WASHINGTON 鈥� Tending to a sizzling pile of coals and flickering flames is hard 鈥� and hot 鈥� work, which is why no summer cookout is complete without something cool in the glass.
A frosty beer is always a crowd-pleaser, but if you鈥檙e looking to impress your guests with a cocktail or two, Matthew Strickland, head distiller at D.C.鈥檚 , has some ideas.
First, Strickland said there鈥檚 no need to complicate things if you don鈥檛 have the time or the budget for a bunch of different bottles. A simple highball cocktail is a foolproof option.
For example, mix up 2 ounces of gin, a half-ounce of lime juice and top the drink off with tonic water for a refreshing gin and tonic. If your menu features barbecue, pair it alongside some aged spirits.
鈥淵ou can do something as easy as whiskey and soda. It鈥檚 2 ounces of whiskey, 4 ounces of soda, all over ice, stir it up and maybe add a cherry cocktail and you鈥檙e good to go,鈥� he said.
For those who want to get fancier and flex their cocktail chops, Strickland shared three recipes, perfect for any summer gathering:
Watermelon, mint and gin: A wonderful combination
At District Distilling, Strickland and his team serve a drink that incorporates one of summer鈥檚 most popular fruits: watermelon. It鈥檚 mixed with Aperol, gin and just a few dashes of cr猫me de menthe.
鈥淐r猫me de menthe is an old, (mint-flavored) liqueur that you don鈥檛 see that often. And the problem with cr猫me de menthe is, most of the ones you find on the market these days are bright neon-green and flavored with all kinds of crud that you don鈥檛 really want,鈥� Strickland said.
That鈥檚 not the case at District Distilling, where Strickland makes his own (neon-free) bottles.
Cocktail ingredients:
- 1.5 ounces Aperol
- 1.5 ounces gin
- 1.5 ounces watermelon juice
- 录- to 陆-ounce of cr猫me de menthe
Combine the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well. Then, pour the cocktail into a tall glass over ice and top it with a splash of soda water (if you want) for a touch of carbonation.
鈥淭he nice thing about this cocktail is that you can serve this up if you want, it works really well on its own, but I like to lengthen it over ice and top it off with a little bit of soda,鈥� Strickland said.
鈥淎nd honestly, mint and watermelon go really well together.鈥�
Rum, pineapple and IPA? It works
The ingredient list for this drink sounds strange, but this tropical-inspired cocktail mixed with craft beer works.
Cocktail ingredients:
- 1.5 ounces golden rum
- 戮 ounce pineapple juice
- 陆- to 戮- ounce of fresh lime juice
- 陆 ounce of green Chartreuse
- 录 cr猫me de cacao
- An IPA of your choice
Combine the rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, green Chartreuse, and cr猫me de cacao in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well. Pour the drink, along with the ice, into a tall glass and top it off with your favorite IPA.
鈥�(Adding the IPA) is sort of like adding soda water 鈥� it lengthens the drink a little bit 鈥� but you鈥檙e also adding some bitterness as well, which is nice because you do end up having a fair amount of sugar in there,鈥� Strickland said.
A sparkling daiquiri
When Strickland (and most craft cocktail professionals) says 鈥渄aiquiri,鈥� he is not talking about a frozen, umbrella-topped pink drink. A daiquiri is simply a cocktail comprised of rum, simple syrup and lime juice.
For special events, he likes to top the coupe off with some sparkling wine.
Ingredients:
- 1 ounce white rum
- 陆 ounce lime juice
- 陆 ounce simple syrup
- Sparkling wine, such as prosecco
Combine the rum, lime juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well. Strain the drink into a chilled coupe glass, and top it off with some sparkling wine.
Can鈥檛 you just picture the garden party now?
