Labor Day weekend may be the official end of summer, but that’s no reason to mope. Send off the season with a specialty cocktail or two on your list. Here are seven drink recipes we love that don’t require too much labor and will help ease the transition into the early fall.
Texas White Peach Sangria
Ingredients
- 2 Jalapeno sliced ⅛”-¼”
- 1 oz. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 oz. Giffard Peche liqueur
- 1 oz. Fiorente elderflower liqueur
- 1 oz. Crop Meyer lemon vodka
- 1 oz. Matteo pinot grigio
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker.
- Add ice and shake.
- Pour into a Collins glass with ice.
- Garnish with a flower.
Notes
The mixologists at North Italia created this recipe.
KC Matchpoint Margarita Punch
Ingredients
- 1 Large navel orange thinly sliced
- 2 Lemons thinly sliced
- 2 Limes thinly sliced
- 4 Large mint sprigs
- 1 Bottle Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc
- Juice of 2 large limes about ¼ cup
- ½ cup Blanco tequila
- ⅓ cup Orange liqueur
- 2 12-oz. Cans lime-flavored club soda
Instructions
- Add the orange, lemon, and lime slices and mint sprigs to a large pitcher.
- Muddle using a large wooden spoon.
- Stir in wine, lime juice, tequila and orange liqueur.
- Chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.
- Fill 6 to 8 glasses with ice and divide the sangria and fruit between them, leaving room for about an inch of club soda.
- Top each glass off with lime club soda and stir .
Notes
Makes 6 to 8 cocktails; the mixologists at Kim Crawford created this recipe for the U.S. Open tennis tournament.
Neon Night
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Don Papa 7 rum
- 2 ½ oz. Fresh dragon fruit puréed
- ½ oz. Almond orgeat
- ⅓ oz. Yuzu juice
- ⅓ oz. Blue Curaçao
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker without ice.
- Shake vigorously to incorporate.
- Pour into a glass filled with pebble ice, adding more to create a crown over the glass.
- Garnish with a wheel of fresh dragon fruit and sprinkle with crushed, freeze-dried raspberry.
Notes
The mixologists at Don Papa created this recipe.
The Pink Flamingo
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Martini & Rossi Fiero
- 1 oz. Tequila
- 2 oz. Whispering Angel rosé
- ½ oz. Agave
- 1 oz. Lemon juice
- 4 oz. Watermelon juice
- 3 oz. Acqua Panna water
- ⅓ oz. Saline
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a cocktail mixer and stir gently. Serve over crushed ice in a tumbler and adorn with flamingo accoutrements if desired. (This recipe can also be batched and blended with ice in a blender for a slushy style consistency.)
Notes
The mixologists at Martini & Rossi created this recipe.
Citrus Bomba Gin & Tonic
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Fords gin
- ¼ oz. Italicus liqueur
- barspoon Suze
- barspoon Grapefruit oleo saccharum
- barspoon Lemon juice
- dash Lemon bitters
Instructions
- Fill wine glass with ice.
- Add all ingredients.
- Top with Q tonic and stir.
- Garnish with 1 lemon wheel, 1 lime wheel and 1 orange wheel.
Notes
Naren Young at Sweet Liberty in Miami Beach created this recipe.
Flora Fizz
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Tequila Don Julio Primavera
- ½ oz. White tea
- ½ oz. Lemon juice
- ¼ oz. Saffron syrup
- 1 oz. Topo Chico sparkling water
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except sparkling to a shaker tin.
- Add ice and shake.
- Strain into glass and top with Topo Chico.
Notes
The mixologists at Don Julio created this recipe.
Mezcal Mango
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Recuerdo Mezcal Joven
- 2 ½ oz. Mango nectar
- ½ oz. Rosemary syrup
- ¼ oz. Lime juice
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients in the blender with plenty of ice.
- Blend to the consistency of ice cream.
- Serve frozen in a cocktail glass.
- Garnished with a sprig of rosemary.
Notes
For Rosemary syrup :
Combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 3-4 sticks fresh rosemary – or substitute 2 teaspoons dried. Heat to a gentle boil and reduce to a simmer for 1-2 minutes while stirring. Pull off the heat and allow to sit for 30-60 minutes to infuse the rosemary. Cool and strain the rosemary. The mixologists at Recuerdo created this recipe.
Combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 3-4 sticks fresh rosemary – or substitute 2 teaspoons dried. Heat to a gentle boil and reduce to a simmer for 1-2 minutes while stirring. Pull off the heat and allow to sit for 30-60 minutes to infuse the rosemary. Cool and strain the rosemary. The mixologists at Recuerdo created this recipe.
