The Classic Mojito
One of the greatest drinks to come from Cuba, hundreds of years ago! Makes two cocktails.
Ingredients:
- 12-20 mint leaves to muddle and garnish
- 4 ounces of fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 2 ounces of simple syrup
- 4 ounces of white rum
- 2 ounces soda water
- 3 ounces of hard seltzer (lime is good)
Instructions:
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint leaves by pressing the leaves with a wooden spoon or muddler. Add the lime juice, simple syrup, and rum. Fill the cocktail shaker with ice and shake until cold. Place ice cubes into two glasses, and strain in the liquid. Top off the glass with soda water and hard seltzer to taste. Garnish with additional mint leaves.
The Aperol Spritz
A refreshing drink before dinner. Or while laying low by the pool, in Venice, or right here in the Catalina Foothills. Straight out of the 1950s. Makes two drinks.
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces of Aperol, chilled
- 6 ounces of Prosecco or other sparkling wine, chilled
- 2 ounces of soda water
- Ice cubes
- For the garnish: orange wedge and a straw if you like
Instructions:
Add the Aperol to a glass filled with ice and stir. Top with sparkling wine and soda water. Squeeze in the orange wedge and stir gently, then serve, with a straw.
Mezcal-Rosemary Sour
The piney rosemary oils, muddled with lemon and sweetened with agave nectar, go crazy fizzy when shaken vigorously with egg white. Makes two drinks.
Ingredients:
- 40 rosemary leaves (the actual leaves, not entire sprigs).
- A pinch of sea salt
- 1 large egg white (the usual warning: consuming uncooked egg could make you sick).
- 2 long lemon twists (about three inches)
- 4 to 5 ounces of mezcal
- 3 ounces of fresh lemon juice
- 1 to 2 ounces of agave nectar depending on how sweet you would like.
- 6 ounces of club soda, chilled
- 2 rosemary sprigs (singed briefly over flame if you like a smidge of smokiness)
Instructions:
Chill 2 tall Collins glasses.
In a cocktail shaker add rosemary leaves and salt. With a wooden spoon or muddler press out rosemary oils for about a minute.
Add egg white, lemon twists, mezcal, lemon juice, and agave nectar. Cover cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds to emulsify egg white.
Carefully uncover the shaker and top it off with ice. Cover and shake again for about 30 seconds until egg white is very frothy and the entire concoction is chilled.
Set chilled glasses out and strain the cocktail (twice is best) equally into the glasses.
Each drink is then topped off with 3 ounces of club soda and garnished with a sprig of rosemary.
Arugula and Gin Blaster
The spicy arugula paired with the herbaceous gin is a blast for the tastebuds! Hold on to your hat! We let our arugula plants go to seed and use them as an extra garnish. Makes two cocktails.
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces of gin
- 2 ounces of fresh lime juice
- 1 to 2 ounces of simple syrup or agave nectar
- 2 cups of arugula
- Lime wheels for garnish
Instructions:
In a cocktail shaker combine gin, lime juice, and simple syrup or agave nectar. Fill halfway with ice, then top with arugula.
Cover and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or until the outside of the shaker is chilled.
Strain through a very fine mesh sieve (a coffee filter might work in a pinch) into a couple of glasses and garnish with a lime wheel. And if you have fresh arugula seeds and flowers, throw them in, too.
Fruit Forward Run Rummer
Okay, so this one has ingredients not often found around the house. But if so inclined to stock up, you might find this to be a new summer favorite. Makes two cocktails.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces of dark rum
- 2 ounces of light rum
- 2 ounces of banana liqueur
- 2 ounces of blackberry liqueur
- Three ounces of pineapple juice
- 1 ounce of lime juice
- Splash of grenadine
- Pineapple wedge and/or blackberries for garnish
- Splash of grenadine
Instructions:
Add 6 to 8 ice cubes in the shaker. Then pour in rums, liqueurs, pineapple juice, lime juice, and grenadine.
Shake until chilled through then strain into glasses filled with crushed ice. Garnish with blackberries and maybe a pineapple wedge.
Is it time to overhaul your outdoor living space with bartending essentials? Easy.
Obviously you'll need a solid corkscrew and bottle opener, sharp knife and cutting board. A cocktail muddler is great, too.
But do not buy one of those wimpy cocktail shakers. Instead, turn to Stanley (the thermos). Shake, sip, and keep cold.