Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to summer—who needs to wait until June 21? The warm weather brings to mind barbeque, beer, chilled wines and blender drinks, but there are some great cocktails to help usher in the summer season. Here are six to consider.
The Libertini was developed for the Fourth of July by the folks at Platinum vodka. But the simplicity of the drink and its red, white and blue theme make it a fun choice for other patirotic holidays. (Flag Day drinks ayone?)
The Libertini
1½ oz. Platinum vodka
¾ oz. Blue Curacao
½ oz. Fresh lemon juice
3 Drops of grenadine
Combine ingredients in a shaker. Shake and strain into a Martini glass and garnish with a cherry.
When you think of beer cocktails, you typically don’t think of gin—at least I don’t. But ‘wichcraft in New York teamed up with Bombay Sapphire gin to create the Sapphire ‘Tin Shandy. What’s with the name? The cocktail was developed to toast ‘wichcraft turning 10; tin represents the traditional 10th anniversary gift.
Sapphire ‘Tin Shandy
1 part Bombay Sapphire gin
¾ part Lemon juice, freshly squeezed and filtered
½ part Simple syrup
1 bottle Belgian-style wheat beer
Combine first 3 ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake well and pour over new ice in a highball glass. Top with Belgian-style wheat beer. Garnish with lemon and orange slices.
Sake is a great cocktail mixer. We highlighted the Aroma Coma from TY KU for Mother’s Day. Here’s another sake cocktail from Hiro.
Morning Glow
2 ½ oz. Hiro Red sake
2 oz. Orange juice
Splash of grenadine
Cherry and orange slice
Add sake, orange juice and grenadine in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled highball or martini glass. Garnish with cherry and orange slice.
Rum is always a great spirit to mix with when the weather gets warm. The Don Q Coco Cooler and Cali Daiquiri are two refreshing options. Here’s a rum cocktail from Cruzan that incorporates sparkling wine.
Cruzan Key Lime Sparkler
1 ½ Parts Cruzan Key Lime rum
½ Parts John DeKuyper & Sons O3 Premium Orange Liqueur
2 Dashes bitters
1 part Sparkling wine
Orange twist
Combine rum, orange liqueur and bitters over ice and stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe and add sparkling wine. Garnish with a wide twist of orange peel.
Finally, whiskey and cognac don’t always seem likely bases for warm-weather cocktails. But here’s two that could work well with a picnic or barneque. Whatever you decide to imbibe this season enjoy, stay safe and cheers!
Southern Storm
Created by San Francisco mixologist Tony Devencenzi.
1 Part Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey
1 Part pineapple juice
1 Part ginger beer
4-5 dashes Angostura Bitters
Combine and shake whiskey and pineapple juice. Pour over ice into a Collins glass and top with ginger beer and bitters. Garnish with pineapple.
Melon Freshness
45 ml. Hennessy V.S
15 ml. Fresh lime juice
8 ml. Agave nectar
Splash of Grand Marnier
2 Slices of ginger root
2 Watermelon balls
1 Mint sprig
Add watermelon pieces and ginger root to a shaker tin and muddle. Add all liquids and syrups with ice and shake until well-chilled. Fine strain into a cocktail coupe and slap the mint sprig to increase its effervescence and use it to garnish.