Sunday, June 22, 2008
Food, Wine, Beer & Spirits
Refreshing sips
Whether you’re hosting a midsummer’s eve soiree or just lazing by the pool, these drinks are perfect for steamy days
BOTTOMS UP
In an effort to conserve water (yeah, right), local restaurants and bars are putting their master mixologists to work making fantastic cocktails to cool us off. Two were kind enough to share their recipes with SP.
Dark & Stormy
From the bar of Eddie Johnson, lounge mixologist at Halo Lounge (817 W. Peachtree St. www.halolounge.com.)
- 1.5 ounces of dark rum
- 3.5 ounces of ginger ale
- Lime wedge with sugar rim
Combine and pour over ice in a highball glass.
Orange Crush
From the bar of Vajra Stratigos, beverage director at Food Studio (887 West Marietta St. NW. www.thefoodstudio.com.)
- 1 bottle of Hanger One
- 2 blood oranges, cut into small wedges
- 1 Valencia orange, cut into small wedges
- 3 ounces sugar
Stir vodka and sugar together until dissolved. Add oranges and macerate for 4 days at room temperature. Stir once daily until completed. Serve individual servings in a martini glass with a sugared rim.
By Kirsten Ott
Pushing the boundaries of casual and laidback—two concepts we equate with summer—is Armand de Brignac Rosé Champagne. Bottled from the richest wine, the complex luxury bubbly is a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes. A favorite with celebs like TomKat, Will and Jada, Becks and Posh, Usher, Rachael Ray and Martha, the pewter-plated hand-crafted bottle of pink opulence is the it drink for those in the know (and with fatter wallets than we’ve got—it’s $500 a bottle). www.armanddebrignac.com.
Move over, José. The first-ever 100-proof tequila has arrived, thanks to 1800 Tequila Select Silver. It’s made from 100 percent agave, is double distilled and blended with a touch of aged tequila. The bottle even comes equipped with its own shot glass. Drunk party of one? www.1800tequila.com.
Sure, beer’s cheap and has relatively few calories, but it can be a dull beverage to drink repeatedly. Which is why some companies have introduced flavored beer. Bud Light Lime takes the pain of bringing a knife and a real lime to those summer barbecues, and Michelob Ultra Fruit Tuscan Orange Grapefruit is a refreshing alternative to whatever’s in the keg. Midwestern brewer Leinenkugel brings back a centuries-old concoction with its Summer Shandy, an adventurous, tangy blend of malted wheat and barley, lemonade flavor and a hint of Wisconsin honey. A more complex offering of flavors, Hoegaarden, the Original Belgian White Beer, is fruited with bitter curaçao orange peels and coriander.
Lemonade stand upgraded: Limoncé Limoncello teamed up with Ektoras Binikos, head mixologist of NYC’s Aureole Restaurant, who created this puckery drink. www.limonce-usa.com.
The Amalfi
- 1 ½ ounces Citron vodka
- ½ ounce Limoncé limoncello
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice
- 2 sprigs lemon thyme (can substitute regular thyme if necessary)
- Splash of Yuzu juice (optional)
Put vodka, Limoncé, lime juice and leaves from the sprigs in a shaker with ice. Shake well to extract flavor from the thyme. Strain and pour into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a sprig of lemon thyme. SP