Summer Cocktails

[NeroW]

Hmmm. Is it too early for a nip???

Hell, no.

[johnnyd]

What shall we make, Nero?

[Varmint]

We made some tamarind margaritas back in November for our Mexican Feast. I can't remember the recipe, but they were damn good.

Of course, a mojito is a mighty fine summer drink.

For non-alcoholic drinks, the Daily News had a pretty good piece on refreshing tropical drinks.

[NeroW]

What shall we make, Nero?

Beer.

[JennotJenn]

I posted this on the Lillet thread a couple weeks ago:

1oz Vodka

1oz Lillet Blonde

1oz Italian Lemon Soda

Mint Leaf

JAZ suggested Meyer Lemon Juice which worked well until they became unavailable locally.

LUDJA gave it a name: Limone Pavlova or Bolshoi since it has an amalgam of cultural origins

I threw it together for an Easter party and *POOF* I'm all out of Lillet...

I'm making one tonight with the lemon soda. Sounds great!

Fizzyness (fizziness?) is essential for my summertime drinks. Fruitiness good too, but I don't like anything overpowering or too heavy on the sugar. No matter how hot it gets, Husband will still stick to single malt up lest he be thought of as unmanly.

[johnnyd]

What shall we make, Nero?

Beer.

Done.

(kuh-shwop...sssssssssss!)

AAhhhhhhahaha!!! It's only a Molson but it is gooood, soooooooooo ggooooooood!

[lancastermike]

Man, bitter lemon, I forgot how much I loved vodka and bitter lemon in the summer. It is not the easiest thing to find sometimes bur I used to drink it by the gallon, or so it seems, thanks for the reminder I am going to look for some this weekend. Rum and Coke with Roses Lime Juice also served me well in summers past. Now that I have a more educated pallet I fin an Americano to be very refreshing.

[limewine]

This summer (ok, I'm starting a little early) my favorite is the Southside. Lemony, minty, with a nice dose of gin, and it can be served either straight up or as a long drink with a little fizz.

2 ounces gin

1 ounce lemon juice

1 tsp bar sugar

sprig or two of mint, gently bruised in shaker (if you like it mintier, add the liquid and let everything sit for a few minutes)

Shake with ice and serve (if you don't like the little green flecks of mint, you may want to strain it).

Minty lemonade for grownups--verrry nice.

paul

[JAZ]

This summer (ok, I'm starting a little early) my favorite is the Southside. Lemony, minty, with a nice dose of gin, and it can be served either straight up or as a long drink with a little fizz.

Welcome to the cocktail lounge (uh, I mean, forum), limewine. Thanks for posting.

Your recipe reminds me that one of my favorite bartenders serves a fantastic variation on the Aviation with mint. If you replace the sugar in your recipe with a splash of Maraschino, it sounds just about like what she makes.

Check out the Aviation and Maraschino thread if you're interested.

[tissue]

I love bellinis in the summer.

[Susan in FL]

Mojitos here, with lots of lime juice -- more lime juice and more mint than the restaurants and bars serve in theirs. Second favorite summer cocktail is vodka and tonic, using the frozen tonic cubes, with lemon and lime.

[nones]

I am living in the Caribbean and, so it seems, I am always looking for something refreshing. I am very familiar (possibly too familiar, some might say)with many of the favourites listed. I think I may have one to add that has come in handy on many occasions. How about a nice Sangria!!

We macerate oranges and lemons with sugar and Cointreau(or Triple Sec) and then add the wine. We try to do this the day before we need it and what we end up with is a lovely beverage that we and our guests have enjoyed on many occasions.

[Susan in FL]

Sangria, yes... thanks for the reminder, and welcome to eG!

[beans]

Summertime, I do enjoy and make much use of my blender. Quality ingredients in, excellent drink results come out. None of that Island Oasis mix or any store bought mixes are ever considered. The slushy ice adds the appropriate amount of chilly dilution for enduring an afternoon sipping margaritas under the hot sun, poolside.

I look to rum, tequila and that saucy and very intoxicating cachaça for the summer drinkies.

Since eGCI, this little beauty has been a constant favourite:

Blueberry Smash -- a Mojito variation

The sugar cane is a fantastic little treat in and of itself.

[vengroff]

Our biggest hit so far this summer has been the delightfully simple concoction I call the Tom Collegrino. It's one part vodka, two parts San Pelegrino Limonata, over ice, garnished with a lemon wedge. It sounds like an idea that might have been cooked up in the product development offices of Absolut and San Pellegrino and featured in ads in trendy glossies, but it really is damn good.

[buckwad]

My two faves, old standbys:

Chambord Kamikaze - goes down far too easy... I find myself losing count often when drinking this one

Red Bull & Vodka - A great tired/wired combo for late night dancing and partying

[Jeffy Boy]

However, I do tend to pull out my experience behind the bar at a little greek place on St. THomas USVI (Zorba's) and start looking for a good Retsina to be served colder than typical for a white wine, or the lovely cloudiness of Ouzo on the rocks.

I'm onto Ouzo at the moment. Ouzo, on ice, with equal part water. Delicious, refreshing. Anesthetizes your tongue. Then your brain.

[johnnyd]

BEANS: Your Blueberry Smash has a future here in Maine! Big glut of the damn things in market, like 2lbs for $3. What sort of rum do you use? Looks white-ish.

Also, if you/anyone is a fan of cachaca, "Batidas" are a great drink. "Batida de coco" uses coconut; "Mango Batida", metioned elsewhere on eG uses mango puree, lime juice and cachaca. By far the most interesting uses "suco de maracuja", a passion fruit concentrate that I almost feel cachaca was invented to accompany. I just found a recipe:

Ingredientes:

- 3 colheres de sopa de leite condensado

- 3 colheres de sopa de suco de maracujá concentrado

- 3 colheres de sopa de pinga ou vodka

- 1 cubo de gelo picado

- 1/2 xícara de chá de água fria

...essentially translated:

3 tblsp condensed milk

3 tblsp maracuja concentrate

3 tblsp cachaca or vodka

ice

1/2 cup of iced tea

Wow, I don't know man!!! My mom didn't make 'em like that when we lived in Brasil!!!

[JAZ]

Our biggest hit so far this summer has been the delightfully simple concoction I call the Tom Collegrino. It's one part vodka, two parts San Pelegrino Limonata, over ice, garnished with a lemon wedge. It sounds like an idea that might have been cooked up in the product development offices of Absolut and San Pellegrino and featured in ads in trendy glossies, but it really is damn good.

San Pellegrino's soft drinks are among the few I like to use in cocktails -- they're less sweet and taste more of fruit than most American soft drinks. Their Aranciata is great with Campari -- one of my favorite summer coolers.

[beans]

BEANS: Your Blueberry Smash has a future here in Maine! Big glut of the damn things in market, like 2lbs for $3. What sort of rum do you use? Looks white-ish.

johnnyd:

They are quite refreshing. I adore just about any berry and am thrilled when they are incorporated into a cocktail.

Blueberry Smash

1 1/2 ounces Bacardi Limón

1/4 cup Blueberries

8 Mint Leaves

A good squeeze of Fresh Lemon Juice

1 tablespoon sugar

Soda

In the bottom of an Old Fashioned glass, place sugar, blueberries and mint; muddle. Add a scoop of crushed ice. Pour Bacardi Limón Rum over the crushed ice and top with soda. Garnish with a sliced swizzle stick of fresh sugar cane and mint leaves.

Evolving Cocktails, Part II

I've been playing around with Bacardi-O with a Mojito inspired idea, but really copying the style of a new bartender whose work I admire -- one Lucy Brennan, out in Portland, Oregon.

If I can *ever* get my hands on some Havana Club 3 year old, I'll be mixing up some absolutely fantastic Strawberry Mojitos ASAP.

I've got to give those Batidas a serious try. Thank you for sharing.

[beans]

Red Bull & Vodka - A great tired/wired combo for late night dancing and partying

Oh my stars. Please forgive the belated welcome to eG buckwad! Glad you are here and are a'postin.

Bombs? Ugh. Last season we sold more Jäger than house vodka. This season, so far, we've sold more Three Olives cherry flavoured vodka than either Jäger or house vodka.

Sorry to say I'm not much of a fan of these shots and can't wait until the trend passes.

edit: Those sneaky typos....

Edited June 2, 2004 by beans (log)

[johnnyd]

More on "Batidas"...

Probably the definitive site (in english): Maria's Batida Page

The one posted y'day was from a Brazilian cookery website, and I botched the translation at the end, big time. The "xicara de cha" is tea-cup. so the prospect of mixing iced tea with passion fruit, condensed milk and cachaca is mercifully unnecessary. The last ingredient should be "cold water".

Evolving Cocktails is a wonderful collection. Thank You!

Edited June 2, 2004 by johnnyd (log)

[beans]

Thank you for you most kind words johnnyd.

[johnnyd]

Hey, my pleasure, but a project compiled like that: simple, logical, and all-encompassing of it's subject (one of my favourites!) deserves a nod at least - great pictures too.

Beats the hell out of some of the crazy sites devoted to cocktails. I have to email it to my pal who runs a martini bar here in Portland. He's always looking for exciting recipes.

[beans]

Here's some ideas from Nightclub & Bar magazine, featuring Moonshine, a bar in Austin, Texas and Patio in NYC.

Smith says seasonal favorites include the Hard Lemonade, made with vodka, and fresh mint Limoncello. First, fresh mint and lemon are muddled, then combined with a 1.5-ounce shot of vodka (standard pour) in a highball glass, and then the Limoncello is added.

Another popular patio item is the Harvest Moon Tea, which received its name from its color once mixed, Smith says. This variation on the Long Island Iced Tea includes vodka, gin, rum and triple sec, but Smith says he uses cranberry juice instead of sweet 'n' sour. The resulting cocktail sells well in the summertime, he says.

Limoncello is a perfect ingredient for Summer cocktails.

edit: link repair

Edited June 4, 2004 by beans (log)