Whether you're lounging around the deck or hosting a family barbecue, you can make any occasion just a little more special by serving simple but refreshing cocktails.
Summer drinks are often made with light spirits such as vodka, gin, and rum. Fruit juices add further lightness and the addition of fresh fruits or herbs (especially mint) can take a drink to a whole new level.
An easy summer drink is sangria—because it can be made ahead of time and simply taken out of the fridge when it’s time to serve. The base of any sangria is wine; pour a full bottle of your favourite wine into a large glass pitcher and add a variety of sliced fresh summer fruit. Fleshier fruits impart more flavour into the wine: I suggest peaches, nectarines, plums, and raspberries—about 2 cups (500 mL) in total. You can vary the recipe by using just citrus fruits such as lemons, limes and oranges.
I also add ¼ cup (50 mL) of brandy to add flavour; Grand Marnier works nicely as well. Allow this mixture to sit in the fridge for several hours. When you're ready to serve it, add two cans of sparkling soda.
For good reason, Cuban Mojitos are also very popular summer drinks and a great way to put a dent into that patch of mint that’s been growing in your garden.
The base of a mojito is a “muddle” of fresh mint leaves and sugar. Place a large handful of mint leaves, 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar and the juice of one fresh lime in the bottom of a pitcher and use a spoon to bruise the mint; the aroma is heavenly. Add 10 oz (300 mL) white rum, lots of ice (a key ingredient in any summer drink) and top with club soda.
Blender drinks are also very easy to prepare and hugely popular in the warm months. You will need to have lots of ice on hand, a variety of fresh fruit and cream or ice cream to make these drinks really frosty. A variety of mixes are available from grocery retailers, but it is quite simple to make these drinks from scratch.
A favourite Caribbean cocktail is the Bahama Mama. Simply combine ½ oz (15 mL) white rum, ½ oz (15 mL) coconut rum and 2 oz (60 mL) grenadine in a blender. (Grenadine is a readily available, non-alcoholic sugar syrup used to sweeten and give a pink colour to many cocktails.) Top this with 1 oz (30 mL) pineapple juice and 2 oz (60 mL) coconut cream; blend with crushed ice.
Both pineapple juice and coconut cream are popular ingredients in summer cocktails. Coconut cream is thicker than coconut milk and it can also be found at your local grocery store. (If coconut cream isn’t available, you can thicken coconut milk with a bit of sweetened condensed milk.)
The Pina Colada, of course, is an all-time favourite. Add 2 oz (60 mL) white rum, 2 oz (60 mL) coconut cream and 3 tbsp (45 mL) crushed pineapple to a blender along with crushed ice. Blend until slushy.
There is no limit to the combinations of cocktails that you can come up with; the internet offers a wealth of cocktail recipes and bartending guidebooks are widely available.
The key is to use good quality ingredients and let your imagination be your guide. Some will be absolute winners: a few may miss the mark—but it’s all about fun in the sun.
Recipes featured in this article: