Spring is in the air and it’s time to celebrate the sunshine the best way we know: with a delectable drink on hand while mingling with sexy patrons at a posh rooftop bash. It’s time to get your friends together and embrace the warm weather with bursts of color in your cup. To jumpstart the blooming festivities, we spoke with Bombay Sapphire's mixologist Milo Rodriguez who provided some spring cocktail tips that are certain to impress your guests and have you entertaining like a pro.
#1 Spring Cocktail Tip: Keep your drinks simple. The fewer mixers, the better!
#2 Spring Cocktail Tip: Always serve a premium based spirit. Patrons will be able to tell the difference between high-end alcohol and boxed wine.
#3 Spring Cocktail Tip: Use fresh ingredients only. Its spring and fruit is in abundance. Aim for strawberries, cherries, and peaches.
#4 Spring Cocktail Tip: Add a garnish to your drinks, such as a lemon peel or a handful of berries.
#5 Spring Cocktail Tip: Ice in cocktails is a must to keep your mixed beverage cool for hours and guests happy.
Start shaking things up this spring with our picks of the top five spring cocktails that are always in season.
Top Spring Cocktail: Mint Muse
The color green is found throughout nature during springtime and signifies renewal, giving us an excuse to sip on this minty drink. The refreshing Mint Muse from Manhattan’s Pigalle is perfect for celebrating spring and all things new. While the anise notes and mint are ideal for enjoying warm evenings at your favorite outdoor bar, be warned that the reported hallucinogenic spirit in a Mint Muse may leave you absinthe-minded.
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Absinthe (We used Lucid)
2 oz. Pineapple juice
Muddled mint leaves
1 Lime wedge
Can of Sprite or 7-Up
Preparation
Muddle mint leaves with lime wedge and add absinthe. Then, add ice and pineapple juice. Shake briefly and top with Sprite or 7-UP. Add mint sprig.
Top Spring Cocktail: Smoky Rose
Who says plump apples were just for autumn? This season, you can fall in love with Rome Beauties and Honeycrisps with a sinful concoction that won’t pack on the pounds. Gabriel Orta from Miami’s W Hotel is keeping his patrons looking and feeling cool with his Smoky Rose, which features chilled apple cider, rosemary for a hint of spice, and aged rum. The Smoky Rose also includes agave nectar, a natural sweetener that comes from the agave plant, a key ingredient in producing tequila. An apple a day keeps the doctor away and the bartender on hand.
Ingredients
1 ½ oz. Rum (We used Ron Abuelo Anejo)
¾ oz. Lemon juice
½ oz. Agave nectar
½ oz. Apple cider
4-5 Chunks of apple
1 Rosemary sprig
Preparation
Muddle apple chunks in a shaker and then pour in rest of the ingredients. Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a slice of apple.
Top Spring Cocktail: Blossom
Girls, why go for overrated Cosmos when you can celebrate the arrival of spring with fresh Blossoms? Its gorgeous ruby hue lights up any glass and ripe fruits soak up the tantalizing blend of rum and tequila for a sweet surprise. The Blossom is crisp, yet silky smooth with faint notes of honey and creamy vanilla. Make sure you hold on tight to your cup because even the guys will want a sip. Remember, visiting your favorite bar isn’t like making a trip to the florist-don’t order a dozen because Zertec won’t help get rid of the morning drowsiness.
Ingredients
Slices of fruit marinated in lime juice
Rum (We used Malibu Passion Fruit Rum)
2 parts Tequila (We used Tequila Tezon Blanco)
.5 part Lychee liqueur (We used SOHO Lychee Liqueur)
1 part Pomegranate juice
1 part Orange juice
Spoonful of Sugar
Preparation
Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake. Serve over ice in a rocks glass filled with marinated fruit slices.
Top Spring Cocktail: Mixed Berry Caipirinha
The key to making an unforgettable spring drink that anyone will enjoy is adding as much fruit as alcohol to still give you a much needed buzz after a long day, all while enjoying Mother Nature’s delicious gifts. Even classic cocktails, such as Brazil’s Caipirinha, can get an upgrade when you pour a handful of berries into your shaker. Have Carnaval this weekend and prepare for summer-the season of bikinis!
Ingredients
2 oz. Cachaca (We used Leblon Cachaca)
8 Mixed berries
¼ Lime
½ oz. Simple syrup
Preparation
Muddle the lime, berries, and syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and add cachaca. Shake vigorously. Serve in a rocks glass and garnish with a blackberry.
Top Spring Cocktail: Gin Jubilee
Cherries are all the rage this year, just ask mixologist H Joseph Ehrmann of Elixir in San Francisco. He was voted “Best Bartender of 2010” by Nightclub and Bar Magazine. His patrons are chanting “another round, please” and we have a feeling it has to do with his latest creation, the Gin Jubilee. Men will swoon for this sophisticated number because it gives a sudden kick without the unwanted side effects of a poorly made martini. Ladies will yearn for Gin Jubilees because they’re overflowing with cherries and blueberries swimming in honey. Either way, it’s the reason why this cocktail is popping up all over the place.
Ingredients
2 oz. Gin (We used Bluecoat Gin)
.5 oz. Honey
Handful of cherries
Handful of blueberries
Preparation
Muddle cherries and blueberries in a mixing glass. Add gin and honey. Fill with ice and shake well for 10 seconds. Double fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry on the rim.
