2 cups rosemary gin (recipe follows)
¾ cup fino sherry
½ cup yellow Chartreuse
¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
At least 2 hours and up to 6 hours before serving, make the batch. Use a small funnel to pour the rosemary gin, fino sherry, yellow Chartreuse, and water into a 1-liter swing-top bottle. Seal, turn gently end over end to mix, and chill in freezer. (If you’d prefer to batch further in advance, refrigerate filled bottle, then place in freezer an hour or two before serving.)
To serve, turn bottle gently to mix, then pour into chilled coupe glasses.
ROSEMARY GIN • MAKES 2 CUPS
4 (4-inch) rosemary sprigs
2 cups gin
Place rosemary in a large mason jar or resealable container and cover with gin. Let sit for 2½ hours at room temperature, shaking occasionally. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove all particles before using. Store in a cool, dark place for up to several months.
L’Aventura Punch
MAKES ABOUT 8 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
Don’t be afraid of the amaro in this crowd-pleasing punch recipe from Daniel Osborne of Bullard and Abigail Hall in Portland, Oregon. Montenegro is a faintly bitter Italian liqueur that accents the drink with orange peel, saffron, and vanilla. Note that you need full-bodied blanc vermouth, not dry vermouth, for balance here. If you prefer your cocktails tart, increase the lime juice as noted in the recipe; with a cup, it’s a rich, floral, minty dream, while a bit more gives you a brighter edge. This is a drink worth multiplying to fill a big serving bowl.
1 cup vodka
1 cup Dolin blanc vermouth
1 cup Amaro Montenegro
1¼ cups chilled mint tea syrup (recipe follows)
1 cup fresh lime juice
TO SERVE
⅔ cup chilled club soda
8 lime wheels
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (optional)
8 mint sprigs
Up to 1 week before serving, make the batch. Pour vodka, vermouth, Amaro Montenegro, and chilled mint tea syrup into a 2-quart pitcher and stir to mix. Seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
Up to 2 hours before serving, prepare lime juice and stir into pitcher mix. Reseal and return to refrigerator if not serving immediately.
To serve, stir mixture well, then add chilled club soda and lime wheels. Fill pitcher with ice and stir gently until exterior of pitcher is cool. Taste a bit over ice and add up to 2 tablespoons lime juice, if desired. Pour cocktail into ice-filled punch cups or rocks glasses and garnish each glass with a mint sprig.
MINT TEA SYRUP • MAKES ABOUT 1⅓ CUPS
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
2 high-quality mint tea bags
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
In a small saucepan, bring water to a bare simmer over medium-high heat. As soon as you spot the first bubble, add tea bags, remove from heat, and let steep for 7 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add sugar to saucepan, return to medium-high heat, and stir constantly until completely dissolved. Remove from heat. Let cool, then transfer to a resealable container and refrigerate until chilled or for up to 1 week.
FRUITY & TART
IMPROVED BLOOD ORANGE PUNCH
SANDY BOTTOMS
SIDE PORCH SANGRIA
BEAR AT THE TURN
GRAND PRIX
LACE AND FANCY THINGS
ADDISON STREET
HONEY CRISP
DEL RIO PUNCH
ONE-STAR YELP REVIEW
PORCH SWING AT SUNDOWN
Improved Blood Orange Punch
MAKES ABOUT 12 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
When does an orange taste like a raspberry? When it’s a blood orange, the maroon-hued version you can spot at gourmet markets in colder months. They’re essential for this tart punch from Jen Ackrill of Sky Waikiki, and they add a vibrant red hue and tangy flavor that pairs nicely with floral maraschino liqueur. Vodka that’s chilled in the freezer helps keep the pitcher cool. You’ll need about 13 medium blood oranges to make the whole batch, depending on your juicer’s yield. For the best flavor, don’t juice them more than two hours before serving.
1½ cups chilled vodka
¾ cup maraschino liqueur (such as Luxardo)
3 cups fresh blood orange juice
1½ cups fresh lemon juice
TO SERVE
About 1 (750 ml) bottle chilled prosecco
12 blood orange half-moons
Up to 2 hours before serving, make the batch. Pour chilled vodka, maraschino liqueur, blood orange juice, and lemon juice into a 2-quart pitcher and stir to mix. If not serving immediately, seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
To serve, fill collins glasses to top with ice. Carefully pour in ¼ cup chilled prosecco and let the bubbles settle, then top with ½ cup punch mix. Garnish with a half-moon of blood orange and serve immediately.
USE IT UP
Do not pass Go until you’ve tried maraschino liqueur in essential cocktails like a Martinez, Last Word, or Red Hook. But don’t miss the Porch Swing at Sundown (this page) or All She Wrote (this page), either.
Sandy Bottoms
MAKES ABOUT 8 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
On a blistering-hot day, this easy rosy punch from Stephanie Andrews of Billy Sunday in Chicago just hits the spot. Watermelon and lime are as cooling as a dip in the waves, and a long pour of Peychaud’s bitters adds a subtle—but intriguing—hint of anise. I like to make the simple syrup and throw my bottle of rum in the freezer the night before, which helps keep the whole drink cool. You’ll notice that there’s lots of room in the pitcher for ice. Make a few trays and add as much as you can fit. If you don’t have a juicer, pulverize about 3 cups seedless watermelon chunks in your blender and strain the juice. Don’t let this one linger too long in the fridge; you want your juices to taste fresh and clean. For a savory, spicy take on watermelon punch, try the Friendly Fires Punch on this page.
1½ cups chilled white rum (such as El Dorado 3-Year or Brugal)
2 cups fresh watermelon juice
½ cup Peychaud’s bitters
¾ cup chilled 1:1 simple syrup (this page)
¾ cup fresh lime juice
TO SERVE
8 lime wheels
8 mint sprigs
8 small watermelon slices (optional)
Up to 2 hours before serving, make the batch. Pour chilled rum, watermelon juice, Peychaud‘s bitters, chilled simple syrup, and lime juice in a 2-quart pitcher and stir to mix. If not serving immediately, seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
To serve, stir mixture well. Add lime wheels and fill pitcher with ice, then stir gently again until outside of pitcher is cool. Pour into ice-filled rocks glasses and garnish each glass with a mint sprig and a small watermelon slice, if desired.
Side Porch Sangria
MAKES ABOUT 8 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
Sangria just calls out for experimentation, and there’s no reason to feel tethered to a ho-hum mix of wine and fruit. In this fruity-but-bitter rendition, Dorothy Elizabeth of Straylight in New York brings out the juicy flavors of Sauvignon Blanc by adding fresh grapefruit juice and citrusy Aperol, bracing Campari, and rich Italian vermouth. Boxed or bottled apricot juice rounds out the drink. For a lighter version, I like to top off the mix with a splash of chilled seltzer.
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Aperol
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Campari
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth
1 (750 ml) bottle chilled dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons chilled apricot juice (such as Looza or Ceres)
½ cup fresh grapefruit juice
TO SERVE
1 grapefruit, sliced into quarter
-moons
2 fresh apricots, pitted and sliced (optional)
Chilled seltzer or club soda (optional)
Up to 8 hours before serving, make the batch. Pour Aperol, Campari, vermouth, and chilled wine into a 2-quart pitcher. If not serving immediately, seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
Up to 2 hours before serving, stir chilled apricot juice into pitcher mix. Prepare and add grapefruit juice, then stir and reseal, returning pitcher to refrigerator if not serving immediately.
To serve, add grapefruit and apricot slices, if desired, and stir well. Fill pitcher with ice and stir gently until outside of pitcher is cool. Serve immediately in ice-filled rocks glasses or wineglasses. Offer chilled seltzer to top off the drink, if desired.
Bear at the Turn
MAKES ABOUT 8 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
Tangy, ripe blackberries, whirred in a blender with mint, contribute the berry core of this drink from Florida bartender Miles Howard. There’s an added bonus: You can make it two ways. With reposado tequila and a little sparkling wine, the drink is fresh and full, showing off its bright herbs and easy balance. It’s a guaranteed hit for any crowd. But sub out the tequila for good mezcal—and use a splash of lager instead of wine in each glass—and you’ve got a tantalizingly savory porch companion. Bittermens ‘Elemakule Tiki bitters contribute clove and sassafras, but if you can’t find those, things work out pretty well with Angostura too.
1½ cups plus 4 teaspoons chilled reposado tequila or mezcal
2 cups chilled blackberry-mint syrup (recipe follows)
8 dashes Bittermens ‘Elemakule Tiki bitters or Angostura bitters
1½ cups water
2 cups fresh lime juice
TO SERVE
About 1½ cups chilled dry sparkling wine or chilled crisp lager (such as Tecate)
8 mint sprigs
Up to 1 day before serving, make the batch. Pour tequila (or mezcal), chilled blackberry-mint syrup, bitters, and water into a 2-quart pitcher and stir to mix. If not serving immediately, seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
Up to 2 hours before serving, prepare lime juice and stir into pitcher mix. Reseal and return to refrigerator if not serving immediately.
To serve, stir mixture well and pour into ice-filled rocks glasses. Finish each glass with a splash of chilled sparkling wine (or lager) and garnish with a mint sprig.
BLACKBERRY-MINT SYRUP • MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
1 cup water
1½ cups sugar
⅔ cup fresh blackberries
Leaves from 8 mint sprigs
Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Let cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to a blender along with blackberries and mint leaves and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a resealable container. Refrigerate until completely chilled or for up to 3 days.
Grand Prix
MAKES ABOUT 12 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
I don’t know why this is true, but somehow mixing coffee, Campari, and grapefruit gives you a raspberry-filled chocolate truffle flavor that makes this rosy drink ideal for brunch, alongside a stack of ricotta pancakes or buttermilk waffles. Created by Morgan Schick for Villon in San Francisco, this cocktail is equally fruity and bitter, tart and roasty. Schick recommends buzzing the mix in a blender for a moment (or whisking it vigorously) to give it a frothy texture.
2¼ cups chilled Campari
1½ cups chilled coffee or cold brew
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons 2:1 simple syrup (this page)
Pinch fine sea salt
3 cups fresh grapefruit juice
TO SERVE
3 cups chilled tonic water
12 grapefruit twists
Up to 6 hours before serving, make the batch. Pour chilled Campari, chilled coffee, simple syrup, and salt into a 2-quart pitcher and stir to mix. Seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
Up to 2 hours before serving, prepare grapefruit juice and stir into pitcher mix. Reseal and return to refrigerator if not serving immediately.
To serve, whisk pitcher mixture well, or pour half of the mixture into a blender and blend for 20 seconds, then stir back into remaining pitcher mix. Fill 12-ounce highball glasses with ice and add ¼ cup chilled tonic water to each glass. Top with pitcher mix and garnish each drink with a grapefruit twist.
Lace and Fancy Things
MAKES ABOUT 10 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
Alexandra Anderson of The Lawrence in Atlanta created this ambrosial daytime drink in honor of her mother’s grand brunch buffets, which always feature cantaloupe cubes, neatly arranged on skewers. To get a delicate melon flavor (without any pesky pulp) into the mix, Alexandra buzzes the fruit in a blender with gin and lets it sit overnight in the fridge. Be sure your cantaloupe is fully ripe before you begin; there’s plenty of tartness from the lemon to balance the drink.
2¼ cups chilled cantaloupe-infused gin (recipe follows)
1½ cups chilled coconut water
¾ cup 1:1 simple syrup (this page)
¾ cup fresh lemon juice
TO SERVE
10 tarragon sprigs
Up to 1 day before serving, make the batch. Pour chilled cantaloupe-infused gin, chilled coconut water, and simple syrup into a 2-quart pitcher. If not serving immediately, seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
Up to 2 hours before serving, prepare lemon juice and stir into pitcher mix. Reseal and return to refrigerator if not serving immediately.
To serve, fill pitcher with ice and stir for 20 seconds. Pour cocktail into ice-filled rocks glasses and garnish each glass with a tarragon sprig.
CANTALOUPE-INFUSED GIN • MAKES ABOUT 2½ CUPS
1¾ cups London dry gin
1¾ cups diced ripe cantaloupe (rind and any green removed)
Combine gin and cantaloupe in a blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into a 1-quart resealable container and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on solids to extract the juice. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Addison Street
MAKES ABOUT 12 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
Whiskey may get all the attention when cold weather rolls in, but I think gin is inherently festive, thanks to its herbal scent and touch of spice. Here, mother’s ruin gets party-ready when paired with cranberries and rosemary in a jolly-red drink from Jefferson Oatts of the Schulson Collective in Philadelphia. The cocktail’s piney quality will vary depending on the gin. I prefer to go full evergreen with St. George’s Terroir gin.
2¼ cups gin
1½ cups chilled cranberry-rosemary cordial (recipe follows)
6 tablespoons 1:1 honey syrup (this page)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
TO SERVE
12 star anise pods
At least 2 hours and up to 1 week before serving, make the batch. Pour gin, chilled cranberry-rosemary cordial, honey syrup, and water in a 2-quart pitcher and stir to mix. Seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
Up to 2 hours before serving, prepare lemon juice and stir into pitcher mix. Reseal and return to refrigerator if not serving immediately.
To serve, toast star anise pods (if desired) over high heat in a dry skillet, watching carefully, just until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Place a large ice cube in each rocks glass, then pour in the cocktail. Garnish each glass with a pod of star anise and serve.
CRANBERRY-ROSEMARY CORDIAL • MAKES ABOUT 1¾ CUPS
2 cups cranberries
1⅓ cups water
1⅓ cups sugar
3 star anise pods
6 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 tablespoon gin
Combine cranberries and water in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan, stir in sugar and star anise, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat as needed to maintain a bare simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat and stir in rosemary sprigs. Cover and let cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, stir in gin, and store in a sealed container in refrigerator until chilled or for up to 1 week.
Honey Crisp
MAKES ABOUT 10 SERVINGS IN A 2-QUART PITCHER
Think of just-picked sweet-tart apples, and you’ve got this cocktail, from North Carolina bartender Jordan Joseph, in a nutshell. Apple brandy serves as the base—don’t sub weaker applejack here, you want the strong stuff. It’s rounded out with citrusy Amaro Nonino, lemon, and honey. Fino sherry seasons the mix with a subtle salinity. Skip the pumpkin beer this Halloween (and Thanksgiving) and serve a double batch of this drink in a punch bowl instead.
1¼ cups chilled 100-proof apple brandy (such as Laird’s)
1¼ cups Amaro Nonino
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons fino sherry
1¼ cups water
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons chilled 3:1 honey syrup (this page)
1¼ cups fresh lemon juice
TO SERVE
10 thin apple slices, lemon twists, or orange wheels,or a combination
At least 2 hours and up to 1 day before serving, make the batch. Pour chilled apple brandy, Amaro Nonino, fino sherry, water, and chilled honey syrup into a 2-quart pitcher and stir to mix. Seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
Up to 2 hours before serving, prepare lemon juice and stir into pitcher mix. Reseal and return to refrigerator if not serving immediately.
Batch Cocktails Page 3
