5 Cocktails that Scream Summer

Summer is only days away.  Here’s what is on my list for aperitifs to get our summer parties started (once we're safe for gatherings)!

Rosé -Strawberry Sangria

Nothing says summer more than Rosé and strawberries---I’ve combined them both in this delectable drink.  

Recipe:  Add ½ cup of both sugar and water to 2 cups of sliced strawberries---simmer for 10 min and let completely cool.  In the meanwhile, add all of the following ingredients together in a large pitcher:  3 cups sliced strawberries, 1 cup raspberries, 1 orange thinly sliced, 1 cup orange juice and 1/3 cup Gran Manier.  Add the completed cooled cooked strawberry mixture.   Let steep together for at least 1 hour in the frig.  Prior to serving, add one bottle of sparkling Rosé.

                                         A Cotswold toast to a special week in England

Pimms Cup

Strawberries are the star of yet another drink---this is England’s most popular summer-time libation at Wimbleton.

Recipe:  Add the following to one bottle of Pimms:  an equal size amount of lemonade (preferably homemade, although Trader Joes has a good substitute), ½ cup of seeded, peeled & finely chopped English or Persian cucumber, ½ cup of finely diced apple, 1 cup of thinly sliced strawberries, a good handful of finely chopped mint).  Let sit in frig for at least 30 minutes to chill and marry flavors. Serve in a glass and top with a sprig of mint or cucumber.

                                           These easy cocktails are a crowd-pleaser

Limoncello Spritz

This one is simple.  Simply combine 1/3 part of Limoncello with 1/3 sparkling water, and then add 1/3 part of tonic water.  Serve with lots of ice, a piece of summer-time basil and a wedge of lemon.  It’s really refreshing on a hot summer’s day.

                                   Summer on Lake Como demands Aperol Spritzs

Aperol Spritz

This perennial fave is also simple.  Combine one 750ml bottle of Aperol, with an equal amount of Prosecco.   Gently mix in 1 cup of sparkling water, and serve in an ice filled glass, topped with a wedge of orange.

                                   Elderflower is the secret to this ethereal gin & tonic

Elderflower Hendrick’s Gin & Tonic

This glorious aperitif is another easy cocktail.   Hendricks pairs well with elderflower and cucumber.   Plan for 2 oz of Hendricks per cocktail, and 5 ounces of Fever Tree’s elderflower tonic.  Use one generous teaspoon of St Germain per drink (an elderflower liqueur).  Mix with plenty of ice and serve with a slice of cucumber.

Summer-time bottoms up!

S.O.S. (Summer of Spritz)

                                                        My first Aperol Spritz in Venice

There’s no better way to ring in the arrival of summer than with an Aperol Spritz.  I first was introduced to this colorful aperitif in Venice about ten years ago on a summer’s evening at an outdoor swanky canal-side bar.   Every single table of Italians were enjoying a bright orange-colored drink in a wine glass filled with ice.  What was this popular mystery drink? 

“A spritz, Signora” our waiter informed me, and he then added “It’s very Venetian.” Sold!  All of us bravely ordered one, not knowing if we would make it past the first sip.  (I was thinking of the fiasco of ordering my first Negroni cocktail 30 years earlier on the island of Capri.  I wanted to spit out the first sip but couldn’t as I was on the terrace of the 5 star La Quissiana Hotel).  But, the spitz more than made up from my horrible earlier experience of trying a new cocktail.  Like everyone else at the table, I became an instant fan of the Aperol spritz!

A spritz is made from Aperol and sparkling wine.  Aperol is what gives the aperitif its unmistakable vivid orange color.   You can’t miss a bottle of Aperol in a bar or in a liquor store as its color commands attention.   Think brilliant neon orange. Aperol is a somewhat bitter aperitif distilled from a mélange of oranges, rhubarb and plants such as cinchona (related to quinine, it is responsible for Aperol’s slightly bitter taste, similar to that of tonic water).

The Venetian waiter was correct.  Aperol is very Ventetian as it is actually produced in the Venice area.  But, Aperol has exploded onto the American cocktail scene.  In a recent Bon Appetit there was an entire article on the "spritz."  According to the magazine, Aperol has created "a seismic shift."  Indeed, Aperol is appearing in endless concoctions.  Recently I’ve seen a Pimm’s Cup made with Aperol, an Aperol mimosa, and even an Aperol margarita.  But, Aperol has moved well beyond the US market.  I’ve seen Aperol in one form or another in Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, and Fiji.

While I’ve experimented with creating my own Aperol renditions, I have to admit that the original spritz version remains my very favorite.  The recipe is super easy and only involves a few ingredients:  ½ Aperol and ½ sparkling wine with a splash of sparkling water…finish with a slice of orange and serve in a glass with ice.

Have a S.O.S. !

Refreshing Summer Libations

Living in San Diego is almost like living in a constant state of summertime.  That means that my house is always stocked to the brim with the makings for a cadre of light aperitifs.  In July and August, low alcohol pre-dinner cocktails are even more mandatory.  Here are my faves---all liked by even the most discriminating visitor.

WHITE PORT and Tonic:

                                   Served to the Wine-Knows group on the 2011 tour.

One of the most surprising is a drink made from white Port.  White Port is dry, not sweet.  I first was served this by a well-known chef in Porto, Portugal, the epicenter of Port production.  It was 100 degrees and the aperitif was mixed with tonic water and a slice of lemon (equal parts).  I’ve been a raving fan since.   While white Port is difficult to find in the states, it’s growing popularity has made it has more available.  If kept in a frig, it will last at least a month…at our house, it wouldn’t last the week.  If you’re fortunate enough to have snagged one of the sold-out 2016 Portugal seats, you’ll have several!

LILLET and Tonic:

                                           Lillet Blonde, Lillet Rouge & Tonic.

Lillet is an aperitif made from Bordeaux grapes.  It comes in a white version (distilled from Bordeaux’s Sauv Blanc and Semillon), or a red version (distilled from the area’s Cabs and Merlot.)  On Wine-Knows' tours to Bordeaux we always take the group to the Lillet factory where one can mix a plethora of drinks.  The hands-down winner is always the following recipe:  1/3 white, 1/3 red, 1/3 tonic…with a slice or orange and/or fresh fruit in season.

APEROL SPRITZ

                                             My very first Aperol Spritz in Venice.

This is almost like having to choose your favorite child, but currently this one floats to the top of my list.  I discovered the drink in Venice about 5 years ago…every table of Italians was filled with neon orange drinks.  I ordered one and the rest is history.  They are the bomb!  Keep in mind I hate Campari (way too bitter for me), but I love its distant cousin, Aperol, an intensely orange-flavored aperitivo with just the right whisper of bitter.  The spritz is half Aperol and half Prosecco, served with a slice of orange.   Viva Italia!