Oh, we are now right in the middle of the dog days of summer! I’ve heard that expression forever, but what exactly does it mean? While many people may think it has to do with the weather being so hot that:
- dogs just lie there panting
- “it’s not fit for a dog”
- dogs go mad!
the expression has less to do with dogs on the street and more to do with dogs in the sky! This expression refers to the time of year when Sirius, the dog star, is just about to reach its highest point in the sky.
The ancient Greeks and Romans noticed that Sirius, the dog star, which was one of the brightest and most noticeable stars in the sky, began to rise after the summer solstice. They believed that this star gave off so much heat that it was the reason for the hot weather. Thus, the expression “Dog Days of Summer” came to mean the 20 days before and 20 days after the alignment of Sirius with the sun. This year, the hottest days fall between July 11 and August 20. The reason we call it “dog days” is because it’s a translation of the Latin term they used to refer to this time: “dies caniculares”.
We know it’s hot and we have a long weekend coming up, so let’s celebrate the long weekend and our dog days of summer with some Dog Days Cocktails! You all know how much I love (and miss) my little baby dog, so in honour of her, and the dog days of summer, we are going to feature cocktails with a Mexican base!
Spicy Jalapeno Margarita – because you know I like it spicy! This drink packs a wallop, be careful not to have too many in the sun, or it will be 1 tequila, 2 tequila, 3 tequila, FLOOR!
What you need:
- 3 oz tequila
- 1 oz triple sec
- 2 oz fresh-squeezed lime
- 1/2 jalapeño, sliced and deseeded, split
- Salty Paloma rimmer (I used Heartbreaker – Salty Paloma is a Canadian company!)
- Optional: 1/2 oz simple syrup
What you do:
- In a shaker, muddle half of the sliced jalapeños
- Add ice
- Add the tequila, triple sec and fresh-squeezed lime
- Shake shake shake
- Rim your margarita glass with Salty Paloma rimmer
- Strain into a margarita glass
- Add remaining jalapeño slices
La Paloma – do you know that this, not the margarita, is Mexico’s favourite drink?
What you need:
- 1 oz tequila
- 1 oz mezcal
- 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
- 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice
- grapefruit soda (or soda water- they use grapefruit soda in Mexico)
- salt or Salty Paloma Heartbreaker (for rim)
- grapefruit peel or slice for garnish
What you do:
- Salt half the rim of a tall glass
- Fill the glass with ice
- Add the tequila, mezcal and fresh lime juice
- Top with grapefruit soda
- Garnish with a grapefruit peel or slice
Tequila Sunrise – is anyone else singing the Eagles song in their head? I’ve updated this version to add more cherry flavour and less grenadine
What you need:
- 1 1/2 oz tequila
- 1/2 Cherry Heering (cherry liqueur)
- 3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 oz grenadine syrup
- orange slice (garnish) (heck even a grapefruit slice if you forgot to buy oranges)
- cherry (optional – garnish)
What you do:
- Fill a tall glass with ice
- Add the tequila and orange juice, stir
- Using the back of the spoon, run the grenadine off the spoon into the glass so it settles in the bottom
- Garnish with orange slice and cherry
Naked and Famous – by Joaquín Simó of Death & Co – This is an “equal parts drink”, so it’s easy to increase or decrease the size. What I loved about it is that the smokiness of the mezcal really shines in this drink.
What you need:
- 3/4 oz mezcal
- 3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
- 3/4 oz Aperol
- 3/4 oz lime juice
What you do:
- Fill a shaker with ice
- Add all ingredients
- Shake shake shake
- Strain into a coupe glass
Looking for other August long weekend cocktails? Check out Upper Canada Cocktails and A Little Dash Will Do Ya!
Happy August long weekend everyone! Keep cool and chill out this long weekend!
