in a mule cup or mason jar filled with ice. Garnish with a mint sprig, orange wedge and cherry.
ANISEED STRAWBERRY MOJITO
2 parts Smoke Lab Aniseed Vodka
¾ part fresh lime juice
¾ part simple syrup
4 fresh strawberries
Mint leaves
Club soda to taste
In a tall glass, muddle 3 strawberries, mint leaves, lime juice and simple syrup. Add Smoke Lab Aniseed Vodka and crushed ice and stir to combine. Top off with club soda and garnish with a strawberry and mint leaves.
BASILBERRY SMASH – Created by the team at Fords Gin
1 oz Fords Gin
0.25 oz Chambord
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
0.75 oz simple syrup
2 oz sparkling water
3 basil leaves (2 for muddling and 1 for garnish)
Muddle 2 basil leaves gently in a shaker tin. Add all ingredients except sparkling water and shake until chilled. Strain over ice in rocks glass, top with sparkling water and garnish with remaining basil leaf.
Batched Recipe: Makes approximately 10 servings
10 oz Fords gin
2 oz Chambord
8 oz fresh lemon juice
8 oz simple syrup
16 oz soda water
20 Basil leaves (5 for garnish)
In a punch bowl or large pitcher, add gin and 15 basil leaves and muddle. Add remaining ingredients with ice and stir gently. Skim muddled basil off with slotted spoon or sieve and garnish with the remaining 5 basil leaves. Serve in punch or rocks glasses, adding ice as needed.
BLOOD ORANGE RUM PUNCH – Created by Curtis Bernadeau at Writing on The Wall bar in NYC
2 oz Rhum Barbancourt 3 star
1.5 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Blood Orange
.5 oz Lime Juice
Shake all ingredients with chipped ice, strain into highball glass and garnish with a pineapple wedge.
COMEMORE – Created by Tiffanie Barriere
1 oz Jaisalmer Gin
1/2 oz Cocalero Clásico
1/4 oz orange liqueur
1/4 oz. champagne simple syrup
Bar spoon of Ouzo
Shake until cold, strain and serve.
Although John Mayer opines “Whiskey, whiskey, whiskey; water, water, water,” we have some tempting whiskey cocktails for you to try in this round of Beat the Heat summer drinks.
IN BETWEEN DREAMS
2 oz Pure Scot Blended Scotch Whisky
2 oz fresh pineapple juice
1/2 oz Fresno chile honey syrup
1/2 oz lime juice
To make the syrup: Add 2 parts honey to 1 part water into a sauce pan. Then add pierced Fresno chiles (so they can properly sweat out), bring to high heat then stir. Next, cover and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. Let cool down, strain into a jar or bottle.
Place a good amount of ice in a cocktail shaker. Add all ingredients, shake, pour into a glass over ice. Garnish with lime wheel.
AND PALM TREES LINED THE STREET
1 oz Rampur Double Cask Single Malt Whisky
1 oz Capitoline Tiber Aperitivo
1 oz Regal Rogue Wild Rosé Vermouth
1 oz fresh pineapple juice
1 oz passionfruit juice
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake hard to combine and pour into a Tiki over crushed ice. Top with black lemon bitters.
EMERALD OLD FASHIONED – Created by Joaquín Simó of Pouring Ribbons
2 oz Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
1 tsp honey syrup (2 parts wildflower honey to 1 part water)
1 tsp Green Chartreuse
1 tsp Dolin Genepy des Alpes
Add all ingredients in a rocks glass, add ice and stir stir briskly until chilled and combined. Garnish with mint sprig.
JILO OLD FASHIONED
2 parts Abasolo Ancestral Corn Whisky
.5 parts Nixta Licor de Elote
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
Add Abasolo, Nixta and bitters to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until cold and diluted. Zest citrus over rocks glass and add fresh ice. Strain into glass, roll lemon or orange peel into attractive curls and lay garnish atop ice.
A PEACEFUL BEAST
1.5 oz Mad March Hare Poitín
1 oz Nonino Amaro
1 oz coconut milk
.5 oz Jaisalmer Indian Craft Gin
.5 oz Creme de Banana
.5 oz fresh lime juice
dash of Thai Pepper Bitters
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake hard to combine. Strain into a mug shaped like a sea monster, over crushed ice. Top with chocolate bitters.
THE TASTE OF THINGS RECOVERED
1.5 oz Egan’s Fortitude Irish Whiskey
1 oz Guava Juice
.75 oz Caperitif
.75 oz Orgeat
.5 oz Lime Juice
3-4 drops of saline
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to combine. Strain into a Tiki mug over crushed ice. Top with a few dashes of Angostura Bitters.
This batch of summer cocktails is proportioned to please a crowd at your next backyard or beachside bash.
VICE NIGHT PUNCH – served at Pizza & Burger by Michael Mina, Miami Beach, FL
Absolut Vodka: 32 oz
Lemon Juice: 16 oz
Jalapeno Hibiscus Syrup: 16 oz
Watermelon Juice: 32 oz
Mix all ingredients in punch bowl with ice and garnish with lemon slices.
LYCHEE PUNCH – served at Pizza & Burger by Michael Mina, Miami Beach, FL
Malibu Coconut Rum: 36oz
St Germain: 18 oz
Lemon Juice: 14 oz
Lychee Syrup (canned): 14 oz
Cranberry Juice: 9 oz
Mix all ingredients in punch bowl with ice and garnish with lychee nuts.
THE BLEAU – served at Pizza & Burger by Michael Mina, Miami Beach, FL
Volcan Tequila: 32 oz
Pineapple Juice: 32 oz
Coco Lopez: 8 oz
Lime Juice: 12 oz
Blue Curacao: 8 oz
Mix all ingredients in punch bowl with ice and garnish with lemon or lime slices.
BOURBON SLUSH – Chef Brian Landry
4 Luzianne black tea bags
(1) 12 oz orange juice frozen concentrate
(1) 6 oz lemonade frozen concentrate
1 cup sugar
3 cups Knob Creek bourbon
Orange slices
Luxardo Maraschino cherries
Angostura bitters
Allow the orange juice and lemonade frozen concentrates to defrost slightly. Boil tea bags in 2 cups water. Let steep for 5 minutes. In a large freezer safe container, combine tea plus 7 additional cups of water, orange juice frozen concentrate, lemonade frozen concentrate, sugar and bourbon. Mix well to combine all ingredients. Place the mixture in the freezer overnight.
To serve, scoop the slush into rocks glasses and top with 5 dashes of Angostura bitters. Garnish with an orange slice and maraschino cherry
E.P.C. (Equal Parts Cocktail) – served at L.A. Jackson, Nashville, TN
7 oz Rum
7 oz Aperol
7 oz Strawberry Syrup
7 oz Lime Juice
7 oz Pineapple Juice
Fill a one gallon container with ice. Pour liquor into a pitcher and stir. Pour over ice in large container.
Strawberry Syrup: 2 lbs strawberries, sliced
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
Place strawberries in a pot over medium heat. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let strawberries cook for about 20 minutes. Foam may rise to the top-that’s normal; skim it. Strain strawberry liquid through a mesh strainer into another pot, separating the solids and the liquids. Do not press down on the solids. Add the 2 cups of sugar to the strawberry liquid and bring back to a boil, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar into the syrup. Let simmer for 5 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Syrup will stay for several weeks in a sealed container.
SPARKLING ROSE PUNCH
- 13 ½ oz of Gin
- 2 x 750 ml bottles of Caposaldo Prosecco Rosé wine
- 4 Fresh lemons
- 1 oz of L’Héritier-Guyot Crème de Cassis de Dijon
- 10 oz Cranberry nectar
- A few sprigs of fresh mint
For approximately 15 servings: Pour 13 ½ oz Gin, two 750 ml bottles of Caposaldo Prosecco Rosé wine, the juice of 4 lemons, 1 oz of L’Héritier-Guyot Crème de Cassis de Dijon, 10 oz Cranberry nectar, and a dozen ice cubes into a punch bowl.
Serve chilled.
Here are some classics that pair well with any summer gathering.
REGATTA SUMMER MULE
2 oz. vodka
6 oz. Regatta Bermuda Stone Ginger Beer
Squeeze of fresh lime
Fill a mule mug with ice. Squeeze and drop in the lime wedge. Add vodka and ginger beer and enjoy!
Summer Variation: Muddle fresh raspberries, blackberries or blueberries with mint in the mug before adding ice, vodka & ginger beer. Garnish with fresh mint sprig and a few fresh berries.
REGATTA SUMMER G&T
2 oz. gin
6 oz. Regatta Dry Citrus Tonic Water
Squeeze of fresh lime
Fill a tall glass with ice and add gin and tonic. Squeeze and drop in the lime wedge.
Summer Variation: Add the juice of ½ a blood orange or grapefruit to the mix for a refreshing & fruity alternative.
PERO QUE? Made by David Libespère at 67 Orange Street Bar, NY
3/4 oz. Pastis Henri Bardouin
3/4 oz. Pama Pomegranate
1/2 oz. Domaine De Canton
1/4 oz. Salers Gentiane
Top off with Prosecco
Mix all ingredients except for Prosecco. Shake with ice. Double strain into a Classic Nick and Nora glass or a coupe glass. Top off with prosecco. Garnish with a dehydrated lime juice.
THE ROSA PARK Made by David Libespère at 67 Orange Street Bar, NY
2 oz. Gin XII
1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 oz. Hibiscus Syrup
3 dashes Love Bitters
1 Egg White
Mix all the ingredients together with ice. Shake well. Aerate the egg white by using the throwing technique. Take out the ice and do a dry shake. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with rose powder.
ARK FOODS’ GRILLED SHOSHITO PEPPER MARGARITA
3 oz. Reposado Tequila
1.5 oz. Cointreau of Triple Sec
1 lime, cut into pieces
3 roasted Ark Foods shoshito peppers
Rinse your margarita glass under some cold water and rim with salt. Place the glass in the freezer to chill. Meanwhile, muddle the lime pieces and 2 of the shishito peppers (caps removed) in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Take time to press while twisting to release all the juices and oils.
Add the liquid ingredients and fill shaker with ice. Add shaker top and shake vigorously until very cold. Strain into the chilled margarita glass, and float a shishito pepper on top. Serve with extra grilled shishito peppers and toast to summer!
CAVIT PROSECCO SPRITZES: TANGY FLORAL, SMASHED RASPBERRY, MINTY CUCUMBER
4 oz (1/2 cup) grapefruit juice
2 oz (1/4 cup) Chase Elderflower Liqueur
Ice cubes
6 oz (3/4 cup) Cavit Prosecco
2 grapefruit wedges
2 edible flowers
Divide grapefruit juice and liqueur between 2 glasses; fill glasses with ice cubes; top with Prosecco. Garnish each serving with grapefruit wedge and an edible flower. Serves: 2
Tip: Edible flowers can be found in gourmet food markets in the produce section with herbs or can be ordered and purchased online.
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
2 oz (1/4 cup) Chase Elderflower Liqueur
Ice cubes
6 oz (3/4 cup) Cavit Prosecco
2 oz (1/4 cup) sparkling lemonade
2 small thyme sprigs
Muddle together raspberries and liqueur. Divide between 2 glasses; fill glasses with ice cubes. Top with Prosecco and sparkling lemonade. Garnish each serving with thyme sprig. Serves: 2
Tip: Lemon thyme also works nicely for a garnish.
8 cucumber slices (about 1/4-inch thick), divided
12 fresh mint leaves, divided
2 oz (1/4 cup) lime juice
2 oz (1/4 cup) Chase Elderflower Liqueur
Ice cubes
8 oz (1 cup) Cavit Prosecco
Muddle together 6 cucumber slices, 8 mint leaves, lime juice and liqueur. Divide between 2 glasses. Fill glasses with ice cubes. Top with Prosecco. Garnish each serving with remaining cucumber and mint. Serves: 2
Tip: Substitute lemon for lime if desired.
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