Hard to believe that we’ll be saying goodbye to summer and hello to back-to-school! Summer seems to have gone by quicker than usual! Here’s hoping for a nice long Indian summer with warm days and mild nights.
This is the last long weekend of the summer. We all have too many things on our to-do lists, so I wanted to make some really simple summer cocktails. Easy drinks that you can whip up for yourself or for company and enjoy without too much of an effort. I also wanted to make cocktails with flavours that scream summer!
Looking for more Labour Day Cocktails? Click here to check out last year’s suggestions!
This drink is perhaps my favourite summer drink of all time. The Aperol Spritz embodies Italian summer for me. Click here for the recipe for Italian Summer Bites (shown) or for more info on Aperol, click here.) I saw this cart at the Rome Fiumicino airport. How sad that I couldn’t fit it into my suitcase! I envisioned myself riding this around town, like an ice cream truck, and adults running out of their houses, losing their minds, screaming “The Spriz Lady is here!!!” #careerambitions
Aperol Spritz
What you need (to make this for a crowd, use the measurements in brackets):
- 3 parts Prosecco (1 bottle)
- 2 parts Aperol (2 cups/500 ml)
- 1 part Club Soda or Sparkling Water (1 cup)
- Orange slice (optional garnish)
What you do:
- Fill a large glass (pitcher) with ice
- Add the Prosecco, Aperol and Club Soda/Sparkling Water
- Stir
- Add the orange slice (pour into glasses, fill with ice)
- Close your eyes and pretend you are in Italy
Margaritas are another great vacation drink and summer classic. Summer time, on a patio with a margarita in hand, oh yes please!
The Covearita (thanks, Big Cove Foods – a Canadian Company! – for letting me play with some of your amazing products)
- 2 oz Tequila (your choice, I used a Reposado)
- 1 oz Grand Marnier
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz Big Cove Lime-Chili Coriander Shrub
- Lime slice (optional garnish)
What you do:
- Fill a shaker with ice
- Add the tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice, Big Cove Lime-Chili Coriander Shrub
- Shake, shake, shake!
- Strain into a margarita glass
- Garnish with a lime slice
- Imagine the Mariachi band playing!
- Ole indeed!
As many of you know, my sister Louise is a celiac. What you may not know is that she travels a lot for work. This is a girl who not only likes her coffee, she NEEDS her coffee. While we don’t recommend drinking and driving (walk! subway! cab! Uber!), we do recommend this super yummy, easy, three ingredient, gluten-free cocktail! (More on coffee coming the end of September.)
The Black Espresso Martini
- 2 oz Black Cow Vodka (it is gluten-free, and besides, I take my coffee black)
- 1 oz cold espresso
- 10 ml (2 tsp) maple syrup
- Coffee beans (optional garnish)
What you do:
- Fill a shaker with ice
- Add the Black Cow Vodka, espresso and maple syrup
- Shake, shake, shake!
- Take a break and then shake, shake, shake some more!
- Strain into a coupe glass (it’s amazing the gorgeous “crema” you get on the top)
- Garnish with coffee beans
- Perfect for after a long day of driving or after dinner
One of the big sports events of the summer is Wimbledon. This summer, Matt @theamateurmixologist ran a campaign called #sippingwimbledon to get Instagrammers to raise a glass of Pimm’s summer fruit-cup style. Here is my take on the drink.
The Blackberry Backspin
- 1 oz Gin (I used Panarea Italian Gin)
- 1/2 oz Limoncello
- 1/2 oz Campari
- 1/4 white vermouth (I used Cocchi Americano)
- 2 dashes Black Cloud Bitters Black & Blue
- Limonata (lemon soda)
- mint, lemon slices and blackberries (for drink and garnish)
What you do:
- Fill a tall glass half-full of ice
- Add gin, Limoncello, Campari, white vermouth and Black Cloud Bitters Black and Blue to the glass
- Stir to chill
- Add the mint, lemon slices and blackberries
- Add more ice
- Top with lemon soda
- Garnish with lemon wheel, mint sprig and blackberry
- Put on your best all-white outfit and think of watching the tennis at Wimbledon!
Loving Italy and Italian drinks? This one is right up your alley. It is simple to make and since it is an “equal parts” drink, it can easily be adapted to make in large quantities.
La Dolce Parole (The liquors of Italy in a “The Last Word” riff)
What you need:
- 1 oz Aperol
- 1 oz Cynar (an Amaro)
- 1 oz Limoncello
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
What you do:
- Fill a shaker with ice
- Add the Aperol, Cynar, Limoncello and lemon juice
- Shake, shake, shake
- Strain into a coupe glass
- Envision the Umbria countryside as you sip!
Happy long weekend everyone! Enjoy the last weekend of summer, and for the kids, happy back-to- school!
