6 Easy Summer Cocktails for Hot Nights
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
It's the heat of the summer and time for a new batch of hot weather cocktails from some of Rhode Island's most creative bartenders. Get shaking or stirring, and cool off in style.
Persimmon Pours
Bartender Katie Dickson is pouring some light and creative cocktails this summer in Bristol at the tiny, well-appointed bar at Persimmon. She shared three of her favorites for hot summer nights.
Persimmon Spritz
In Italy, a popular before-dinner drink is the spritz: Aperol (a bitter, fruity aperitif similar to Campari) with prosecco and club soda. At Persimmon, we use a lovely dry cava (a Spanish sparkling white wine) and forget about the club soda!
1.5 oz Aperol
Cava, Prosecco, or another dry sparkling white wine
Orange slice
Fill a highball glass with ice and add Aperol; top with sparkling wine and garnish with an orange slice.
Pimm's Cup
The Pimm's Cup is to the British what the Mint Julep is to us Americans--but their cocktail is easier to make! To fancy it up, add a drizzle of ginger syrup, a slice of cucumber, or replace the lemonade and club soda with ginger ale or a bottle of sparkling Italian lemonade.
2 oz. Pimm's #1
Lemonade
Club Soda
Lemon
Pour Pimm's in a highball glass over ice; top with lemonade and club soda and garnish with a squeeze of lemon.
Black & Stormy
Everyone loves a Dark & Stormy (Gosling's rum and ginger beer), but using Black Strap rum, made with black strap molasses, adds amazing depth of flavor. Use a local ginger beer (Persimmon uses Yacht Club) or a brand like Reed's, which uses lots of real ginger.
2 oz. Cruzan Black Strap Rum
Ginger Beer
Limes
Muddle (if you don't have a muddler, use the end of a wooden spoon) slices of fresh lime with the black strap rum and pour in a glass over ice; top with ginger beer and garnish with lime.
Skinny Sippers from Fleming's
There's always fine drinking at the esteemed Providence steak house at the Westin Hotel, but these innovative 99-calorie cocktails are a girl's best friend. Maeve Pesquera, Fleming's Director of Wine, shared the recipes.
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Skinny Russian Prom Queen
This drink is fun and unexpected. It’s also feminine and flirty. And just 99 calories! It has a lot going for it and needed a name to match.
For starters, it’s made with Stoli Vodka, so well, the Russian part was easy. I had just got home from seeing The Bridesmaids, which I thought was hilarious by the way, and so I came up with “Russian Bridesmaid.” But the more I thought about it, that wasn’t quite right. Then it just hit me. Instead of a Bridesmaid (which let’s face it can be something of a downer sometimes) why not a Prom Queen? From Russia. The name captures everything about the drink. Young, unpredictable, unexpected and kinda sexy. And by the way, it tastes great.
1 1/4 oz Stoli Blueberry
1 oz Monin Sugar Free
1 oz fresh lime juice
6 blueberries
5 slices cucumber, sliced VERY thin
1 oz soda water
Muddle blueberries and cucumber with Monin sugar free
Add other ingredients and shake well
Strain up into martini glass
Spear cucumber slice and a blueberry on a cocktail pick
Skinny Sexy Sailor
When the heat index begins to nudge triple digits there is one thing this Texas-ex reaches for every single time: sweet iced tea. And if it’s handy I’ll mix in a little lemonade for a thirst quenching Arnold Palmer (aka half-and-half). It’s pure heat-squelching goodness.
I decided on a new refreshing 99-calorie cocktail that has all the best elements of an Arnold Palmer.
That meant the refreshing quality of iced tea with a hint of sweetness and that great citrus taste of fresh lemon. I started with a recent discovery of mine, Sailor Jerry Rum. With Sailor Jerry Rum (a recent discovery) as my base, I added a classic black pekoe iced tea, a bit of Monin sugar-free syrup, fresh lemon juice and a touch of soda. I have to say it is skinny cocktail heaven on a hot summer night.
1 oz Sailor Jerry Rum
2 oz black iced tea, unsweetened
1 oz Monin sugar-free syrup
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz soda water
Combine all ingredients in a tall glass filled with ice. Garnish with fresh lemon wheel.
Fire Water for WaterFire
So who else but the enterprising Whiskey Republic would create an official WaterFire martini? The new cocktail will premiere at WaterFire on August 13, and forevermore be available at the Whiskey Republic. And a portion of the proceeds from each drink sale will benefit WaterFire Providence.
Meanwhile, want to stir up your own tribute? Whisky Republic shared the recipe:
One and a half ounces Milagro Tequila
One and a half ounces cucumber puree simple syrup
Dash of White Creme de Menthe
A pinch of cayenne pepper
Shake with ice and strain
Sink a half-ounce of Blue Curacao
Garnish with a cucumber wheel
Too hot to mix them yourselves? These cocktails are being served all summer long at their originating bars. Cheers.
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