Add these cocktails to your summer tipple rotation.
In our July 2017 Western Gourmet feature, Aaron Kolitz of The Townsend in Austin, Texas, shares recipes that will ease the season’s brutal temperatures. Here are a few more summer options.
Simon Found His Island Paradise
The Island Paradise is an original cocktail based off of a modern Tiki cocktail created in San Francisco called the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a. The original recipe calls for almond orgeat syrup instead of the passion fruit in this riff. The difference allows for a fruitier, summer cocktail that can convert most vodka drinkers and show them that they can enjoy a wonderful gin cocktail in the summer. — Aaron Kolitz
2 ounces Ford’s Gin (or preferred gin)
1 ounce pineapple juice
½ ounce fresh lemon juice
¾ ounce BG Reynolds Passion Fruit Tropical Syrup
5 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Lemon wheel, for garnish
Add the gin, juices, syrup, and bitters into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake hard for 10 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a thinly sliced lemon wheel, floating in the glass.
Aperol Spritz
During my time in Italy, I spent two summers on the coast and you couldn’t walk around without seeing people enjoying this amazing cocktail. Light, fruity, sweet, bitter, and bubbly, this classic cocktail is perfect for sitting by the pool on a hot summer, Texas day. — Aaron Kolitz
2 ounces Aperol Aperitivo
3 ounces Topo Chico
3 ounces sparkling prosecco
Orange half moon, for garnish
Lemon wheel, for garnish
Mint sprig, for garnish
Combine Aperol, Topo Chico, and your favorite sparkling proscecco into a large wine glass and fill with ice. Garnish with fresh fruit and mint.
The Double Down Daiquiri
The daiquiri is a classic cocktail that will live in infamy! It is also considered one of the few “bartender handshake” cocktails. I love to riff on this drink and try so many different variations with different rums from all over the islands. I love to add bitters to the daiquiri as it gives it one more depth level that allows the flavors of rum, lime, and sugar to only be heightened. — Aaron Kolitz
1 ounce Appleton Estate Reserve Blend Jamaican Rum (or preferred Jamaican rum)
1 ounce Caña Brava White Rum (or preferred white run)
¾ ounce fresh lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup (one part water to one part sugar)
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
Lime wheel, for garnish
Combine the rums, lime juice, simple syrup, and bitters together into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake hard for 10 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lime wheel on the side of the glass.
Read “Summer Sippers” in our July 2017 issue.
