Try these tasty new cocktail recipes for one last sip of summer
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Being a grown-up isn’t always fun. Sure you get to make decisions — your parents are no longer the boss of you! — but now you have to go to work, pay bills, file taxes, and, if you started a family, be in charge of your own children. One benefit: adult beverages. Gather some friends together. Mix a few drinks. Add your favorite music, and you’ve got yourself a party. And stay up as late as you want — no permission needed!
STRAWBERRY-RUM COOLERS
“When I’m the one wearing the cook’s hat, I want something cold, boozy, and delicious. And delicious is what this drink is. It’s the kind of drink that upon first sip seems to stop the sun’s rays in their tracks and makes the breeze feel somehow cooler. That’s called refreshment.” Makes 8 servings.
Ingredients
Strawberry-Rum Cooler Base (recipe below)
1 cup (8 ounces) white rum, divided
1 cup (8 ounces) dark rum, divided
Orange bitters
Crushed ice
2 cups (16 ounces) ginger beer, divided
1 orange, cut into 8 wedges
Instructions
1. For each cooler, combine 1⁄4 cup strawberry-rum cooler base, 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) white rum, 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) dark rum, and 6 dashes of bitters in mixing glass, and top with ice. Stir mixture until ice dilutes liquid into smooth puree.
2. Pour over crushed ice, and top with 1⁄4 cup ginger beer. Garnish with orange wedge.
Strawberry-Rum Cooler Base (makes about 2 cups)
Ingredients
2 1⁄2 cups very ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup (8 ounces) water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
2 tablespoons agave syrup
1⁄4 teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
1. Bring all ingredients to simmer in saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until mixture is fragrant and strawberries are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool completely, about 1 hour.
2. Transfer strawberry mixture to blender. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 5 days.
— From “Soul: A Chef’s Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes” by Todd Richards (Southern Living, 368 pp, 2018)
Summer White Peach Sangria (photo by Scott Rounds)
SUMMER WHITE PEACH SANGRIA
“While traditional sangria usually features red wine, this drink is made with a sweet white wine and accompanied by brandy and flavored sparkling water.” Makes 8 servings.
Ingredients
2 large white peaches, peeled and cut into thin wedges
1 cup halved seedless green grapes
1 cup halved seedless red grapes
2 cups chilled cantaloupe melon balls
1 (750-milliliter) bottle moscato
1⁄2 cup peach nectar
1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1⁄4 cup (2 ounces) brandy
1 (12-ounce) can chilled peach-and-pear sparkling water
Instructions
1. Place peaches, grapes and cantaloupe in large pitcher or punchbowl. Add moscato, peach nectar, lemon juice and brandy, and stir gently. Chill for 4 hours.
2. When ready to serve, add sparkling water, and serve chilled with plenty of fruit in each serving.
— From “Siriously Delicious: 100 Nutritious (and Not So Nutritious) Simple Recipes for the Real Home Cook” by Siri Daly (Oxmoor House, 256 pp, 2018)
Kill Devyl Reef (photo by Noah Fecks)
KILL DEVYL REEF
“Three iconic rum styles, each prized for qualities exclusive to their respective categories, contribute their signature aromas and flavors to this high-octane play on the Planter’s Punch.”
Recommended spirits:
Hamilton 86 Demerara Rum
Damoiseau 100 Proof Rhum Agricole Blanc
Hampden Estate Rum Fire Overproof
St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
Ingredients
2 ounces Demerara rum
1/2 ounce rhum agricole
1/2 ounce overproof Jamaican rum
1/2 ounce allspice dram
1/2 ounce honey
1 ounce passion fruit juice
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
Garnishes: Mint sprig, freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in shaker with cubed ice. Shake and strain into snifter or Tiki mug over pebbled ice. Garnish with mint and nutmeg.
— From “Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails” by Shannon Mustipher (Rizzoli, 192 pp, $29.95)
Mojito Mule (photo by Scott Rounds)
MOJITO MULE
“I introduce you to … the Mojito Mule — a refreshing beverage that combines the spicy fizz of a Moscow Mule with the sweet freshness of a Mojito.” Makes 1 serving.
Ingredients
4 to 5 fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) dry gin
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon simple syrup
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) ginger beer (such as Crabbie’s Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer)
Lemon slice (optional)
Instructions
1. Place mint leaves, gin, lemon juice and simple syrup in copper mug. With muddler or handle of wooden spoon, gently press mint leaves to release oils.
2. Add ice to mug, and top with ginger beer, stirring to blend. Serve immediately with lemon slice, if desired.
— From “Siriously Delicious: 100 Nutritious (and Not So Nutritious) Simple Recipes for the Real Home Cook” by Siri Daly (Oxmoor House, 256 pp, 2018)
