As summer heat sets in, nothing beats a refreshing cocktail to cool you down and lift your spirits! Enjoy these three delicious summer cocktail recipes from Chelsea Young at The Oenophile Institute, a wonderful Smyrna Vinings resource making wine and beverage education accessible, enjoyable, and available.
Porto Tonico
A popular drink amongst the Portuguese, Porto Tonicos combine the crisp and fruity qualities of white port with the bitterness of tonic. Both the white port and tonic are personal preference, but Chelsea recommends Kopke Dry White Port and Fever Tree Tonic.
Recipe
Fill a rocks glass (or wine glass) with ice and add the following:
1 ½ oz Kopke Dry White Port
3 oz Fever Tree Tonic
Garnish: Lemon Peel & Mint Sprig
Rosé Sparkler
Everyone loves a good wine spritzer - so up your game a little and impress your friends. In this recipe you can substitute the rose for white wine or the gin for vodka to make it your own. You can build this in either a tall collins glass or champagne flute.
Recipe
2 oz. Dry Rose Wine (anything from Provence will do)
½ oz Hendricks Gin
1 oz fresh lemon juice
¾ oz Simple Syrup (purchase or make your own)
Add all ingredients to glass of your choice and then fill with ice. Top with soda water.
Garnish with grapefruit and rosemary
Georgia On My Mind Sangria
For the party host or hostess, a recipe that is sure to please. This recipe can be made in larger batches but as is, serves 6 drinks. The wine selection is the key to a good Sangria. Make sure you pick a dry, full-bodied red wine that doesn’t have too much tannin. Wines like Merlot, Syrah, or Malbec work best.
Recipe
2 peaches – sliced
1 orange – sliced
¾ cup blueberries
1 bottle of Dry, Full-bodied Red Wine
½ cup Brandy
¼ cup Cointreau
2 tablespoons sugar (to your taste)
Soda Water
Combine sliced fruit, wine, liquor, and sugar to a large container and stir well until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate for at least a few hours but overnight is preferable.
Serve over ice and top with soda water.
