Simple Cocktails

1. Strawberry Smasher by Brooke Arthur of Prospect—Obviously, nothing quite says spring like fresh fruit. This custom creation served up at Prospect features one of our favorites--strawberry, combined with mint and other goodies.

For one glass:
1 whole, ripe strawberry
6 mint leaves for cocktail
2 oz Buffalo Trace-Kentucky
Straight Bourbon Whiskey
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
1 mint leaf for garnish

How to do it: Muddle the strawberry and mint in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and the remaining ingredients. Shake hard. Strain over crushed ice (preferably in a double rocks glass) and garnish with a mint leaf.



20th Century Cocktail

2. 20th Century Cocktail by Tim Stookey of Presidio Social Club—This delish drink carries with it a bit of a history lesson. Originally created in 1939 to celebrate the debut of the 20th Century Limited Train between New York and Chicago, Stookey’s version features Cocchi Americano, a fragrant white wine aperitif aromatized with herbs and spices, along with a splash of citrus and hints of cocoa and vanilla beans. Yum!

For one glass:
1 1/2 oz gin

3/4 oz Cocchi Americano
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz crème de cacao

Lemon peel for garnish

How to do it: Place the gin, Cocchi Americano, lemon juice, and crème de cacao in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake, and strain into a martini glass. Serve with a lemon peel. Easy pea-sy.



4. Del Rio by the Bon Vivants—The ingredients in this easy-to-make drink blend together perfectly for a grassy, aromatic effect. Is that summer on the horizon we smell?

For one glass:
1 1/2 oz Tequila Ocho Plata
3/4 oz Hidalgo Fino Sherry (or other similar quality sherry)
3/4 oz St. Germain
3 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
Grapefruit zest and peel for garnish

How to do it: Combine all the ingredients in a mixing beaker. Add ice, and stir until well-chilled and diluted. Strain into a cocktail coupe. Zest the top of the cocktail with a grapefruit peel, rub around the rim of the glass, and drop in. Enjoy!



3. El Médano by Alex Smith of Gitane—Yes, there are a lot of ingredients in this beauty, but the resulting El Médano (“the sand dune” in Spanish) is well worth it. A particular favorite of snow cone and slushy lovers. (Ahem, us!)

For one glass:
1 1/2 oz Arette Blanco Tequila
1/2 oz San Juan del Rio Mezcal
1/2 oz Chinchon Anis
3/4 oz lime juice
3/4 oz orange marmalade
2-3 drops of ginger liqueur
3 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters
1-3 dashes of Angostura Bitters on top

How to do it: First, add a few drops of ginger liqueur to the orange marmalade and mix in a small bowl. Then, add the rest of the ingredients along with both crushed and cubed ice into a Collins glass. Add a few Angostura Bitters on top of the crushed ice (like topping a snow-cone), and garnish with a mint sprig. Voilà!