A Toast to Summer
Long, cool drinks for hot days
We're living through extremely challenging times. And then there's the heat and humidity. Keep cool with a chilled or frozen cocktail whenever the impulse strikes. The following recipes from intoxicating cookbooks offer several rounds of liquid refreshment for summer.
Arrivederci Capri
Tropical Cadillac
Frozen Margarita
Southern Saturday Night
Pina Colada
Old-Fashioned Lemonade
Cuban Sunset
Goombay Smash
Sangria
Planter's Punch
“Viva Vodka: Colorful Cocktails With a Kick”
By W. Park Kerr
Published by Chronicle Books
1 lemon wedge
Superfine sugar
1-1/2 ounces citron vodka
1 ounce Limoncello liqueur
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 thin lemon slice, for garnish
Rub a chilled cocktail glass with the lemon wedge and dip the rim in sugar.
In a cocktail shaker, shake the liquid ingredients vigorously with ice.
Strain carefully into the prepared glass. Float the lemon slice on top.
Makes 1 serving.
1-1/2 ounces good-quality vodka
1/2 ounce Galliano
1/2 ounce crème de cassis
1 ounce pineapple juice
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
In a cocktail shaker, shake the ingredients vigorously with ice.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Makes 1 drink.
“400 Blender Cocktails”
By Andrew Chase, Alison Kent and Nicole Young
Published by Robert Rose Inc.
2 ice cubes
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime
juice
2 ounces tequila
1/2 ounce orange liqueur
Coarse salt, for rimming glass
In a blender, pulse ice cubes until crushed.
On high speed, blend in the lime juice, tequila and orange liqueur until slushy.
Pour into a margarita glass rimmed with salt.
Makes 1 serving.
1/4 cup cranberry juice
1-1/2 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounce almond liqueur
2 ice cubes
1 maraschino cherry or 3 frozen cranberries, for garnish
In a blender, on high speed, blend cranberry juice, bourbon, almond liqueur and ice until smooth.
Pour the mixture into an old-fashioned glass and garnish with a cherry or cranberries.
Makes 1 serving.
“Perfect Party Food”
By Diane Phillips, Published by The Harvard Common Press
10 cups pineapple-coconut juice or pina colada
mix
2-1/4 cups white rum
1-1/2 cups dark rum
2 (20-ounce) cans pineapple chunks in heavy
syrup, drained and frozen
3 cups ice cubes, plus extra for the glasses
Fresh pineapple spears or chunks, strawberries or
maraschino cherries (or a combination) for
garnish
In a large pitcher, combine the juice and rums.
Put 1/4 cup of the frozen pineapple chunks and 1/4 cup of the ice cubes in a blender.
Add 4 cups of the rum and pineapple juice mixture and process 1 minute, until smooth.
Pour into 3 double rocks glasses. Garnish with pineapple spears or skewers of pineapple chunks, strawberries or maraschino cherries.
Repeat the process 3 more times to make 12 drinks.
Makes 12 servings.
2 cups strained fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
4 cups superfine sugar
8 cups water
Ice cubes
4 lemons, thinly sliced, for garnish
In a large pitcher, combine the lemon juice and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Gradually stir in the water until blended.
Just before serving, add ice and lemon slices to the pitcher.
Makes 12 servings
“The Florida Keys Cookbook”
By Victoria Shearer, Published by Insiders’ Guide
1 (12-ounce) can frozen
lemonade, thawed
2 (12-ounce) cans lemon-lime
carbonated soda
2 cups guava nectar
2 tablespoons grenadine
9 ounces Bacardi white rum
3 thin lemon slices, seeded and
cut in half
Place the lemonade, soda, guava nectar and grenadine in a large glass or plastic pitcher. Stir well to combine. Refrigerate until needed.
To serve: Fill each of 6 tall glasses with ice. Add 1-1/2 ounces rum to each glass.
Pour the guava mixture evenly into each glass (about 3/4 cup each).
Garnish each glass with a half lemon slice.
Makes 6 servings.
3 ounces white rum
3 ounces coconut rum
3 ounces apricot brandy
3 tablespoons grenadine
3 cups pineapple juice
4 fresh pineapple spears
Put all the ingredients except pineapple spears in a blender and process until frothy.
Serve over ice in a tall glass and garnish with a pineapple spear.
Makes 4 servings.
“Summer Cocktails”
By Penelope Wisner
Published by Chronicle Books
2 cups sugar
I cup water
Peeled zest of 2 oranges
Peeled zest of 2 lemons
1 small cinnamon stick
Bottle dry red wine
2 ounces brandy
1/2 ounce Gran Torres or Triple Sec (optional)
1/2 orange, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1/2 crisp apple, unpeeled and thinly sliced
Handful whole, fresh strawberries
Bring sugar, water, orange zest, lemon zest and cinnamon stick to a boil, while stirring, in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
Lower the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
Strain syrup into a container and allow it to cool. Cover and refrigerate until needed. (Note: Makes about 1-1/2 cups flavored syrup. Keeps indefinitely, but may begin to crystallize over time.)
Several hours before serving, in a pitcher, mix together the wine, brandy, 1/4 cup syrup and Gran Torres or Triple Sec (if using).
Add fruit and refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour over ice.
Makes about 6 drinks.
1-1/2 ounces dark rum
1/2 ounce real grenadine
1 teaspoon Cointreau
2 teaspoons pineapple juice
1/2 ounce each freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice
1/2 ounce Plain Sugar Syrup (see recipe below)
Club soda
Lime slice for garnish
Put a large handful of ice in a cocktail shaker.
Add rum, grenadine, Cointreau, juices and sugar syrup. Shake well.
Strain into a highball glass half full of ice. Top off with club soda.
Garnish with a lime slice, if desired, and serve with straws.
Makes 1 serving.
Plain Sugar Syrup
4 cups sugar
2 cups water
Put the sugar and water in a heavy pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Lower the heat to regulate a moderate boil.
With a brush dipped in water, wash down any sugar crystals that cling to the side of the pan.
Boil 5 minutes, uncovered, without disturbing the mixture further.
Remove the mixture from the heat, let cool, and then refrigerate in a covered container.
(Note: The syrup keeps indefinitely.)
Makes about 3 cups.