Summer is a time for tall drinks, packed with ice as a foil to the heat. Here’s a couple old favorites we’ll be relying on to keep us cool this summer…
El Diablo
1 ½ oz. blanco tequila
½ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
¾ oz. crème de cassis
ginger beer or ginger ale
Shake first three ingredients with ice and strain into an ice filled highball or Collins glass. Top with ginger beer, stir gently, and garnish with a lime wedge.
This drink was a big hit with Tara’s family at the lake house last summer. This year I’ll be making them by the pitcher, which should work out to around 8 oz. of lime juice, 12 oz. crème de cassis and a fifth of tequila, stirred in a pitcher and set out for everyone to serve themselves, topping each drink off with ginger beer or ginger ale individually to taste.
Mai Tai
Adapted from Mr. Boston Platinum Edition
1 oz. gold rum
1 oz. white rum
½ oz. orgeat
½ oz. orange curaçao
½ oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice
½ - 1 oz. dark rum
Shake all except the dark rum with ice, strain into an ice-filled rocks glass or ceramic tiki mug. Float the dark rum on top, and garnish with a cherry, citrus wedges, a mint sprig, a couple of plastic monkeys… Whatever appeals to you!
My “house” rums for the Mai Tai were, for a long time, Appleton Estate gold and Cruzan white, with a float of Gosling’s Black Seal. Recently, I swapped Gosling’s gold in for the Appleton, and while I think the Appleton is a better rum, the sharper, less refined Gosling’s works really well in this drink. Also, when I ran out of Cruzan, I subbed Oronoco white rum for our last round of Mai Tais, and while delicious, I think the Oronoco might be better saved for drinks that allow it to stand out a bit more (the Oronoco is a fantastic spirit; one of the few white rums that works sipped neat as well as it does mixed). Play around with a variety of rums and find out what works best for you.
The mai tai is one of those drinks that everyone has heard of, but few have had made properly. The original Trader Vic recipe calls for ingredients no longer available, but this recipe is a good place to start that uses easily available ingredients, maintains the integrity of the drink, and provides plenty of room to tailor the cocktail to your individual preferences.
I’ll be posting more summer cocktails as the hot months drag on. If you have any summer favorites of your own, leave a note in the comments.
