Summer Cocktails | Mr. Booze

Labor Day Classic Cocktails

Summer…is almost over? You know it’s sadly true when Labor Day creeps up around the corner. Labor Day closes out the season, but gathers in friends and family. Here are our top Labor Day cocktails that will keep you rejoicing all the way through the end of the year.

Rusty Nail

I know there are Scotch drinkers out there. I know you guys, creepin’ round fireplaces, wearing your cable knit sweaters, reading your … books. I get it. I’m on to you. I see you in your banks and offices, playing your golf. Well, have I got a cocktail for you. Stay with me, it’s a scotch liqueur nestled inside of … scotch. Stand up and be counted, there are a million of you out there. Have a scotch cocktail and try something besides all that scotch. Just kidding. You’ll love this classic.

Here we go –

1 ½ oz Scotch
¾ oz Drambuie

Pour over rocks in an old-fashioned glass.

Banana Daiquiri

I wanted one of these ever since I saw Michael and Fredo Corleone knocking them back in Havana in The Godfather, part II. I look at this one as a fun drink with cinematic history. It’s a pretty little Cuban cocktail that you can’t drink many of, the sweet will back up on you, but, with a buddy or another couple, in a shady spot on a summer’s day, why the hell not?

Here we go –

2 oz Light or White Rum
½ oz Banana liquor
½ oz lime juice
½ small banana, cut into pieces
½ cup crushed ice

Blend it all up in a blender ‘til its smooth, serve in champagne or cocktail glass then take your brother out fishing in the lake behind your house.

Santa Cruz Rum Daisy

You can make a Daisy with almost any liquor. This is a pretty basic & simple cocktail to make, yet with the addition of summer fruit, she sings. A tall glass and lots of ice add up to a great chugger.

Here we go –

Crushed ice
½ oz simple syrup
½ oz Curacao
½ to ¾ oz lemon juice
3 oz Rum

Shake above ingredients with ice in shaker till ice cold. Pour everything, including ice, into a tall glass or hurricane. Float summer fruit – melon balls, peach slices or blueberries – in the glass and top with club soda.

Papa Doble

Without a doubt, this Hemingway favorite jumped right to the top of this summer’s drink list. I had my first at a great little bar on a hot June day, went home and whipped up a few more. I don’t know if it’s the grapefruit or the maraschino, but something in this drink refreshes in a great and unique way. I prefer this one on the rocks but plenty like it as an ice-blended drink more.

Here we go –

2 oz Silver or White Rum
1 oz lime juice
½ oz grapefruit juice
¼ to 1/3 oz (to taste) Maraschino liqueur

Mix ingredients with ice and pour it all into a tall glass or blend in a blender with ½ cup of ice and pour into a medium glass. Lime wheel as garnish for either.

Classic Hot Weather Cocktails: Gin

History…
Gin has been around since the 17th century, but didn’t gain its reputation as a hot weather cure-all until the English used it to mask the bitter flavor of quinine – the only effective anti-malaria “drug” they had access to as it expanded across several tropical climates. The quinine was dissolved in carbonated water, giving rise not only to the gin and tonic, but also to the realization that a good dry gin in combination with the right ingredients is a bracingly refreshing drink.

Bartenders and mixologists had a field day with gin starting in the 19th century, developing some of the most recognized classic warm weather drinks around. Many are delicious examples of American ingenuity and are often ridiculously easy to make.

Made from…
Gin can be made from any spirit alcohol of at least 96% volume. This spirit is from a base of either grain or molasses and has no flavor. The flavoring for Gin comes from Botanicals; these vary from producer to producer and are regarded as very much of a trade secret. All gins include Juniper and other botanicals include coriander, lemon peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel, angelica and cardamom to name but a few! Typically fine gin contains between six and ten botanicals.

Did you know?…

Gin & Lime was a favorite with the navy as a palatable combination for ingesting lime juice as a scurvy countermeasure.

The Gin & Tonic originally was put together as an anti malaria concoction in colonial India. Quinine was added to carbonated water to give Indian Tonic and mixed with Gin to make it more appealing.

Bathtub gin refers to any style of homemade spirit made in amateur conditions. It first appeared in the prohibition-era United States in reference to the poor-quality alcohol that was being made.

Orange Collins

You’re going to need to find orange blossom water for this drink, but it’s out there and closer than you might think. I found mine in the Middle Eastern section of a hip grocery chain that carries the odd products more uncommon at the local grocery. If you live in a city or close to one, chances are you’re near a shop that caters to cooks or culinary explorers. The brand I found was “Cortas.” You may want to start there. These flower waters are surprisingly strong so don’t over pour or you’ll feel like your dinking more perfume than cocktail. This is a gorgeous spring cocktail, basically a Tom Collins with an orange tinge that will usher springtime onto your patio.

Here we go –

2 1/2 oz gin
2-3 tsp simple syrup (to taste)
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz orange blossom water
orange slice, club soda

Gently shake the gin, lemon juice & simple syrup together. Strain into a tall, ice-filled glass with a bit of room left at the top. Pour orange blossom water, then club soda to fill. Gently stir once or twice and add your orange slice and straw.

(If you’re feeling daring, substitute rose water for orange blossom water, but use a little less rose.)

Gin Rickey

I’m a DC boy, born and bred, and have purposely hesitated from discussing this drink ’cause just so damn much has been written about it. Heck, in DC, entire weeks and contests are devoted to the Rickey and “hep” variations of her. I’m not one for trends, and loathe when bastardizations of classics are wheeled out by pork-chop side-burned hipsters who tweak, grate, fuse and fluff flavor of the month ingredients into the Rickey. I know there are different kinds, yet I still always go back to my gin. The Waldorf Hotel history of the Gin Rickey is but a google click away, if you so desire…as are flower infused, cucumber, and honey-watered styles, too. If you want to sip a not-sweet, soured commitment to streamlined cocktails in your home bar as the sun takes longer to set each evening, then the classic is a mere 3 ingredients away.

Here we go –

2 oz good London dry gin
The juice and rind of a halved lime
seltzer water

Fill an old-fashioned glass with ice. Add the gin then squeeze the 1/2 lime over the drink. Plop in the lime rind then fill to top with seltzer. A little stir with a stir stick then consume. Well, there you go, easy enough to make for a few friends while the lamb is on the grill.

Gin Shandy

For me gin is to spring as rum is to summer, as bourbon is to winter, and as apple brandy is to fall. Not to say that seasons have positively their own spirits, they just have flavors more conducive to work with during various times of the year. Gin tends to work with the softer flavors of spring — the berries, the herbs, the soft sweets and subtle sours. Gin, in many cases, already has an herbal, juniper berry, musky flavor that reminds my palate of April, so I choose to just add to that. The Gin Shandy’s a really easy one. You’ll need a pitcher and at least one friend to share it with. I float whatever berry happens to be on sale at the time in mine.

Here we go –

3⁄4 cup gin
1 cup lemonade
one 12-ounce bottle ginger beer

Gently stir the three ingredients together in a pitcher. Pour over ice in tall glasses and float raspberries on top.

There you have it folks. I realize that you’re busy with spring cleaning and yard tidying but do take an evening soon to enjoy the spring. We’re pre-bug outdoors, yet the evenings can be handled with a light jacket or sweater. Put on some Jack Jones, Ella or Sinatra on the portable player, invite a few friends over, and enjoy one of these perfect spring cocktails. Remember to check out the Mr. Booze recipe list for additional ideas.

Maiden’s Prayer

I still learn this lesson almost every time I throw a party: you gotta’ have a few drinks up your sleeve for the guest that doesn’t normally indulge or doesn’t care for the taste of alcohol. I’ll have pitchers of Manhattans, beer, gin, etc., and yet I always have the guest who ends up asking for a coke because they can’t think of anything spirited they want. The Maiden’s Prayer is a good solution. I’d say it falls into the screwdriver family of non-threatening cocktails. A “try it, you’ll like it” cocktail…

Here we go –

1 oz gin
1 oz Cointreau
1 ½ oz orange juice
1 ½ oz lemon juice

Shake ingredients with plenty of ice in a shaker till frothy cold. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist

Seventh Heaven

You can serve this one as a straight-up cocktail or over rocks in an old-fashioned glass. I prefer it strained into a chilled martini glass. This is just one of those cool little finds that is extremely refreshing, potent, and fun for the senses. The mint sprig garnish, floating, suspended in this beautiful cocktail adds that wonderful mint aroma as you taste. This is a great dinner party cocktail, guaranteed to fetch the “ooohs” & “ahhhhs”. The addition of the liqueur and juice in such spare amounts really work together in such a clean and subtle way. This is a perfect spring, early summer drink.

Here we go –

1 ½ oz gin
1/3 oz maraschino liqueur
1/3 oz grapefruit juice

Shake with cracked ice and strain into chilled martini glass or pour all ingredients, ice and all, into a chilled old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Mr. Booze’s Five Martinis That Are Perfect For Warm Weather

Don’t know about you, but the rum & the lime juice are starting to get a little tired. Don’t get me wrong, I’m certain I still have room for a few more daiquiris & rum punches this summer; I’m just hankering something a little cleaner, stronger, with a bit of a bite. A couple weeks back, a friend poured me a seasonal martini which was so refreshing, cold and delicious, I made up my mind then and there to share it with you along with a couple other cold glasses of martini-type experiences that should be perfect for that balmy night when it’s way too hot to consider sleep and you just don’t feel like something sweet. An ice-cold martini, made with care and served in the proper, chilled glass, is indeed the period set on the end of the day’s sentence. It’s the proper finish when shared or sipped alone in the quiet of a dark driveway with only the sounds of a muggy night to keep you company. You’ve earned a good martini after a long day, especially in the summer when the drive home feels as if doubled and the house is warm regardless of the thermostat. Here are five of my faves, in no real order except the best on top. Keep an open mind, and try each at least once….before it’s time to substitute the gin, vodka and white rums for the whiskeys, brandies and applejack of cooler weather.

* On a side note, hopefully, I don’t need to remind you that “cold is king” when it comes to the martini-type cocktail. Leave the glasses in the freezer an hour before cocktail hour so the glass is properly frosted; don’t skimp on the ice in the shaker or pitcher, gently swirl-shake or stir ’til the drink is thick with cold. If someone sips a little too slowly, ice their drink back up with a splash from the shaker.

Jalapeno Martini

Saving the best for first on this list! This is the drink I told you about. A friend mixed this cocktail for me on a muggy night a while back, and I was just amazed at the complexity, beauty, and flavor of this drink. I grow jalapenos in my garden, so the peppers used were still warm from the day when muddled into the drink. Don’t worry… it’s not like eating a fresh hot pepper. Instead, the warmth of the jalapeno works its way through the vodka & wraps itself around each bite you take from the glass. As you lift the glass off the bar for your first sip, you’ll notice the most amazing green hue carried over from the muddling. This translucent green sparkled at me, and I hadn’t even had a drink yet. If you like a bit of spice in your food at all, then you simply must try this drink.

Here we go –

1 1/2 oz vodka
3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz simple syrup (look up simple syrup here on the site if you don’t know how to make it)
1/2 of a slightly seeded (more seeds = more heat) fresh jalapeno pepper
1 basil leaf optional

In a short shaker or mixing glass, muddle the jalapeno, basil (if desired) in the simple syrup. Add ice then lemon juice and vodka. Shake or stir till ice-cold then strain up into chilled martini glass. Garnish with a jalapeno slice. * Note – the addition of the 1 basil leaf adds a garden like taste component and depth of color to the drink which is a nice accent.

Opal Martini

Orange, especially when not the dominate flavor but used sparingly, is a thirst quenching additive to a martini type cocktail. Believe me, there are dozens of orange flavored drinks out there, but I especially like this citrusy shot in the arm because it’s easy on the pallet, yet still has the kick of a Brahma bull. Opaque orange & satisfying through the last sip, this is a delicious cocktail to mix through August. This isn’t a spiked o-j, this is a serious yet silly martini mixed to take the edge off a long, hot weekday.

Here we go –

3 oz gin
1/2 oz triple sec
1 oz fresh orange juice
1/4 tsp granulated sugar

Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with plenty of ice. Strain up into a chilled martini glass and garnish with an orange slice.

Boardwalk Martini

While you’re sitting around in your shorts watching reruns of Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men & Game of Thrones this summer on TV, pull up your sock-garters and wander on over to the bar. While there, mix up one of these smooth-as-silk martinis then kick the air conditioner up a notch. This is close to a standard vodka martini with some nice subtle flavor through additions going on. Maraschino liqueur combines w/ tart citrus of lemon juice in an amazing manner (see Papa Doble) to create a very unique, nutty, sour flavor. Nothing dominates in this drink. All flavors combine in concert and will leave you nodding your head after each sip. There’s an old-world flavor found here that you’ll enjoy. I am going to stop writing while I go mix one up…. There, I’m back and sipping a Boardwalk Martini as I finish this sentence. “Mmmm.”

Here we go –

3 oz Vodka
1 oz dry vermouth
1 teaspoon Maraschino liqueur
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Shake it all together with plenty of ice. Strain up in glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Alconquin Martini

This cocktail, when served ice cold, is a delight – the perfect drink to have two of before a summer supper. Part martini, part sour, part manhattan w/ a touch of tiki thrown in for good measure, the Alconquin martini is a great summertime sipper. I like it ’cause she’s a whiskey based cocktail which can be just what the doctor ordered in a season taken over by white liquors. I’m a seasonal drinker, but come July, my pallet begins to miss the bourbon & the rye. Not strong enough to offend the casual drinker, this one would be a nice addition to an adult affair. Drinkers sometimes need to be reminded that there is more to cocktails than friendly juices and tasteless vodkas. A slight punch in a person’s drink ain’t gonna kill ’em.

Here we go –

1 1/2 oz re or bourbon (notice how I put rye first)
1 oz dry vermouth
1 oz unsweetened pineapple juice
1 oz club soda

Shake everything but club soda in a shaker with plenty of cracked ice. Strain up into martini glass then gently pour in the club soda and softly stir. Garnish with an orange twist.

Pineapple Martini

I get it. I know it’s summer, and you want to be a little silly and tropical while relaxing; remind yourself that you can relax a little harder. I do make this drink and often before, or while, I’m grilling. There’s just something about pineapple and the smell of sizzling meat that goes very well together. Make it cold. You may even want to batch ten for when the company arrives. Just make sure you serve these ice-cold and in a pretty martini glass. This isn’t a tiki cocktail; it snaps like a martini and has earned the name. Delicious and potent, nothing wrong with that.

Here we go –

2 oz vodka
1/2 oz peach schnapps
1/2 oz apricot brandy
1 oz unsweetened pineapple juice

Shake above ingredients in an ice filled shaker then strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with a pineapple piece.

* BONUS MARTINI ’cause I’m thinking about cha.

French Martini

Not the best lookin’ drink walking down the street, but she tastes good and, like the French exchange student I dated for a few weeks in college, with the lights down low, it’s not that hard on the eyes. I’ve had a bottle of the French raspberry liqueur, Chambord on my bar-shelf so long, that the dust on it was dusty. I re-cracked it back in May to mix up a round of French Martinis when we were having some sort of social gathering, and I stumbled upon this recipe in a modern bar bible. Dale DeGroff, in his The Essential Cocktail, points to this drink as the one responsible for kicking off the entire flavored martini craze of the 1990’s. “Shame on you” French Martini….because I’m sure you were the gateway to the chocolatini and the rest of the too sweet faux-tini landslide, but at the same time, you were quite tame by comparison and quite tasty. The drink was a hit and one I’ve mixed several times since and by request. Get this one very cold while shaking, but don’t shake too hard ’cause she tends to foam.

Here we go – (this will make 2 drinks or one big fatty)

– 2 oz vodka (use a good one)
– 2 oz chambord
– 4 oz unsweetened pineapple juice

Shake with plenty of ice till creamy and cold. Pour up w/ no garnish. I’d drink this one indoors in a cool, dark room.

Remember to check out our recipe list. We have dozens of other hot weather drinks right here! Try a Buck or a Fireman’s Sour, a Planters Punch or a Tiki drink! Whatever you decide on, just remember to drink responsibly & never let a guest drive away after drinking.

Mr. Booze’s Drinks for Hot Weather

It’s hot……I’m thirsty!

Ready for a couple drink ideas to carry with you to the beach, pool, lake-house or patio? I’ve put together a short list of a few drinks guaranteed to change the pace, tickle the tongue and wash the summer gnats out of your throat. Let’s face it… the novelty of the season is only just starting to wear off. We’ve been swimming; the kids have been out of school for a little while now; your grill’s had a work out; and yard work’s become a huge drag. Time for a couple “unique” ice-cold cocktail experiences that will bring back that joy you had on the first few warm days of early summer. Just so you know, these drinks are far from the “classic cocktails” I praise so much around here, but when it’s this damn hot outside, even an old soul like me is willing to bend the rules.

Rum Swizzle

Tart and sweet, will remind you a little of a lime-aid, only with a punch. The crushed ice component kicks it into the land of summer-sipper. I’ll drink one or two of these in the early evening when the heat of the day’s behind you, but you still have that glorious summer glow in the sky and the lightening bugs are doing their thing. The “swizzle” in the drink’s name suggests that you really swizzle/stir the drink as you build it. A bar spoon or long iced-tea spoon works quite well. Just insert spoon side down and swirl the handle between your palms rapidly – the drink will agitate. Add ice and ingredients in stages taking time to “swizzle” as you go along. This mixing of flavors, when stacked on top of each other, creates a drink that will surprise you right when you need it most – after a hot day when you’re winding down.

Here we go –

2 oz dark rum
juice from 1 lime (little under an oz.); keep the lime peel shell
3/4 oz of falernum (I use Fee Brothers)
4-5 dashes Angostura bitters
crushed ice
sprig mint for garnish

Combine rum, lime juice, falernum into a tall glass & add a handful of crushed ice and swizzle/swirl like your life depended on it. Drop the lime shell into the drink, some more crushed ice & swizzle some more. The glass should be frosted at this point & ready for a bit more crushed ice and the Angostura bitters sprinkled on top. Long straw and a little time to kill should be all you need next.

Thieves’ Punch

Doesn’t get any easier than this one. This is a classic that goes as well with burgers & dogs on the grill as it does with lamb chops and fillet. You make it when you foresee having little time to make it back to the bar anytime soon. Guests + booze + busy = Thieves’ Punch. Syndicated columnist, Jason Wilson, turned me onto this one in one of his recipe listings. I made it & never looked back. Dee-lish & easy right when you need things to be that way. Oh, and did I mention that it’s absolutely delicious & one heck of an early summer cocktail? It is.

Here we go –

16 oz (a little more than half a bottle) of cachaca (look in the rum section)
5 oz ruby or tawny port (go cheap)
10 oz fresh lime juice
5 oz simple syrup (https://mr-booze.com/2011/01/03/simple-syrup/ )
20+ dashes of Angostura bitters

Add everything in a pitcher & stir. Add ice & stir some more. Pour over rocks into rocks glasses. No garnish, get back to the charcoal.

Freddy Fudpucker

I imagine you’ll only be able to make a couple rounds of this drink. Your guests will be unable to say the name after two. Another Jason Wilson gem, he included it in a great article on the resurgence of the last-spotted-in-the-70’s Fern Bar. Maybe Jack Tripper & Larry drank these at the Rusty Dog, I don’t care! I drank a few during an early summer poker game and found it to be a great seasonal cocktail. It screams “beach drink” but I’m ok with that. Bring the ingredients with you to the shore. It would be perfect for a balcony or porch, say around five.

Here we go –

1 1/2 – 2 oz tequila
4 oz fresh orange juice
3/4 oz Galliano (you can make Harvey Wallbangers later)

Fill a tall glass with ice & add the o.j. and tequila. Stir then add the Galliano. Squeeze in a lime wedge & plop the wedge into the drink. Put on some Donna Summers and enjoy.

Lynchburg Lemonade

Far from a tried ‘n true old-school cocktail, the Lynchburg Lemonade has only been around since 1980. Named after the town in which its main ingredient is distilled, this thirst-quenching neo-classic is not bad at all. When the thermometer is still going up after 90 degrees, you just may want to consider this drink as your “in case of emergency” cooler. I’ve found no two recipes alike, but I will draw the line at bottled sour mix unless it’s high-end and made with all natural & fresh ingredients. After a few times at bat, here’s the recipe I make at home.

Here we go –

1 3/4 oz Jack Daniels Whiskey
1/4 oz triple sec
1/4 oz lemon juice
lemonade to fill

In a tall glass filled with ice, pour all but lemonade & stir. Fill to top with lemonade & garnish with a lemon slice. Be careful… Just because they go down easy, remember they still pack a serious punch.

Peach Donkey

I only just tried this drink, but I thought it was wonderful and full of the flavors I love in the summer. You’ll need to puree in a blender or processor one or a couple ripe, sliced peaches. You can leave the skin on but be sure to remove all the pit. The drink also calls for ginger liqueur but I upped the vodka call a little and used fresh ginger simple syrup which you can find here on the Mr. Booze site under “simple syrups.” The ginger liqueur you should use would be the delightful Domain de Canton which, at this point, is pretty easy to find. You want to go with fresh, as close to local sweet peaches as you can find and make this cocktail seasonally. When the peaches go bye-bye, so should this drink till next summer.

Here we go –

2 oz vodka
1/2 oz Domain de Canton or ginger simple syrup
3 oz pureed peach
ginger beer

In a tall glass add vodka, peach and ginger liqueur or syrup. Stir and add ice. Fill to top with cold ginger beer and stir. Garnish with a peach slice.

“Mmmmmm” – Farm Fresh Booze

fresh basil and mint Photo by: sweetbeetandgreenbean

A while back we posted an article on the concept of growing your own cocktail garnish and suggested that you really take advantage of your little home farms & spice up your warm weather drinks. Well, now that my garden is really starting to produce & I’ve started to drunkenly harvest, I wanted to turn you all on to a couple tried ‘n true cocktails that I’ve already been enjoying this season. These are the kind of drinks you’ll want to serve pre-barbeque. They’ll elevate your evening to a higher level. I’ve tasted them all and the herb & fruit mixtures stand out so supremely that they slide right on into my beer can chicken and my marinated flank steak. These are foodie drinks, and believe me, your guests will appreciate the time and effort. I don’t suggest mixing these all night; they’re work-intensive, and you’ll have other hosting duties to attend to. But a few rounds of something special before you break out the bourbon and ginger ale is the way to go. You’ll be able to mix any of these right up till your herb gardens play out in the tail end of the dog days.

Blueberry Basil

I know I’ve mentioned this drink before, but I can’t find anything on the site. Must have posted it only on . Shame on me ’cause it is amazing!!! Blueberries really start coming in by mid-June but I’m already starting to see the price drop in the stores. Buy a pint or two and try this one, especially if your basil (or a nearby neighbor’s) is starting to come in. The basil doesn’t hide behind the berry in this one; they really fuse into a unique taste of the season.

Here we go –

8-10 basil leaves
4 – 6 mint leaves
1 tsp raw sugar or a tbsp of simple syrup (the ginger syrup is also great in this one)- see syrups on the main blog
little under 1/2 oz lime juice
12 – 15 blueberries
2 oz white rum
club soda

In a shaker, muddle syrup or sugar, lime juice, mint & basil till mushy. Add blueberries & continue muddling. Add rum and ice and shake till well mixed. Strain into a tall glass w/ ice & top off with club soda. Garnish with a few floating blueberries & a sprig of mint.

Strawberry Jive

I found this one in the excellent Dale DeGroff book The Essential Cocktail. I was so impressed with this drink & its complex, yet playful, flavors that I went right back and made more two nights later, which I never do with sweet-side drinks. I try and mix it up from week to week. This drink calls for Hendricks’s gin and you should stick to that. I made it with Bombay and the cucumbery Hendricks’ version was much more herbal and complimentary to the grown ingredients. If you are making this drink for a few people, I suggest lining up your rocks glasses like soldiers ahead of time; you’ll find the assembly-line technique comes in handy. Fill each glass with ice and begin. You won’t be able to make more than two at a time, so fill a mixing glass with the required leaves & berries for muddling, enough for two drinks. Even if you’re drinking alone, you’ll definitely want another. The basil, mint and strawberry combine to give you a delicious cocktail.

Here we go –

2 strawberries
4 mint leaves
2 basil leaves
1 oz fresh orange juice
1 tsp of lemon juice
3/4 oz triple syrup (combine honey & simple sryups)
1 1/2 oz Hendricks’s gin (you can go 2 oz if you’re dangerous)

In your mixing glass, muddle (crush up) your mint & basil leaves, strawberries & syrup. Add gin, orange & lemon juices & ice, then shake well. Strain into your ice-filled glasses & garnish with a mint sprig and strawberry.

Rosemary Ruby Cocktail

So thirst quenching & satisfying, you’ll need to check yourself from drinking this one down too fast. You’ll be making a pitcher with this recipe. The Rosemary is far from subtle yet doesn’t dominate as some sort of “what the hell” flavor, it combines with the strong citrus in the drink and will carry you off to happy land. You’ll need to make Rosemary Simply Syrup for this one, but that’s so easy, it’ll take you less then fifteen minutes. Boil one cup water add one cup granulated sugar and 6-7 Rosemary sprigs & let boil for one minute. Let cool to room temp. then discard Rosemary. There, you’re done.

Here we go –

3 cups red grapefruit juice
1 1/2 cups vodka
3/4 cups rosemary simple syrup
1 tsp plus orange or Angostura bitters

Combine liquid ingredients in a glass pitcher. Pour over ice in rocks glasses till full. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Pineapple Basil Cocktail

Found this one on a web site called TheKitchen.com, and I really liked it. I made it last weekend for a backyard burger barbeque, and my guests loved it…plus, it was easy-peasy to make. Basil is a strong yet subtle flavor, and I find, as I’m uncovering this unique trend in home bartending, garden-bartending, that basil really works in drinks. It makes its statement, yet leaves room for friends in the pool.

Here we go –

3 medium to large basil leaves, cut into strips
1/4 of a lime
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 1/2 oz gin
ice
club soda

Muddle the lime & basil in the bottom of a rocks glass. Add ice, pineapple juice & gin, then stir. Top with club soda & garnish with a few basil leaves.

So get out there and start harvesting. Plant a few herbs in pots on the windowsill if need be and make the above cocktails minutes after the herbs are picked and washed. You and your guests will really enjoy these, and you can do more with your garden besides making salads & pesto.

Santa Cruz Rum Daisy

You can make a Daisy with almost any liquor. This is a pretty basic & simple cocktail to make, yet with the addition of summer fruit, she sings. A tall glass and lots of ice add up to a great chugger.

Here we go –

Crushed ice
½ oz simple syrup
½ oz Curacao
½ to ¾ oz lemon juice
3 oz Rum

Papa Doble

Without a doubt, this Hemingway favorite jumped right to the top of this summer’s drink list. I had my first at a great little bar on a hot June day, went home and whipped up a few more. I don’t know if it’s the grapefruit or the maraschino, but something in this drink refreshes in a great and unique way. I prefer this one on the rocks but plenty like it as an ice-blended drink more.

Here we go –

2 oz Silver or White Rum
1 oz lime juice
½ oz grapefruit juice
¼ to 1/3 oz (to taste) Maraschino liqueur

Mix ingredients with ice and pour it all into a tall glass or blend in a blender with ½ cup of ice and pour into a medium glass. Lime wheel as garnish for either.

Watermelon Cooler

It’s new, and I confess I first read about it in a house-keeping and craft magazine, but I’ve tweaked it and made it more of a “wow” drink. You’ll need a Cuisinart or small food processor, but who doesn’t have one by now. I made a pitcher of these this summer and had to make two more by 8pm. It was a hit and one I’ll stand by each time the neighbor’s pool becomes too tempting a target.

Here we go –

Start with a medium, seedless watermelon and remove all the fruit.
Cut the fruit into pieces small enough to fit into your food processor.
Puree till liquefied, pour into large bowl, and repeat till melon is all gone.
- Strain this juice through mesh; a strainer (I used my clean flour-sifter) till all you have is the sweet, cool juice.
- In a large plastic pitcher, muddle 10 fresh mint leaves, ½ oz ginger or plain simple syrup.
- Fill pitcher with enough ice to chill the drink, but remember you’ll also be adding ice to the recipients’ glasses so don’t go crazy in the pitcher.
- Divide the watermelon juice and pour half into the pitcher.
- Add a cup and a quarter of vodka, stir, and fill the rest of the pitcher with ginger ale.
- Pour into tall, ice-filled glasses and serve with a straw. You’ll be pouring another pitcher so…make it ahead of time and keep in the fridge.