It’s getting to be the warm part of the year and with the warmth comes hours of sitting outside and drinking cocktails designed to quench the thirst of the hot and well, thirsty. Danielle and I enjoy sitting outside on weekends and weeknights alike talking and sipping on a fine cocktail. I figured I would share a few of my favorite recipes with you guys so you may enjoy them amongst friends, with a fine cigar, or by yourself.
The first one is a cocktail which is very close to my heart, why? I don’t know — just something about it I’ve always loved and it’s the classic recipe, it’s unlike the recipes you find in bars where it’s served in a hurricane glass with a fruit kabob. This is a quenching and potentially strong cocktail for all to enjoy, without further ado — the Mai Tai, by “Trader” Vic Bergeron.
2 ounces 17-year-old Jamaican rum (any aged dark rum works)
1/2 ounce orgeat (almond syrup, I use Torani brand)
1/2 ounce orange curacao (I use Contreau)
Juice of one fresh lime
1/4 ounce rock candy syrup or Simple Syrup
Lime slice for garnish
Sprig of mint for garnish
1. Shake ingredients and pour into an ice-packed OLD FASHION glass.
2. Garnish with lime and a sprig of mint.
The next one holds quite a bit of classic lore with cigar smokers, a favorite of Ernest Hemingway and our friends of the Island South of Miami, this one is called the Mojito. Some have heard of it and those who have tried it, love it. This is a VERY quenching drink, but often made incorrectly in bars and restaurants. As a reminder to the bar staff out there, a Mojito does NOT include Sprite. I don’t know who created this drink, but it’s delicious and the recipe is time consuming, but great.
1.25 oz white rum (I use Cruzan)
12 mint leaves
1 tbsp sugar
0.5 oz fresh lime juice
2 oz soda
1. Place mint leaves in bottom of a HIGH BALL glass.
2. Add crushed ice, rum, sugar, and lime juice, and muddle.
3. Add soda water and garnish with mint leaves and a lime wedge.
Last but not least is another favorite which has a bit of a cult following is the Zombie, the origin of this drink is also unknown to me, however it was widely popular amongst tiki lounge guests in the late 50′s and early 60′s. This drink provides a plethora of alcohol and like the name is not for the faint at heart.
1 1/2 oz gold rum
3 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp Jamaican dark rum
1 tbsp white rum
1 tbsp pineapple juice
1 tbsp papaya juice
1 1/2 tsp sugar syrup
1 tsp 151 proof rum
1 pineapple stick
1 pinch powdered sugar
1. Shake all ingredients (except the high-proof rum) over ice, the pineapple stick and the sugar.
2. Strain and add ice in a OLD FASHION glass, garnish with pineapple and a cherry.
3. Float the high-proof rum on top and sprinkle a little sugar over it.
Well those are my top 3 summer cocktails and I hope you find one that you enjoy. I’m super thirsty now, so I am going to go by the store tonight and get a few limes since the tree isn’t producing fruit and make Danielle and I a few Mai Tai’s, a great way to call an end to a warm Monday.
man, this is one of the things I’ll miss the most about being sober. Hot summer afternoons being cool’d down with tasty cocktails.