How to Make the Ultimate Summer Cocktails for Seasonal Sipping

Valley Cocktail

Courtesy of Valley Restaurant & World’s End Bar in Garrison

Ingredients

1 1⁄2 oz Tuthilltown Vodka
1 1⁄2 oz preserved Catskill black currants with Garrison lavender (may substitute other fruits, herbs, or edible flowers)
Wedge of fresh Meyer lemon
Splash of preferred sparkling wine
Large mint leaf to garnish

Preparation 

In an iced shaker, squeeze the fresh lemon wedge, add Tuthilltown vodka and preserved Catskill black currants with Garrison lavender. Shake and strain into an iced cocktail glass, allowing room at the top for a splash of a brut-style or other preferred bubbly.

Garnish with a large mint leaf.

Blood Orange Margarita

Courtesy of Ole Savannah Southern Table and Bar in Kingston

Ingredients

1 1⁄2 oz blanco tequila
1⁄2 oz Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
1⁄2 oz blood orange purée
Half a fresh-squeezed lime
1 tbsp chipotle powder
1 tbsp sugar

Preparation 

Mix the chipotle powder and sugar together in a saucer or small bowl. Wet the rim of your glass with a little water or a lime wedge. Dip the glass into the chipotle mixture and twirl to fully coat the rim. Set aside to dry. Add remaining ingredients in a shaker and fill with ice. Cover and shake. Strain into prepared glass. Finish with fresh ice.

Blueberry Kombucharita

Courtesy of Kim Aquino, bar manager at City Line Bar and Grill in Albany

Ingredients

1 1⁄2 oz Avion Tequila
1⁄2 oz wildberry purée
1 oz fresh lime juice
2 oz wildberry kombucha
2 oz coconut water
Handful of blueberries

Preparation 

Muddle blueberries, fresh lime juice, and wildberry purée. Add ice and tequila. Top with coconut water and wildberry kombucha. Stir gently.

Holiday in Barcelona

Courtesy of Andrew Sarubbi, general manager of McKinney & Doyle Fine Foods in Pawling

Ingredients

1 oz Gin Mare Mediterranean Gin
1 oz Giffard Abricot du Roussillon
1 oz Kina L’Avion
1 oz fresh lemon juice
2 oz rosé sparkling wine
Sprig of rosemary to garnish

Preparation 

Add all ingredients except rosé to a shaker tin, add ice, and shake until properly chilled and diluted. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and top with 2 ounces of rosé sparkling wine. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.

Strawberry Pineapple Mule

Courtesy of Zulu Time Rooftop Bar and Lounge at The Thayer Hotel at West Point

Ingredients

4 strawberries
3 chunks of pineapple
Half a lime, squeezed
1⁄2 oz simple syrup
1 1⁄2 oz Black Button Vodka
3 oz ginger beer

Preparation 

Muddle strawberries and pineapple together. In shaker, add all ingredients except ginger beer and shake. Pour into glass filled with ice. Top with ginger beer.

The River Breeze

Courtesy of Steven Aigner, bar manager at The River Grill in Newburgh

Ingredients

2 oz Milagro Reposado Tequila
1 oz Lillet Blanc
1 oz watermelon purée
1⁄2 oz lavender syrup
1⁄2 oz lime juice
Lemon wedge and Sugar in the Raw to garnish

Preparation 

In a shaker combine all ingredients except lemon and sugar, add ice and shake for 15 seconds. For garnish, moisten rim of a chilled coupe glass with lemon wedge and dip into a plate of Sugar in the Raw. Strain shaker into coupe glass.

Coco Loco

(pictured, above center)
Courtesy of Christine Leggio, bar manager at The Hudson Water Club

Ingredients

Wedge of fresh lemon
1 1⁄2 oz Ciroc Coconut
1⁄2 oz coconut water
1⁄4 oz lemonade
Splash of simple syrup
Splash of sweet/sour mix
Sparkling water
Fresh mint to garnish

Preparation 

Muddle fresh lemon in a shaker. Add Ciroc, coconut water, lemonade, simple syrup, and sweet/sour mix and shake. Pour over ice. Top with sparkling water. Garnish with fresh mint.

Peach Life

Courtesy of Dylan Phillips, bartender at Shadows on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie

Ingredients

1 1⁄2 oz New Amsterdam Gin
1⁄2 oz peach purée
1⁄4 oz lemon juice
1⁄4 oz simple syrup
Club soda
Peach slice and cherry spear to garnish

Preparation 

Shake all ingredients well with ice. Pour into Collins glass and top with club soda. Garnish with peach slice and cherry spear.

OCD

Courtesy of the Cocktail Bar at Orange County Distillery at Brown Barn Farms in New Hampton

Ingredients

1 1⁄2 oz Orange County Distillery bourbon
1⁄2 oz lemon rosemary simple syrup
1⁄2 oz dark maple syrup
Sprig of rosemary
Seltzer water

Preparation 

In shaker, combine bourbon, lemon rosemary simple syrup, dark maple syrup, and scoop of ice. Shake until cold. Pour into an 8-ounce glass. Add a sprig of rosemary, fill glass almost to the top with seltzer water, then slightly stir.