All Hands on Deck

Let’s face it. This summer will not be one of carousing at a crowded bar while sipping a colorful aperitif right next to an affable stranger. But do not fret. You can have that beautiful yellow, red or even blue eye catching, yet still intoxicating cocktail. On your deck! All that you require are the ingredients and someone to teach you what proportions of what liquids to use and…err…a deck (Or a patio. Or a porch. Or a stoop. Or a folding chair).

Luckily, we have the instruction portion covered for you!

Summer drinks are a completely different animal than the whisky or cognac laden cocktails or Irish coffees that you have used all winter to keep you warm. Summer drinks are the animals that make you happy to look at before consuming it in your tank tops and shorts. They are the drinks that look too beautiful to drink but we all know that beauty means sacrifice. And these colorful and delicious drinks are just going to have to take one for the team. 

Put on your shades and that sundress or straw hat and bring your thirst because here are some summer quenchers complete with recipes!

Mint & Mango Iced Green Tea –

Ingredients:

• 1 mango, peeled, stoned and chopped

• 100g granulated sugar

• 4 tsp green tea leaves

• small bunch fresh mint

• 1 lime, sliced

• ice

• Ciroc Mango Vodka

Preparation –

1. Put half the mango in a saucepan with the sugar and 100ml water. Cook for 8-10 mins then strain through a sieve and leave the liquid to cool.
2. Meanwhile, pour 500ml boiling water into a large heatproof jug and add the green tea leaves. Leave to steep for 5 mins, then strain into a large glass jug and add 300ml cold water. Leave to cool completely then put into the fridge to chill.
3. Once cold, add the strained mango syrup to the chilled tea, along with the rest of the chopped mango, fresh mint and the lime slices. Fill up the jug with ice, vodka stir gently and serve.

His Bloody Truth

Ingredients:

• 8 oz tomato juice

• 1 oz Worcestershire 

• 2 oz dill pickle juice

• 1 oz lemon juice

• 1 tsp cracked black pepper

• 1 tsp Tahin

• 1 oz Frank’s RedHot

• 3 oz Ketel One

• 1/2 tsp horseradish

• 1 tsp muddled celery

Preparation:

1. Rim 12 oz. Collins glass in with Tahin
2. Mix in tomato juice, cracked pepper, Tahin, horseradish, worcestershire, vodka, pickle juice, lemon juice
3. Add ice
4. Muddle celery and add to glass (The ice should keep celery suspended throughout the glass.)
5. Add Frank’s RedHot
6. Stir gently with swizzle stick
7. Adorn with bacon, cheese, olive and jalapeno on skewer

Da Missus’ 75 –

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces London dry gin

• ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

• ¾ ounce simple syrup

• 2 ounces Champagne

• Long spiral lemon twist (for serving)

Preparation:

Combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds. Strain cocktail through a Hawthorne strainer or a slotted spoon into a large flute. Top with Champagne; garnish with lemon twist.

Motown Mojito –

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Valentine Detroit Distilling Co. ‘White Blossom’ Elderflower Vodka 

• 3 Mint leaves

• 3/4 oz Fresh squeezed lime juice

• 1/2 oz simple syrup

• Club soda

• Garnish: Mint sprig

• Garnish: Lime wheel

Preparation:

1. Lightly muddle the mint in a shaker.
2. Add the vodka, lime juice, simple syrup and ice and give it a brief shake.
3. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice.
4. Top with the club soda.
5. Garnish with a mint sprig and lime wheel.

So there are just a few of Urban Upscale’s summer favorites. Having access to vessels of every size and shape, we are anxious to hear if you have any refreshing recipes to fill them with so please comment below if you have any warm weather specialties that you would like to share. If we take a cotton to any of them, rest assured that we will include your recipe in a future article complete with all credit given to you!

You may have lighting on your deck or hanging plants on your porch but we can assure you that these adornments will look so much better after a sip or two of any of the above!