Labor Day weekend is all about saying goodbye to summer and getting ready to welcome fall, as well as to celebrate the hard working women and men that keep everything around us going forward. Whether you’re hosting friends and family or enjoying a well-earned restful weekend at home, these cocktails should add a little extra cheer.
Getting The Party Going
Strawberry Smash
Whisky and strawberries make a surprisingly delicious combination in this light and fizzy cocktail.
- 1.50 oz Dewar’s 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky
- 0.75 oz simple syrup
- 0.75 oz lemon juice
- 2 strawberries, quartered
- Soda water
Muddle strawberries in bottom of shaker. Add scotch whisky, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Shake and strain over fresh ice in glass. Top with soda water. Garnish with strawberry slice, blueberries and dragon fruit balls.
Little Saigon
Taking inspiration from the fresh flavors of Vietnamese cuisine, Little Saigon mixes herbs, citrus, and spices for a vibrant and eclectic sip that will invoke the flavors of summer for the rest of the year.
- 1.5 oz Empress 1908 Cucumber Lemon Gin
- ¾ oz lemongrass ginger syrup
- ¾ oz fresh lime juice
- 2-3 each mint and basil leaves
- 3-4 bird’s eye chile slices (optional)
- Lime yuzu soda, to top
- Garnishes: cilantro sprig and bird’s eye chile
Gently muddle basil and mint with syrup and lime juice in shaker tin. Add gin and chile slices and shake over ice. Strain into collins glass filled with ice, top with soda, and garnish.
Summer Cooler
Shochu is the native spirit of Japan – a white spirit that’s incredibly rich in flavor, yet smooth and easy to drink with food. Made with iichiko Shochu, this vegetable forward cocktail would be fabulous with anything you serve your guests.
- 2 oz iichiko Saiten
- 0.75 oz matcha syrup
- 0.5 oz lime juice
- 0.5 oz cucumber juice
- 0.25 oz yuzu juice
Mix all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake, then strain into rocks glass with ice. Garnish with cucumber slices.
Chee Hi
Designed to be approachable and effortlessly easy to drink, the Chee Hi from Pao by Paul Qui features jasmine-infused Grey Goose vodka, Glenmorangie whiskey, lychee hibiscus water, and orange bitters.
- 3 oz litchi liqueur
- 6 oz Gray Goose jasmine infusion
- 2.5 oz citric solution
- 3 oz Glenmorangie Original Whiskey
- 10 oz lychee water & hibiscus
- 20 drops saline solution
- 24 dashes orange bitters
Combine all ingredients in the mixing glass, stir for 10 seconds with ice, pour into a Collins glass with an ice spear. Garnish with a miniature rose.
Go-Go Gadget Latin Drink
Created by Ricky Ramirez at The Mothership in Milwaukee, this savory cocktail is inspired by a Mexican carne asada marinade.
- 1 oz Puntagave Raicilla Maximiliana
- .5 oz Paranubes Oaxacan Rum
- .5 oz Los Magos Sotol
- .75 oz Asada Cordial (recipe below)
- 1 drop cucumber bitters
- 1 oz cucumber soda
Shake quickly for a few seconds and pur into an Old Fashioned glass. Top with cucumber soda.
Carne Asada Marinade Cordial
500 ml clarified orange juice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
4 tsp cumin
1 medium jalapeño
1/3 cup cilantro
Blend all ingredients at high speed and fine strain. Add equal parts sugar by weight and 1% ginger liqueur by weight. Add 10 drops of hellfire tincture and adjust acidity with lime as needed.
Ottoman Cartel
Served at Byblos Miami, this drink features Don Julio Blanco tequila blended with cold-pressed beet juice, house-made chili-barberry syrup for tartness, and fresh lime juice for the citrus taste.
- 2 oz Don Julio Blanco tequila
- 1 oz cold-pressed beet juice
- 1 oz barberry spiced syrup
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- Splash of club soda
Fill a shaker with ice. Add the tequila, beet juice, barberry spiced syrup, and lime juice to the shaker. Shake well. Strain the mixture into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice. Top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge.
Mojito Paloma
This refreshing blend of two classics comes courtesy of Pa’lante Rum, made by Cuban Master Distiller Jorge Perez in Chiapas, Mexico, with 100% Mexican inredients. You can use a different grapefruit soda, or Liber grapefruit cordial instead of simple syrup. If so, change the grapefruit soda to club soda.
- Fresh mint
- 1/2 oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar:water)
- 2 oz Pa’lante Blanco
- 1 oz coconut water
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
- 1 oz Fever-Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit (chilled)
In the bottom half of a mixing tin, add the mint and simple syrup and muddle to combine. Add rum, coconut water and lime. Fill with ice and shake until chilled. Add the grapefruit soda to a Collins glass and fill the glass with fresh ice. Strain the contents of the shaker into the glass and give it a quick stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.
For The Crowd
Punch by the Ocean
Aside form unique and delicious, this California gin is made of botanicals foraged along the migratory path of the grey whale, and also donates proceeds to the animal’s conservation.
- 8 parts Gray Whale Gin
- 4 parts Lillet Rouge or Cocchi Rosa Vermouth
- 4 parts watermelon puree
- 4 parts fresh lemon juice
- 6 parts ginger beer
Combine all ingredients except ginger beer into large drink vessel. Fill with crushed ice and top with ginger beer. Briefly stir to combine. Garnish with mint.
Pineapple Mezcalita
Hailing from Puebla, Mexico, Fósforo Mezcal is made by fourth-generation master-mezcalero Aarón Alva Sánchez. The Ensamble is a blend of agaves Tobalá and Espadilla. This recipe will serve six.
- 9 oz. Fósforo Mezcal Ensamble
- 9 oz. pineapple juice
- 4 oz. lime juice
- 3 oz. orange liqueur
- 3 oz. agave syrup
- 7 oz. water
Combine all ingredients into a pitcher and store in the refrigerator until well chilled. When ready to serve, add ice into the pitcher and pour into a rocks glasses with ice and a Tajin rim. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Ginger Revive
This non-alcoholic drink from The Cottage Westport will satisfy non drinkers and help those who do recover the next day.
- 3 quarts of water
- 8 oz lemon juice
- 4 oz yuzu juice
- 3 oz muddled fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 bar spoon cayenne (approximately 1/4 tsp)
- 1/2 bar spoon turmeric (approximately 1/8 tsp)
- 8-10 oz agave syrup, to taste
Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. Stir well to mix thoroughly. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator. Before serving, strain the cocktail to remove the ginger pulp. Serve over ice.
For After Dinner
Rare Sight
This cocktail from Giselle Miami is all about welcoming the fall vibes.
- 2 oz Angel’s Envy Bourbon
- 0.5 oz brown sugar syrup
- 0.5 oz coffee liqueur
- 6 dashes orange bitters
Build all ingredients in a large mixing glass and stir together well. In a separate rocks glass, serve stirred contents into the glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange peel clipped to the side of the glass and two flower petals in glass.
Tropical Negroni
This cool twist to the classic is served at Sweet Liberty, a popular restaurant bar in Miami Beach. The bitterness of Campari balances the sweet tart flavor of the passion fruit liquor for a perfect balance of boozy, sweet and bitter.
- 1 oz. Citadelle
- 0.25 oz. Fords ‘Officer’s Reserve
- 0.75 oz. Lillet Rosé
- 0.75 oz. Campari
- 0.25 oz. Giffard passionfruit liqueur
- 3 dashes saline solution
Stir and strain over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a mango coin.
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