Warm weather brings a welcome lightness in food, clothes, colors and, of course, the spirits in your glass. Gone is the smoky fireside whisky, replaced by clear liquors in cocktails with bright summer fruit, citrus and sometimes a faint sweetness.
The baseline clear spirits are gin, vodka and blanco tequila, and each has distinct charm. Gin is typically based on juniper berries, but beyond that the variety of infusions is off to the races, giving bartenders lots of options. Vodka’s relatively neutral flavor and clean texture offer something of a blank canvas for mixing—it dials the other flavors in a cocktail up to 11. Blanco tequila brings a singular savory, vegetal note to a drink, like the secret ingredient in a dish that you can’t quite place but would miss if it weren’t there.
The recipes that follow, provided by Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners and leading cocktail destinations, each highlight an expression of these spirits, providing great jumping-off points for your own high summer experimentation.
Gin
We’ve recently seen gin expand from a few well-known, juniper-tinged bottles to a vast range of floral, herbal and fruity versions. This means that gin lovers—who make up a significant and growing share of the spirits market—have myriad options. And innovation isn’t slowing, as distillers look to alternative botanicals such as roots, nuts and teas and to local sources for them, not to mention evolving techniques to influence gin’s body, flavor and color. New styles mean new ways to complement gin in cocktails. While experimentation is fun, recipes such as the ones below offer delicious destinations along your gin journey.—Collin Dreizen
Berry Stinger
Clos Maggiore, London
Wine Spectator Grand Award winner Clos Maggiore shows that London is still a gin capital. Here, owner/wine director Paul Corrett enchants guests with this cocktail. “[We use] Port for its history with England and berries to reflect summer,” Corrett explains. At the restaurant, the Berry Stinger comes in a custom-blown bird glass in a decorative cage. (A coupe glass works fine at home.) “Our clientele love this unique cocktail,” Corrett says. “It’s become a firm favorite.”
- 1 ounce Tanqueray gin
- 1 ⅓ ounces ruby Port
- ⅓ ounce St-Germain liqueur
- ⅓ ounce raspberry liqueur
- ⅙ ounce agave syrup
- Mint leaf
Shake the gin, Port, St-Germain and raspberry liqueur over ice until chilled. Strain into a coupe glass. Finish with a dash of agave syrup and garnish with a mint leaf.
Empress 1908 Gin & Tonic
Bathtub Gin, Los Angeles and New York
Bathtub Gin is a bicoastal cocktail leader, with innovations from beverage director Brendan Bartley. The base for this drink is indigo-hued, color-changing Empress 1908 gin. “We wanted the visual representation as well as the flavor representation of gin,” Bartley explains. Bathtub Gin serves this cocktail in a brandy glass, but a large wineglass will also work. For garnishes, citrus and ginger complement the floral and juniper notes. “It’s a great balance between something new, something refreshing and something seasonal,” says Bartley, who recommends adding the ice after the gin and tonic water.
- 1 ½ ounces Empress 1908 gin
- 4 ounces Fever-Tree elderflower tonic water
- Dried grapefruit slice
- Candied ginger
- 3 juniper berries
Mix the gin and tonic water in a large wineglass and top with ice. Garnish with the dried grapefruit, juniper berries and candied ginger.
Peach Fizz
Gibsons Italia, Chicago
The Gibsons name is well-known in Chicago, from the original Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse to Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence–winning Gibsons Italia, where bartender Brian Pino is planning to premiere this cocktail this summer. “[The peach] dances around the citrus and the little bit of simple syrup and the aromatics,” Pino explains. “It just bounces off it perfectly.” Prosecco amps up the refreshment, and for the gin, Pino looks local with a bottling from Chicago’s Koval.
- 1 ½ ounces Koval Distillery gin
- ½ ounce Combier Crème de Pêche de Vigne (peach liqueur)
- ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
- 1 to 2 ounces Prosecco
- Mint leaf
- Lemon wedge
Mix the gin, peach liqueur, lemon juice and simple syrup over ice in a shaker. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and top with Prosecco. Garnish with mint or lemon.
Vodka
Vodka cocktails tend to rely on the spirit's neutral nature, blending seamlessly in a Martini and barely traceable in a vodka-soda. Yet creative bartenders are turning to it more often for refined cocktails—its smooth taste and subtle texture help amplify complicated flavors. Using vodka allows bartenders to toy with new flavor combinations, especially summer’s ripe fruits and fresh herbs. The following recipes all combine more nuanced ingredients with boldly fruity flavors, from the full-on tropical tiki to the sweetness of Swedish midsummer.—Julia Larson
Bay Leaf PM
PM & Vänner, Växjö, Sweden
Harness the flavors of Scandinavian summertime with this black currant and bay leaf tipple from Grand Award winner PM & Vänner. The restaurant tends to spotlight often-overlooked ingredients, such as the humble bay leaf. “Bay leaves have a long tradition in cooking. We find it an interesting starter for experimentation,” explains food and beverage manager Sebastian Svensson. “The spiciness of the bay leaves works very well with the sweetness of the black currants.”
- 5 bay leaves
- 8 ounces plus ½ cup sugar
- 8 ounces black currants
- 1 ¾ ounces Koskenkorva vodka (or other barley or rye vodka)
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 1 ounce Simple Syrup (recipe below)
- 1/2 ounce Black Currant Puree (recipe below)
For the Simple Syrup: Boil 8 ounces sugar and 200ml of water in a saucepan until mixture is clear, around 5 minutes. Add bay leaves and continue to cook on low heat for 30 minutes. Strain mixture and set aside until cool. Makes around 200ml of simple syrup. (Syrup can be refrigerated for up to a month.)
For the Black Currant Puree: Boil the black currants, the remaining ½ cup of sugar and ½ cup of water in a saucepan for 5 minutes, constantly stirring until mixture is smooth. Boil for 10 more minutes to reduce. Strain the puree and set aside until cool. Makes around 1 cup of puree. (Puree can be refrigerated for up to a month.)
Add 1 ounce Simple Syrup, ½ ounce Black Currant Puree, vodka and lemon juice into a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Big Rich Town
Undercote, part of Cote Korean Steakhouse, New York
At Undercote, the sultry subterranean speakeasy beneath New York’s Best of Award of Excellence–winning Cote Korean Steakhouse, bartender Sondre Kasin is highlighting one of his favorite summer spirits combos: Sherry with vodka, plus mandarin orange juice to keep it refreshing. “Fino Sherry adds layers of umami to the cocktail,” explains Kasin. “I typically like to mix fino Sherry and vodka because the fino highlights the minerality and saltiness of the vodka, and that flavor combo works great in citrus-driven cocktails.”
- 1 ¾ ounces Ketel One vodka
- ½ ounce Lustau fino Sherry
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 1 ounce mandarin orange juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- Mandarin orange peel, lemon leaf or bay leaf
Add the liquid ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake well, until the outside of the shaker is nice and frosty. Strain from a Hawthorne strainer into a fine-mesh strainer over a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with the mandarin orange peel, lemon leaf or bay leaf.
Pineapple Chartreuse Highball
St. Anselm, Washington, D.C.
Tapping into the craze for tiki cocktails, this highball from St. Anselm mixes vodka with the odd couple of Chartreuse and pineapple syrup. To beverage manager Jack Zarecky, the result is a drink that’s thirst-quenching yet complex: “It’s totally built for porch sipping in June and July.” If you’re fully embracing the lazy days of summer, Zarecky notes that this cocktail can be entirely built in the glass or scaled up to make a punch for a crowd.
- 1 ½ ounces Wheatley vodka (or other wheat-based vodka)
- ⅓ ounce yellow Chartreuse liqueur
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- ½ ounce pineapple syrup
- 4 ounces Fever-Tree Club Soda
- Lemon wheel
Add the vodka, liqueur, lemon juice and pineapple syrup to a shaker with ice. Shake until the outside of the shaker is frosted. Strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice. Top with club soda and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Blanco Tequila
Once upon a time, tequila meant a margarita, or perhaps a paloma for the initiated. In recent years, a proliferation of brands has increased awareness of the spirit’s distinguished history and impressive variety. Drinkers now realize the pleasures of premium versions, especially oak-aged reposados, añejos and extra añejos, many of which are coveted collectibles. Blanco tequila deserves just as much attention, says Carlos Márquez, beverage director at José in Dallas, which offers around 60 blancos: “I love blancos because you can taste the passion the producer has for their art.” Blanco’s unfussy sophistication makes it a superior base for refreshing summer cocktails, and it’s a pleasure to sip neat or with a squeeze of lime. Those seeking pure agave flavor, rather than lavish oak treatment, will find much to savor in these recipes.—Kenny Martin
Chef Water
José, Dallas
Beverage director Carlos Márquez loves blanco because “you taste so many different components, especially the cooked agave and its green, herbal notes.” He advises home bartenders to seek out small-batch distilleries and find a blanco that blends well but still stands out. In this concoction, high-toned passion fruit and elderflower complement blanco’s savory, earthy qualities.
- 1 ½ ounces Lalo blanco tequila
- ½ ounce St-Germain liqueur
- ½ ounce Chinola passion fruit liqueur (or any good passion fruit puree, such as Perfect Puree)
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice
- Elderflower tonic water (such as Fever-Tree)
- Homemade basil salt
- Basil leaf
Rim a rocks glass with the lime juice and homemade basil salt (equal parts dried basil, sea salt and sugar). Shake the tequila, simple syrup, lime juice and liqueurs with ice. Strain into the adorned rocks glass over a big ice cube. Add a splash of elderflower tonic water and garnish with a basil leaf.
Coco Blanco
Narrative, Denver, Colo.
Dayna Barnes, assistant food and beverage director, loves coconut cocktails but prefers tequila over rum—the tropical fruit’s typical companion. This slushy drink gets a kick from homemade Spiced Syrup and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Those spice flavors echo the clean earth notes of blanco, which Barnes calls “the most universal of the tequila family.”
- 1 ½ ounces Casa Noble blanco tequila
- ¾ ounce coconut milk, shaken to combine
- ¾ ounce pineapple juice
- ¼ ounce fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon allspice berries
- 1 cup sugar
- Peels of 2 limes (more or less to taste)
- ¾ ounce Spiced Syrup (recipe below)
- Freshly grated nutmeg (to taste)
- Lime wheel
- Grenadine (optional)
For the Spiced Syrup: In a saucepan over low heat, toast the cloves and allspice until fragrant. Add the sugar and 1 cup water, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the mixture from the heat and add the lime peels. Let cool completely and strain. (Syrup can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.)
Pour the tequila, coconut milk, fruit juices and Spiced Syrup into a blender with ice. Blend until the mixture is slushy. Pour into a rocks glass and garnish with a lime wheel and nutmeg. Finish with a drizzle of grenadine, if desired.
Fragole Disaronno
Alfredo di Roma, Mexico City
Alfredo di Roma, the sole Grand Award winner in tequila’s native country, slings out plenty of great margaritas. But blanco, which they call “a bit nobler in aromas and flavors,” plays well with a range of complements. Inspired by the Italian Sunset cocktail, this balances amaretto’s sweetness with the acidity of fresh citrus.
- 1 ½ ounces Don Julio blanco tequila
- ½ ounce amaretto
- 2 ounces fresh orange juice
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- 2 strawberries
- Mint sprig
Muddle a strawberry in the bottom of a shaker. Add ice and the tequila, amaretto, simple syrup and citrus juices. Shake with vigor. Double strain mixture into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the remaining strawberry, sliced, and a mint spring.
