summer cocktails

Patron Tequila Introduces "The Art of the Drink"

Filed under: Spirits

Inspired by the number of fresh, mixable ingredients available in the warmer months, Patrón, the world's #1 ultra-premium tequila, is inaugurating a new series called The Art of the Drink dedicated to re-thinking the elements that make up the perfect summer cocktail. For the first installment in the new series, Patrón reached out to mixologists and bar chefs across the country to re-imagine the classic margarita and examine the perfect balance of salty and sweet that has made it one of America's favorite cocktails. Kyle Fountaine, the mixologist at Blackbird in Chicago, created the Rubia Bonita (below, left), re-examining the sour element of the margarita with unripe strawberries, and adding cilantro, lime juice and orange bitters to showcase the balanced flavor of Patrón Silver tequila (above, middle).

Tags: Chicago, cocktail, cocktails, margarita, mixology, New York, Patron, Patron tequila, summer cocktails, tequila

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Tanqueray Freshens Up the "T&T"

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Tanqueray, the iconic London Dry Gin with a history that spanning 175 years and a Royal Warrant from the Queen of England, has come up with a number of new variations on the classic "T&T" - i.e. Tanuqeray and Tonic, which we hereby present so you can try them at your leisure:

T&T Refreshed

• 1.25 oz. Tanqueray London Dry Gin
• 1 Egg White
• .75 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 oz. Simple Syrup
• Tonic Water

• Shake all ingredients without ice to aerate.
• Add ice. Shake.
• Strain over fresh ice into a Collins glass.
• Top with tonic water.

Muddled T&T

• 1.25 oz. Tanqueray London Dry Gin
• Tonic Water

• Muddle 3 lime wedges at the bottom of a Collins glass.
• Add Tanqueray London Dry Gin.
• Top with tonic water.

Continued after the jump.

Tags: cocktails, Gin, Royal Warrant, RoyalWarrant, summer cocktails, SummerCocktails, Tanqueray

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Grey Goose Vodka's Flavors of Summer

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Grey Goose, the super-premium vodka blended and bottled in the celebrated Cognac region of Western France, has created some succulent summer cocktails starring its classic spirit (above left) and fresh, evocative flavors: Grey Goose La Poire (center left), L'Orange (center right) and Le Citron (right). While each is excellent served on the rocks with a slice of the fruit used to make it, these artful concoctions are designed to be enjoyed poolside or at summer gatherings. Read on for recipes:

Le Citron Caipiroska

1 1/4 parts Grey Goose Le Citron
1 lime cut into eighths
1 part simple syrup or 1 tsp sugar
club soda or water

In a glass shaker, combine the lime and simple syrup and muddle well. Add the vodka and fill with ice. Shake well. Pour ice and all ingredients into a rocks glass. Top off with more ice if necessary and a splash of club soda or water. Garnish with lime wedge.

Grey Goose Heather 81

2 parts Grey Goose Vodka
3/4 parts honey
1/2 part hot water
6 mint leaves, plus more mint leaves for garnish
1/2 part Drambuie

In a cocktail shaker combine honey, hot water and 6 mint leaves and muddle well. Add ice, vodka and Drambuie. Shake well and strain into rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with mint leaves and piece of honeycomb.

Tags: cocktails, flavored vodka, FlavoredVodka, France, Grey Goose, GreyGoose, summer cocktails, SummerCocktails, vodka

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The Red, White and Sapphire Cocktail

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Bombay Sapphire, the distinctive London dry gin infused with 10 botanicals hand-selected from around the globe, has come up with a festive twist on the classic Collins cocktail in honor of Independence Day, called the Red White and Sapphire (right).

Bombay Sapphire, distilled from 100% grain neutral spirit using a recipe that actually predates the Declaration of Independence by 15 years, includes lemon peel from Spain, orris root from Italy, coriander seeds from Mexico and cassia bark from Indo-China, among others.

To make a Red White and Sapphire:

1 1⁄2 oz. Bombay Sapphire
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
3⁄4 oz. simple syrup
3-4 fresh raspberries
3 oz. club soda

Muddle raspberries with simple syrup and lemon juice in a Collins glass. Add ice, Bombay Sapphire and stir. Top with club soda. Garnish with lemon twist and a fresh raspberry. Repeat as necessary.

Tags: 4th of July, 4thOfJuly, Bombay Sapphire, BombaySapphire, cocktails, gin, Independence Day, IndependenceDay, summer cocktails, SummerCocktails

Atlantico Handcrafted Private Cask Rum

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Atlantico Rum (above), produced in the Dominican Republic, is a unique dark rum that "embodies tradition, sophistication, and handcrafted quality." The process for Atlantico Rum begins with handpicking the finest small batched aged rums in the Dominican Republic. The rums are blended together under the watchful eye of the master blender and placed in small bourbon barrels (private casks) for further aging of 1 to 2 years. Next, the rum is removed from the casks, placed into another set of barrels and aged yet again for 15 to 25 years using the complex solera method.

The weathering elements during the dry and rainy seasons, the topography, and the constant Caribbean sea breeze from the Dominican Republic's coastline all affect the wooden barrels the rum they contain, further developing and enhancing the flavor. Finally, the rum, by now incredibly complex and smooth, is bottled by hand. The bottle design is inspired by vintage Dominican cigar labels, and each one is carefully inspected, approved, and hand initialed by the founders before being placed in its special burlap sack.

Tags: Atlantico Rum, AtlanticoRum, Caribbean, cigar, cocktails, Dominican Republic, DominicanRepublic, rum, summer cocktails, SummerCocktails

Svedka Debuts New Look & Flavors

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Five-times distilled Swedish import Svedka vodka has come out with a distinctive new look and some great new all natural flavors in time for warm weather cocktails - increasingly on our mind as the weather finally improves.

The clean, modern graphics are a breath of aesthetic fresh air as some storied brands try to appeal to a wider range of customers with over-designed bottles or supposedly upscale flourishes that actually erode their brand identity in our opinion.

The two new flavors we're looking forward to quaffing are Svedka Citron (right), infused with the juices of fresh California lemons and Mexican limes; and Svedka Clementine, featuring the essence of Italian tangerines from Sicily and Calabria.

Svedka is created by combining a centuries-old Swedish vodka recipe with state-of-the-art distillation technology. Over three pounds of high-quality Swedish wheat is distilled for over 40 hours in an innovative five-column process and then blended with natural spring water for a smooth, clean taste.

Tags: cocktails, summer cocktails, SummerCocktails, Svedka, Sweden, vodka

William Grant's Spirits of Summer

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

When the weather finally warms up in these parts we look forward to sitting out in the garden with the sun, the birds, a good book and a tall cool drink. We recently had the chance to try some great new candidates for quaffing - three (relatively) recent entries and one true classic - courtesy of William Grant & Sons spirits. Reyka is the first and only vodka to be distilled and bottled in Iceland. The small-batch, hand-crafted, ultra-pure spirit is distilled in a copper still imported from Scotland using barley, wheat, and spring water filtered through 4,000 year-old lava rock. Milagro super premium tequila is crafted in small batches from estate-grown 100% blue agave hand-selected in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. Using traditional clay ovens, Milagro slow roasts the agave six times longer than most tequilas, and uses a triple distillation process that imparts exceptional smoothness.

Sailor Jerry Rum bears the signature of Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins, the father of old-school tattooing. Distilled to 92 proof, it's a strong, spiced, smooth spirit. Made from Sailor Jerry's personal recipe, it's handcrafted from pure, rich dark molasses, blending Carribean-style rum with vanilla, caramel and various spices. And Lillet, an aperitif blended from 85% wine and 15% citrus liqueurs from France, was established way back in 1872. The wines are carefully selected in the Podensac area and citrus liqueurs are produced through the maceration of cold fruit peels in pure distilled spirits over several months. It's then aged in oak to acquire a soft, rich character. We're partial to the Blanc variety with its hints of honey, candied orange, lime, and mint.

Tags: aperitif, France, Iceland, Lillet, Lillet blanc, LilletBlanc, Mexico, Milagro, Reyka, rum, Sailor Jerry, SailorJerry, summer cocktails, SummerCocktails, tequila, vodka, William Grant, William Grant Sons, WilliamGrant, WilliamGrantSons

The Classicist: An Ode to Pimm's

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, The Classicist

In the summer, civilized people should not quaff wine coolers, light beers or novelty liqueurs; they should play croquet and drink Pimm's. Created in 1840 by James Pimm, the owner of a famed London oyster bar, the concoction was first offered as an aid to digestion, and was served in a small tankard. The gin based drink, which contained quinine and a secret mixture of herbs, came to be known as Pimm's No. 1 Cup.

From these somewhat humble origins, Pimm's became the English gentleman's drink of choice, and various other Pimm's "cups" were invented after the Great War, using Scotch, brandy, rum, rye and so on as bases. Only the No. 1 really thrives to this day, its austere bottle immediately calling to mind British officers quietly having one too many in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot, and tipsy toffs doing likewise at the Henley Royal Regatta.

In the 1930s, Pimm's tried to find its market among the crumbling aristocracy who could no longer keep up their massive country mansions. One Pimm's ad featured such a troubled toff sighing, "We had to let the west wing go, but thank heavens we can still afford our Pimm's." Nowadays, like everything else, Pimm's is trying hard to be hip - it even has a Facebook group.

Gallery: Anyone for Pimm's?

Henley spectators having a Pimm's afloat

Tags: Ascot, British style, BritishStyle, henley royal regatta, HenleyRoyalRegatta, London, Pimms, Pimms Cup, PimmsCup, summer cocktails, SummerCocktails

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Liquor Exec: Top Shelf Sales Will Hold Steady

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

With the economy in its current state of disrepair, you'd think the premium liquor sector would be getting a little worried wondering whether people will continue to shell out for the good stuff. No doubt it's a big topic of discussion at Tales of the Cocktail, the big industry fest currently taking place in New Orleans. We asked one attendee, Rob Bryans of top-shelf 10 Cane Rum, for his thoughts on the subject. Premium liquor remains a "must-have" for consumers, he insists, despite the added strain on purchasing power.

Bryans, the brand's VP, says that 10 Cane for one insulated itself from market forces to some extent by striving for an excellence that consumers would consider indispensable. The "luxury rum" is made from the first pressing of virgin Trinidadian sugar cane in place of the molasses, a sugar byproduct, used by most others, and the process is overseen by Jean Pinneau, the Master Distiller of Hennessy in France. "Every step of the production process is painstakingly geared towards quality," Bryans tells Luxist. "This is an artisanal approach to rum making."

Instead of worrying about the economy 10 Cane is focusing on new ways of marketing its brand, such as the deluxe Mojito Kit they've come out with for summer, featuring a mixer from our personal favorite, Stirrings. Sounds like good business practice to us; there's nothing like a great drink for a temporary respite from economic pressures.

Gallery: 10 Cane Rum

Tags: 10 Cane, 10Cane, Hennessy, Rum, Stirrings, Summer cocktails, SummerCocktails, Tales of the Cocktail, TalesOfTheCocktail

Campari Celebrates Summer in Style

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

In our Classicist column about Veuve Clicquot's collaboration with Riva Yachts the other day we fell to musing about Dolce Vita style on the Riviera. Of course, nothing exemplifies seaside sprezzatura quite like Campari, the classic Italian aperitif. The bold red spirit with the sexy ads starring Salma Hayek (above) has been around since 1860, but that doesn't mean they've run out of things to do with it. Campari and soda is the classic combo - and one of our seasonal staples - but the company has come up with several spiffy new cocktails for summer. See the gallery for recipes, including a couple that can be made in large quantities for parties.

Gallery: Campari Summer Style

Campari Sgroppino - created by mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim

Campari Passion - created by mixologist Jacques Bezuidenhout

Tags: Aperitif, Campari, Dolce Vita style, DolceVitaStyle, Italian Riviera, Italian style, ItalianRiviera, ItalianStyle, Italy, La Dolce Vita, LaDolceVita, Riviera, Salma Hayek, SalmaHayek, Summer cocktails, SummerCocktails

Stirrings' Summery Lemonade Cocktail Mix

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Earlier in the season we wrote about Stirrings, the Massachusetts-based company dedicated to improving America's drinking habits through all-natural cocktail ingredients. Now Stirrings is about to introduce a thirst-quenching new mixer for summer.

Their Simple Lemonade cocktail mix is inspired by the taste of classic farm stand lemonade, made with real lemon juice and an additional blend of acai and white cranberry juices.

The simplest way to jazz it up is by adding vodka, but it can also be combined with their other mixers such as Pomegranate, Blueberry and Cosmopolitan to create more complicated concoctions. See the gallery and visit www.stirrings.com for more.

Gallery: Stirrings of Summer

Tags: Cocktail mixes, CocktailMixes, Cocktails, Lemonade, Stirrings, Summer cocktails, SummerCocktails

SKYY Vodka Introduces Infusions Line

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

SKYY Vodka, the super-premium purity-minded spirit in the distinctive cobalt blue bottle, has introduced a new line of all-natural infused flavors in time for summer drink-making. SKYY, which is made from American grain and 100% pure filtered water, developed proprietary four-column distillation and a three-step filtration process to remove any impurities from its spirit. The five new flavors are Citrus, Cherry, Passion Fruit, Grape and Raspberry. See the gallery for some fun cocktail recipes made with these tempting new offerings.

Gallery: SKYY Infusions Cocktails

Tags: Cocktails, Flavored vodka, FlavoredVodka, Skyy Vodka, SkyyVodka, Summer cocktails, SummerCocktails, Vodka

New Amsterdam Straight Gin

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The general trend in gin these days is to infuse it with ever more exotic botanicals and other unusual ingredients to make as distinctive a spirit as possible. However, New Amsterdam, a new gin from the E.&J. Gallo Winery in California (their first non-grape product), is more about subtlety.

The quintessential gin component juniper is suppressed in this "straight" concoction, which with its citrusy notes produces a lighter, cleaner, less "ginny" gin than you're no doubt used to. The name refers to the 17th-century Dutch settlement that became New York City and the modernistic bottle features a slice of the Manhattan skyline.

See the gallery for some neat New Amsterdam cocktail recipes formulated to highlight this fresh, summery spirit.

Gallery: New Amsterdam Gin

Tags: Gallo, Gin, New Amsterdam Gin, New York City, NewAmsterdamGin, NewYorkCity, Summer cocktails, SummerCocktails

Finlandia Celebrates the Summer Solstice

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

In the far north of Finland the sun does not set for 73 straight days during summer. This "midnight sun" helps give Finlandia vodka its crisp, clean taste as the endless summer allows its key ingredients, six-row barley and pure glacial spring water, to flourish.

Traditionally, Finns have celebrated this phenomenon on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. The cities empty as they commune with nature in the countryside, taking advantage of the incredible bounty of their unique locale. To mark the occasion, Finlandia has come up with some refreshing new summer solstice cocktails. Here's how to make the Mango Midnight Run pictured here:

2 oz Finlandia Mango Fusion
2 oz cranberry juice
Splash of lime juice

Mix and serve in a cocktail glass over ice. Garnish with a wedge of lime.

See the gallery for other recipes and more.

Gallery: Finlandia Summer Solstice

Tags: Drink recipes, DrinkRecipes, Finland, Finlandia, Finlandia vodka, FinlandiaVodka, Midnight sun, MidnightSun, Scandinavia, Summer cocktails, Summer solstice, SummerCocktails, SummerSolstice, Vodka

The Perfect Summer Cocktail Party Companion

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

We could hardly be called big fans of pre-mixed drinks, so we were not overly enthusiastic when a bottle of Bacardi's new "ready to serve" Classic Mojito cocktail first arrived. Its atypical clean design and high-quality ingredients - Bacardi Superior rum, the kind they've been making since 1862, and natural mint and lime flavorings - softened us a little, however, so in the spirit of journalistic inquiry we decided to give it a try.

We love Mojitos but if you've every tried making 'em for 12 or more ravenously thirsty guests -- as we have on more than one occasion, exhausting the local supply of mint, limes and patience in the process - you'll realize the appeal of such a product if done properly, and we were pleasantly surprised by this one.

We think the late, great Kingsley Amis would approve, especially as he advocated expediency in matters of dispensing drinks to several people at once. Take heed of the following however: crushed ice is essential as is fresh mint and lime for the sake of verisimilitude. A quarter of a lime and a sprig of mint per drink should do it, a fraction of what the handmade version calls for, and there's no need to get muddled.

Gallery: Bacardi Superior Rum