We’re well into the season of summer hosting, blue skies, and competitive backyard barbecuing. While the cooler is likely already packed with the usual beers and bubbles, those looking to serve something truly refreshing and new need to step up their game.
Look, we know everyone has a standard spirit-and-mixer recipe up their sleeve. But frankly? Don’t talk to me about garden cocktails until you’ve tried these. Whether you’re lounging on a sun-drenched patio, looking for the perfect Wimbledon-ready serve, or trying to match the smoky intensity of the grill, these five drinks are absolute game-changers. Bright, fresh, citrusy, and deeply herbaceous, they are guaranteed to completely redefine your summer drinking.
1. Cucumber Gimlet
While the original Gimlet is actually made by stirring gin with lime cordial (that was taken onboard British Royal Naval ships to avoid scurvy), this version, like most modern Gimlets, is made like a gin Daiquiri. Fresh lime and sugar shaken together with gin in place of a lime cordial.
There are plenty of ways you can introduce cucumber into a cocktail, but we’ve settled for the simplest, most low tech option. It’s also the one most people will probably use in the real world. Simply crush pieces of fresh cucumber with a little salt in your shaker before adding everything else and shaking together.
If you’re entertaining and want to make a lot of them, you can blend multiple portions of cucumber separately, then strain through a sieve and bottle. When it comes to making your cocktails, you can avoid muddling and simply add the cucumber juice to your shaker. Making life a lot quicker and easier when you want to make multiple of them quickly.
2. Gin Basil Smash
The Gin Basil Smash is one of a fairly small number of cocktails since the 2000s that have become true modern classics. Like many of the greatest cocktails, it’s a simple formula, taking the classic Gin Sour and adding the deliciously fresh and green notes of basil.
It works great with classic style gins, but will also work with more savory modern style gins such as Rutte’s celery leaf gin, Hendricks with its cucumber notes and Gin Mare, which itself includes basil and olives in its recipe.
The recipe was created in the summer of 2008 by Jörg Meyer at Le Lion Bar in Hamburg, Germany. It’s now simply a must-know classic for any professional bartender the world round.
3. Honey Rosemary Sour
The Honey Rosemary Sour cocktail recipe is an old classic in our world, although it’s probably a new recipe to you. Originally called Courtyard Sun when we first conceived it, it was an ever popular recipe we included on menus in a number of different bars in the early to mid 2000s.
The recipe is one of those simple, timeless flavour combinations that will never go out of style. Crisp refreshing lemon, balanced with sweet honey, combined with the aromatics and complexity of gin and rosemary. It’s easy to see why it’s always been a popular choice.
4. Mint Julep
The Mint Julep is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby and is a deliciously simple drink to make and serve. It’s both refreshing and boozy like an Old Fashioned. Although it’s traditionally thought of as a summer cocktail, it can be enjoyed any time of year.
The Mint Julep recipe isn’t stirred or shaken, but churned together with crushed ice in the Julep Cup. This process is vital to make the ingredients cold, dissolve the sugar and release the flavour of the mint leaves. Importantly it adds water to the mix, which will open up the flavours of the Whiskey as some of the ice melts.
5. Verde Collins
We wrote this Verde Collins cocktail recipe to perfectly match the fresh green and mineral notes of Kilinga Bacanora Silvestre. Fresh cucumber, citrus, green chili and sea salt, these ingredients create an incredibly light, bright, and refreshing way to enjoy this vibrant Bacanora from Sonora.
Delightful on its own, this recipe also pairs perfectly with fresh foods like seafood, poultry and salads, indeed the recipe itself was inspired by the traditional dish, Aguachile.
It’s easy to make and doesn’t require fancy equipment or specialized ingredients. The Verde Collins is also easy to batch for no fuss entertaining! A wonderful addition to sunshine filled daytime imbibing, and a lighter alternative to a Bloody Mary.
Think of serving it with food in the sun, a seafood tower, shrimp tacos, crisp salads. Later in the day, it’s ideal for a glorious cocktail hour or aperitivo.
As always, don’t forget to show us what you made by tagging us!
@Candra_Drinks #MakeBetterDrinks #CandraDrinks
