Photograph by Katherine Bish
Now that summer is going full throttle, you’ll want a beverage that cools you down without slowing you down. Start with fresh ingredients—they’ll turn a good cocktail into a great cocktail. That margarita you love at that place you love is probably made with fresh-squeezed lime juice, not a commercial sour mix (most of which are too sweet anyway). Invest in a juicer, not only for great cocktails, but for great juice. You’ll thank me later. Now that you’ve gone authentic in your cocktail construction, here are a few of my recent favorites in the refreshing summer drink category.
One of the most unusual summer drinks is the Pisco Sour. Both Chile and Peru claim to have invented this classic, and both even have a National Pisco Sour Day. Although several regional variations exist, the standard recipe calls for pisco (a clear, unaged brandy made from Muscat grapes), lime juice, egg whites, and bitters. Don’t let the egg whites scare you—this drink rocks! Monarch Restaurant makes the classic version as well as several other variations, including one infused with chamomile.
Hungry for a rum drink, you say? The Hemingway (a dark rum riff on the classic Hemingway daiquiri) is a blend of dark rum, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and Maraschino liqueur. Hemingway allegedly invented the concoction while in Havana, hence the emphasis on fresh tropical juices. Make this one in batches because you’ll want more than one. So simple to make, any bar in town can handle it. Just hold the cocktail umbrella, please.
Elderflower liqueur, though not new at all, is new to Missouri this summer. The Loop When it Sizzles begins with a hit of fresh lime and finishes with honeysuckle, melon, and floral notes from the elderflower. It ends with a dash of bitters. Crisp and refreshing, especially on a hot summer night, its power comes from small-batch (read: very smooth) cognac. This cocktail was created at Eclipse in The Moonrise Hotel on the Loop and is available at both the lobby and rooftop bars.
All liquors are available at Lukas Liquor (lukasliquor.com). Full recipes.
About Our Expert: Chris Hoel, CSW, is the co-founder of St. Louis Wine Clinic and the former beverage director of Monarch Restaurant. He writes this monthly column from Napa Valley, where he is a sommelier at The French Laundry.
