There can be nothing better than a long tall cocktail on a summer night! During the fleeting summer months we need to take the time and enjoy the pleasure of mixing a great drink. I agree that the utter simplicity of cracking an ice cold beer open, pouring the golden brown ale into a frozen pint mug, and letting it cascade over your parched taste buds is a summer rite and will quench your thirst—but taking the time to craft a cocktail can be just as satisfying. Sometimes the journey is better than the end result!
The burgeoning mixology movement is bringing new flavors to our consciousness, but also is bringing back some old classics! New items like St Germain Elderflower liqueur and Pama Pomegranate liqueur are awesome to try and will amaze you with cool flavors and never before tasted delights. But sometimes the simplicity of the classic Gin and Tonic with a twist is just as good!
Gin and Tonics have been around for hundreds of years. First popularized in England since the 1700’s , The Brits have long toasted the long summer nights with a classic Tanqueray and tonic or Beefeater gin. These are two of the standards in the Gin world. Years of tradition have made them the perfect gins! The juniper flavors shine thru to create the slight piney flavor we all love in gin! Fill a long tall glass with pure ice, add a couple of ounces of gin, fill with tonic water, and spritz a little lime over the top and then garnish with the lime!
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St Germain has taken the world by storm. It was introduced to our palates a few years ago. It took customers a while to figure out what to do with the unique liqueur. But now it is flying off the shelves! It is a delicate liqueur made with fresh elderflowers. It is handcrafted in France using age-tested methods. It is a true testament to the French custom of taking it easy and doing things the right way! It is a great mixer to many cocktails. But my favorite is the Elderflower Cocktail. Get a chilled Collins glass, fill with ice, 2oz of St Germain, 3 ounces of Champagne (brut or extra dry) and soda water. Garnish with a lemon twist. It is amazingly simple—but the flavor is pretty cool and will make you feel fancy and European for the afternoon!
Pama Liqueur can be used as an additive to many cocktails. My wife and I were walking thru the liquor store one day, and the unique crimson colored bottle caught our eye. I had never tried it, but was intrigued! So we took a bottle home and started experimenting! Being a thirsty guy and a martini lover, I immediately grabbed my Chopin Vodka, a shaker, and made a Pama Martini. The Pomegranate flavor blew me away. It was slightly sweet—but not so much as a cosmopolitan or other girly drinks! Even though the drink had a pinkish color, I was secure enough to enjoy the great flavors! My wife, ever the contrarian, decided to make a mojito with the Pama added in. I had to admit—her mojito was amazing! She used great rum, fresh mint from my neighbor’s garden, fresh squeezed limejuice, her homemade simple syrup, and her favorite muddling tool to create this awesome Pama Mojito. I hate to lose any competition —but this was worth it!!
This is the smallest sampling of a few drinks you can make in the summer time. The most important thing to remember is don’t be afraid! There is a plethora of recipes available. But sometimes just turning your creativity loose can create an awesome summer drink. But Just in case you fail don’t despair–the Ice-cold Beer can still satisfy! Whatever edge of the spectrum you fall into—enjoy and savor the fleeting days of summer with a great adult beverage!
