A Refreshing Summer Swizzle

Sometimes in the world of drink mixing, it's important to be bold enough to improvise. The New York Times dining section from June 24th of last year had a great series of articles and recipes on summer drinks which I filed away for later. When we started to get bored with our old standby drinks this summer, I dusted it off and hunted around for inspiration. Many of the drinks--with the exception of the gin based ones--were ones that I've made before, but a few of them have yet to be tackled.

The one that caught my eye was a drink that was mentioned in an article about swizzling. It's called a Campbell Swizzle. It starts out simply enough: rum, lime, simple syrup, bitters. But the thing that provided a bit of a hangup was a liqueur called Velvet Falernum. Upon doing a little research on Wikipedia, I discovered that it embodies flavors of almond, ginger, lime, and vanilla. I replaced the Velvet Falernum with a little Frangelico to capture the essence of almond, a little Grand Marnier to complement the orange bitters and lime, and a dash of vanilla extract.

Campbell Swizzle

Adapted from the NY Times dining section

-1 oz. white rum

-3/4 oz. fresh lime juice

-1/4 oz. simple syrup

-3/8 oz. Frangelico

-3/8 oz. Grand Marnier

-4 dashes orange bitters

-dash Angostura bitters

-dash vanilla extract

-mint sprig for garnish

Pour all ingredients except for mint into a tall glass. Fill glass with crushed ice. Blend ingredients with a genuine swizzle stick or a bar spoon for about 20 seconds. Add more crushed ice to form a mound on top, and top with mint.

What resulted was a complex, sweet, citrusy blend of flavors. Heather commented that she could see this drink being featured at a swanky bar like Dutch Kills. Well used bitters has that effect on a drink. As far as the vanilla extract, a little goes a long way. Too much will overpower your drink and obscure the other flavors and aromas. Just a drop will do. On a humid day, the crushed ice will create a rewarding layer of frost on the glass.

When a drink recipe needs to be altered because of a missing ingredient, it's fun to brainstorm about the different solutions and combinations of ingredients that could also work. Not only is it a fun process, but it allows you to take ownership of the drink--to put your signature on it and tailor it to your tastes. It's one of the things that keeps mixing interesting.

Summer Citrus

Heather and I are looking forward to Summer and all its bounty: The outdoor concerts, the reopening of Governor's Island, the ability to go from place to place without being encumbered by a jacket. I've been trying to help the warm weather along by focusing on some citrusy drinks in preparation for the season--specifically ones that focus on lime.

I prefer drinks that incorporate lime to those with lemon for some reason. I think it yields a more complex drink. I love lemon but it can be a bit overpowering at times and can quickly take over the flavor profile of a drink whereas lime, in my opinion, is more of a team player.

The mojito is a tried and true favorite in our household and also one that I've posted about in the past. Delicious. The combination of mint and lime is fantastic, incredibly refreshing and one that I can't pass up.

Mojito

-2 oz. white rum

-1/2 oz. simple syrup

-Juice of half a lime

-8-10 mint leaves

-Club soda

Muddle the simple syrup and mint in mojito glass or pilsner. Add ice and remaining ingredients. Tumble in a cocktail shaker to incorporate. Garnish with lime wedge and mint sprig.

Another favorite of mine is the Vodka Gimlet. It's made exactly the same way as a Vodka Martini except it replaces the vermouth with the juice of half a lime giving it a fruitier, more festive feel.

Vodka Gimlet

-2 oz. vodka

-Juice of half a lime

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Add a lime wheel for garnish.

A drink that the New York Times recommended last year was a Rye Rickey. It's a variation on the popular Gin Rickey but with rye whiskey substituted for gin. The NY times article calls for a full lime but I eased it back to half. Sometime you can have too much of a good thing.

Rye Rickey

Adapted from the New York Times dining section

-Juice of half a lime

-2 oz. rye whiskey

-1 teaspoon grand marnier

Top with club soda, stir and garnish with a lime wedge.

And to top off our limey battery of drinks, a twist on an old favorite. The Cuba Libre is simply a Rum and Coke with the juice of half a lime. It gives the drink more of a tropical taste and Cuba Libre sounds much more exotic than Rum and Coke.

Cuba Libre

-2 oz. white rum

-Juice of half a lime

-Cola

Add rum and lime to a tall glass with ice, fill with cola and stir. Garnish with lime wedge.

There you have it. Four summery cocktails to kick off summer. And they don't even include old standbys like a Cosmopolitan or a Margarita. I hope I've been able to add more ammunition to your Summer drink arsenal.