Summer Quenchers

Sipping Coolers for the warm days along the Pacific

As the morning awakes up and down the California coast, the energy of a new day is full of fresh inspiration, as well as plenty of hot weather this time of year. A variety of liquid fusions tempt the palate through the season, taking care of your thirsts from mid-morning to the middle of the night. And the swimming pool is always nearby . . .

As the waveriders hit the shores, The Surfer is a flavored martini with 1 ½ oz Level Vodka, ¾ oz Malibu coconut rum, and a splash of Dekuyper Banana liqueur. Shake and strain into a chilled stem of choice, and garnish with a surfboard-shaped
pineapple spear. Only a few ounces in size, it’s a nice appetizer with breakfast!

Looking for something with some spice and a bite to go along with it. Cactus Juice is a shake & strain cocktail that finishes in a tall collins glass over ice. And the recipe is
½ oz each of the following: Captain Morgan’s spiced rum, Patron tequila, Hiram Walker triple sec, and Di Saronno amaretto. Add splashes enough of sweet & sour, pineapple juice, and cranberry juice. Chill and strain. Garnish with slices of lime, lemon, and orange.

For those with a taste of less sweet and more sparkle, the
Havana Club Rickey may be in order for the early day sun. In a classy lookin’ bucket, squeeze the juice of half a lime in the glass and drop the half hull in as well, creating a bottom garnish. Add a dash of simple syrup and then fill the glass with cracked ice. Pour in 1 ½ oz Havana Club Rum (if you can get it) and top with club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig and/or lime wheel.

Pump it up with a fruitier, premium version of a long island standard. The Berry Island Tea gets ½ oz each of the four whites – Ketel One vodka, Martin Miller’s gin, Sea Wynde rum,and Bols triple sec. From there we add a dash of sweet & sour, a good splash of 7-Up, ¼ oz of Dekuyper blueberry schnapps, and a final fill with Santa Cruz organic berry nectar. Big glass, big ice, big straw, and garnish with a berry kabob.

If you get lucky enough to find a parking spot in front of your favorite cantina, pull up with a Cadillac Margarita. On-the-rocks in a tumbler with salt rim, split rim, or no rim. Shake and strain these ingredients over ice: 1oz Don Julio Tequila, ¾ oz fresh lime juice, ½ oz Bols Triple Sec or Cointreau, and a splash of sweet & sour. After the chill and pour, float a lace of Grand Marnier over the top and garnish with half wheels of lime, lemon, and orange.

It’s time for something blenderfied. Get out a large parfait glass of sorts or whatever looks cool, and get some ice that actually works well in a blender, not leaving any big chunks around. Start out with 1 oz of VooDoo spiced rum, ½ oz of Dr. McGillicuddy’s vanilla schnapps, ½ oz of either Cointreau or Marie Brizard Parfait Amour liqueur. Then add dashes of orange juice and cream. Put the top on and start the engine until it runs smooth and thick. And there you have it, the classic Spicy Creamsicle. Garnish with a slice of orange and a violet petal.

The rules of this drink are simple. Build it in a tall glass over ice, enjoy, and take a message from your cell phone.
The Cider House Cooler first gets the glass half-rimmed with cinnamon sugar. Pour in 1 oz Bacardi spiced rum, ½ oz Berentzen cinnamon-apple liqueur, splash it with club soda, partial fill with cold chardonnay, and top fill with Santa Cruz organic cider & spice juice. Garnish with a slice of a red Washington apple.

As the Ocean air is cruising through your hair, imbibe your buds with a slight Asian slant. The Sparkling Ginger Breeze requires you to grab a tumbler, throw some cracked ice in it, and a pouring over we go. 1oz Grey Goose vodka, ½ oz Canton ginger liqueur, splashes of grapefruit and cranberry juices, and top with Canada Dry ginger ale. Garn with a ruby red slice.

As the evening music continues to flow, and as the CD player is on random selection, the great sound of Pink Floyd fills the glass. ½ - ¾ oz each of Bacardi Amber Rum, Malibu Rum, and Dekuyper Peachtree schnapps. Fill with cold Pink lemonade and dash the top with grenadine for color. Garnish with a cherry and sip back under the dark side of the moon.

The great thing about Southern Cal are the perfectly cool weather nights after a hot day. In Phoenix and other lower parts of Arizona at nine or ten o’clock at night, it’s still 85 degrees outside. Therefore, we get that goosebump chill that tells us it’s time to jump in the Hot Tub, but don’t forget the champagne! This enticing recipe goes like this: Chill a flute with ice and set aside. Stir chill 1oz of Ciroc Vodka, ½ oz Chambord, and dashes of sweet & sour and cranberry juice. Throw ice out of glass, and strain in the cold mixture. Top with Taittinger Champagne and garnish with a few floating raspberries.

Enjoy the Summer. There's more cool drinks to come. kb