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The taste of summer

Lime, fresh mint, watermelon, strawberries, basil, coconut… Enjoy the flavours that evoke sunshine and vacations.

Published on October 14, 2020

There’s nothing better in the summer than relaxing on the deck with friends and sipping delicious, refreshing drinks. Cocktails are also great accompaniments for our simple and informal summertime menus so you can prolong the pleasure. Mojitos and margaritas, for example, go well with Tex-Mex dishes.

At cocktail hour, an Aperol Spritz will be a hit served with olives, chips and spicy nuts. As you ease into time off with a sparkling punch, the good times continue with cheese dips and spreads and the like. There’s a host of possibilities to share!

An added punch!

It’s one of the most festive and practical ways to welcome company. Garnished with fruit and fresh herbs, punch is a convivial drink and an ideal aperitif. As for presentation, there are all manner of attractive pitchers – like clear-glass cocktail fountains – that add a Pinterest look to your soirée. To save time, garnish the glasses in advance with citrus wedges, mini fruit skewers, or cucumber or celery sticks instead of swizzle sticks.

caniculecanicule

 

Canicule


By Samuel Trudeau, mixologist
(L’Gros Luxe, Longueuil)
6 to 8 glasses

Photography: Maude Chauvin

Ingredients

210 mL (7 oz) Cirka Terroir vodka
210 mL (7 oz) Cointreau, or other citrus liqueur
420 mL (14 oz) pineapple juice
210 mL (7 oz) white-cranberry juice
210 mL (7 oz) lime juice
1 bunch mint leaves
20 drops Angostura Bitters*
Ice cubes
* In all grocery stores

Preparation

1. In a punch bowl or pitcher, combine all ingredients except the mint, bitters and ice cubes.
2. Mix.
3. Place mint leaves in each glass and pour in mixture.
4. Add ice cubes and sprinkle with Angostura Bitters.

A dash of bitters

Cocktail lovers have surely noticed the current craze for bitters. And what better place to find them than in a spritz. Prepared with white or sparkling wine, a citrus liqueur like Aperol or Campari, or fruit juice, the spritz is a wildly popular cocktail. Its herbaceous taste is just right for the season.

Venetian classic

The spritz originated in Venice when the city was still part of the Austrian Empire. Over the years, the original recipe – combining white wine, or Prosecco, and seltzer water – has evolved to include Aperol or Campari. On special occasions, use Champagne instead of Prosecco. And for an extra-special swagger to this classic, add white rum and pineapple slices.

SpritziniSpritzini

 

Spritzini


By Samuel Trudeau, mixologue
(L’Gros Luxe, Longueuil)
1 drink

Photography: Maude Chauvin

Ingredients

60 mL (2 oz) Aperol-type bitter liqueur
30 mL (1 oz) dry gin
60 mL (2 oz) freshly squeezed orange juice
25 mL (3/4 oz) soda water
Ice cubes
1 sprig rosemary, for garnish
1 twist orange peel, for garnish

Preparation

1. Pour Aperol, gin and orange juice into a wineglass.
2. Add ice cubes, then soda water.
3. Stir.
4. Garnish with rosemary sprig and orange-peel twist.

A taste for tea

Tea is everywhere nowadays. It adds a novel and healthy flavour to both food and drink. Cool off this summer with tea-based cocktails which readily lend themselves to base spirits like rum, vodka or gin. Add a few aromatic herbs, fruit wedges, lemon or lime juice, and voilà!

A spiked tea room

Montreal’s Mayfair cocktail bar is an attractive venue to check out the current craze for alcoholized tea drinks. Its menu is exclusively devoted to tea-mixed cocktails created by Lawrence Picard, the mixologist behind the Sacré Printemps cocktail also featured here.

Sacré printempsSacré printemps

 

Sacré printemps


By Lawrence Picard, mixologue
(Nectar & Mixologie, Mayfair)
1 drink

Photography: Maude Chauvin

Ingredients

45 mL (1½ oz) Havana Club Añejo 3 años White rum
15 mL (½ oz) fresh lemon juice
15 mL (½ oz) Quebec liquid honey
120 mL (4 oz) Celestial Seasonings* tea with hibiscus (or Celestial Seasonings Pomegranate Rooibos), infused and chilled
Thin slice of dragon fruit, for garnish
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
* Celestial Seasonings tea is available in supermarkets like IGA, Metro and Provigo. Lipton tea is a good alternative.

Preparation

1. Place all ingredients in a shaker.
2. Shake vigorously and filter the mixture through a cocktail strainer into a highball glass pre-filled with ice cubes.
3. Garnish with dragon-fruit slice and basil leaves.

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