The perfect cocktail for sipping after
an alfresco dinner on a summer night,
Negronis get their red hue and
herbaceous beginning from the Italian
apéritif Campari, which is mellowed
out by floral gin and sweet vermouth.
Top off your drink with some bubbly
and enjoy.
Serves 1
⅓ oz. Campari
⅓ oz. gin
⅓ oz. sweet vermouth
chilled prosecco, or other sparkling
wine,
for topping
orange peel twist (optional)
Combine the first three ingredients in
an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake
until cold, then strain the mixture into
a glass. Top with prosecco, and garnish
with the orange twist.
Pineapple-Jalapeño Margarita
No margarita is complete without
fresh-squeezed lime juice—there’s
something about the sour punch of
citrus that goes so well with the
smokiness of tequila. To stir things up,
try adding pineapple juice to the mix
and muddling in some jalapeño
peppers for a little heat.
Serves 1
½ oz. fresh lime juice
⅓ of a large jalapeño, sliced, plus
more for garnish
1¾ oz. tequila
1½ oz. fresh pineapple juice
½ oz. Grand Marnier or another orange
liqueur
coarse salt, for rimming glass
pineapple wedge and peel, for garnish
Pour the lime juice and jalapeños into a shaker and muddle with the back of a wooden
spoon. Fill with ice. Pour in tequila, pineapple juice, and Grand Marnier. Shake until
chilled. Dip the rim of a rock's glass in water, then dip it in coarse salt. Fill the glass with ice
and strain the cocktail into the glass. Garnish with pineapple wedge and peel and jalapeño
slices.
Basil Blackberry Bramble
In the summer, blackberries are a rare
find. Lemon juice aids in the extraction
of liquid from them, resulting in a
stunning dark purple elixir. For a fruity
libation that's as easy to drink as it is to
look at, combine fragrant gin, sweet
apple brandy, and handmade basil
simple syrup in a shaker.
Serves 1
For basil simple syrup:
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
For cocktail:
3 blackberries
¼ oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. gin
1 oz. apple brandy
crushed ice
Make the basil simple syrup:
Combine the sugar, water, and basil in a saucepan. Stir on medium-low heat until the sugar
has dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool, then strain through a fine sieve and chill until
ready to use.
Make the cocktail:
In a cocktail shaker, muddle 2 blackberries and the lemon juice with the back of a wooden
spoon. Add ¼ ounce of the basil simple syrup, then the gin and the brandy. Shake until
combined. Fill a glass with crushed ice and pour the bramble into the glass. Garnish with the
remaining blackberry.
Simple Michelada
It's always nice to have a hearty cocktail
recipe in your pocket. If you're sensitive to
sweetness, try Michelada, a delicious drink
that combines Mexican beer with tomato
juice, lime juice, pantry sauce, and
seasonings. This version is lighter, has less
tomato juice, and contains unexpected fish
sauce for umami kicks.
Serves 1
2 T kosher salt
½ tsp. chili powder
2 lime wedges
1 T tomato juice
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. hot sauce
¼ tsp. fish sauce
1½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 can or bottle of Mexican beer
Mix salt and chili powder on a small plate. Rub the rim of the glass with a lime wedge and dip in a salt mixture. Fill glass with ice, add tomato juice, lime juice, hot sauce, fish sauce, and
Worcestershire sauce. Top with beer and stir to combine. Garnish with a remaining lime
wedge.