A Guide to Summer Cocktails in 08
A Well-Done Summer Cocktail Menu is a 3-Part Process

There is no summer drink. There are summer drinks –– plural. This advice comes from Wayne Curtis, cocktail expert and author of “And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in 10 Cocktails.” “You ease into summer with a cocktail that’s slightly sweet.” Curtis says. “It must have rum. Also, it must have lime. Think: Daiquiri. Then as summer reaches a crescendo, you want bubbles and ice and very tall glasses. Think: Mojito. “Then as fall comes into view, cut back on the bubbles and ice and start to add a dash or two bitters, which somehow takes the sting out of the end of summer. Think Pisco Sour.” Curtis’ words bring up a fine point. Some bar owners are tempted to toss a Bay Breeze or a Margarita on the menu and wait for Labor Day. Summer is not a holiday. It is a season, and a cocktail menu carrying the designation “summer” anywhere in the title necessitates ebb and flow. From June’s ultra-icy confections to those cooler nights returning at the start of September, a well-designed list of cocktails can help your patrons enjoy each month independently via a signature spot on the tongue.

June’s Festive Kick-Off
Sadly, the Daiquiri’s image has been cheapened. It is never too late to get back to class and classics, however. This recipe was taken from “The Art of the Bar,” written by Jeff Hollinger and Rob Schwartz. It is a classic Hemingway-style Daiquiri that these two authors/mixologists adapted from “Trader Vic’s Bartender’s Guide,” published in 1947 by Trader Vic himself. Hollinger and Schwartz currently operate the Absinthe Brasserie & Bar in San Francisco.

La Floridita Daiquiri
1 1/2 ounces rum
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup
1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
Splash of fresh grapefruit juice
Lime wedge

Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Shake until cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lime wedge.

July’s Midsummer Splendor
“The idea of knowing the circumstances for which a drink is meant is an important component, and if season is something considered by the kitchen, it should definitely take theme at the bar,” says Stefanie Marco, director of mixology for Stirrings. “Summer drinks stereotypically lean towards sweet in America, and sometimes these sweet drinks can fall way out of balance. So I often play with lemon and spice with sweeter drinks. In England, a Pimm’s Cup is quintessential for spring and summer.” Here is the recipe for one of Marco’s favorite cocktails.

A Pimm’s Peel
2 ounces Tanqueray Rangpur gin
1 ounce Pimm’s No. 6
1 ounce Prosecco
1 ounce Stirrings all-natural Watermelon or
fresh Watermelon juice
Plenty of thinly sliced cucumber

Line a Collins glass with eight thin slices of cucumber. Pack with ice and add gin, Pimm’s and juice. Lightly shake and top with Prosecco. Garnish with a white grape.

August’s Bittersweet Send-Off
This cocktail is courtesy of New Orleans transplant Wayne Curtis. He named it after the Palace Cafe and a Huey Long quote, and the flavors are a great balance between the black pepper and mango flavor profile of Absolut New Orleans and the satisfying finish of Angostura bitters.

The Palace Popolorum
1 1/2 ounces Absolut New Orleans
3/4 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake all ingredients and strain into chilled cocktail glass.