Summer Sippers

Bring on summer, bring on the sun, bring on hot days and warm nights. It’s time to soak it all up and make some memories with friends while sharing four of the finest cocktails your neighbourhood has to offer.

Ontario summers are short and sweet, and to help you make the most of the 93 days we get – that’s right, 93 – we’ve tapped four talented mixologists who have delivered four local cocktails perfect for instigating as much summer fun as possible. From a casual brunch to a backyard barbeque, dockside drinks, a fine dinner al fresco, or a sophisticated nightcap under the stars, we’ve got you covered.

Cheers to summer!

THE LOCAL MICHELADA

by Casey Ada
The Local Social, Belleville

“The drink is my invention, but I took a lot of inspiration from an original Michelada, which has been on TikTok for months,” says Casey Ada, front of house manager at The Local Social in Belleville. “The combination of tomato and mango is to die for. I have a theory that tomatoes are going to be the fruit of 2024! We have quite a few regular Caesar drinkers, and I wanted to do something out of the box while using local products, hence we chose Prince Eddy’s So Many Friends IPA as the beer.” We use Hornitos tequila, but any gold tequila will do.

Mango purée can easily be made, it’s literally fresh mangoes juiced and then strained, but frozen mangoes can be used too. We made mango purée in a powerful blender, using frozen mango chunks.

Ingredients
1 oz. gold tequila
1 oz. mango purée
2 oz. puréed local tomatoes
½ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
Tajin seasoning, lime wheel and fresh jalapeño for garnishing

• Pour some Tajin out onto a plate. Wet the edge of the glass with a wedge of lime then dip into the Tajin; set aside.
• Into a cocktail shaker add all the ingredients with ice, shake well. Strain into a hurricane-style glass – no ice!
• Top up with IPA.
• Garnish with a dehydrated or fresh lime slice and slice of jalapeño.

Makes 1 heartily different drink.

photograph by Candid Confidence Photography

THE GRIND & VINE ESPRESSO MARTINI

by Taylor Russett
The Grind & Vine, Trenton

“The espresso martini is a sophisticated caffeine kick wrapped in a chic cocktail glass; it’s a caffeinated dance party, where coffee and spirits do the tango,” says owner and bartender Taylor Russett. “Customers love the velvety foam on the top. This drink is a classic, so we like to spice it up sometimes by adding sweetness and flavours from our selection of 1883 Syrups: caramel, mint, pistachio or tiramisu. It can be a brunch drink for the people who want to kickstart their day, a party starter or a party extender. We love Lord and Lady Coffee from Deseronto; it’s local and fresh and redolent of dark chocolate. If you’re making drinks for a gathering, pull a bunch of shots and set aside until ready to shake. If you don’t have an espresso machine, make cold brew concentrate by soaking coarsely ground espresso beans for 12 to 24 hours in a French press.”

Ingredients

Double shot (2.5 oz.) espresso
1 oz. vodka
1 oz. Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
Ice cubes for chilling the glass and for shaking
Coffee beans for garnish (optional)

• Chill the glass by filling it with ice cubes; set aside.
• Brew a double shot of espresso.
• In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine the espresso, vodka and coffee liqueur. Shake vigorously until thoroughly mixed and chilled.
• Dump the ice from the glass and strain the cocktail into the chilled martini glass or champagne coupe. Garnish with a few coffee beans floating on the foam.

Makes 1 lushly perky drink.

photograph by Russett Photography

THE BITTER BIANCO SPRITZ

by Maddy Thompson
The El, Cobourg

“This dry, crisp and refreshing cocktail lends itself to warm patio days spent in the sun, paired perfectly to any of our fried chicken sandwiches, as the bubbles cut through the oils of the fried chicken and the richness of the meat, leaving a clean mouth feel after each sip,” says Maddy Thompson, mixologist and marketing manager for The El in Cobourg. “It’s unique but suits almost anybody’s palate; I’m a big fan! You could describe it as a mid-day martini. With the olive garnish and the drink being quite bitter, it’s similar to a traditional martini while also being a perfect summer day spritzer – it’s in a category all its own. Luxardo bitters can be hard to find. Lillet – or even white vermouth in a pinch – will do a commendable job.

The elaborate garnish might seem like a bold choice – olives, rosemary, and lemon – but the fragrant evergreen of the rosemary aligns smoothly with the tangy bitterness of green olives and the lemon brings it all to life with a burst of citrus. Use dry prosecco for a clean finish.”

Ingredients

2 oz. Luxardo bitters bianco
3 oz. dry prosecco
Soda water
Green olives for garnish
Lemon wheels for garnish
Fresh rosemary for garnish

• Add bitters and prosecco to a generously proportioned white wine glass with ice.
• Top with soda water and garnish with three green olives, two lemon wheels and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Makes 1 sparklingly adult drink.

photograph by Christina Alison

MAD ABOUT SAFFRON

by Astrid Young
Merrill House, Picton

Sommelier and wine director at Merrill House, Astrid Young created this pretty and sophisticated drink made with locally distilled saffron liqueur infused with Ontario-grown saffron and bubbles from Karlo Estates. She shares credit with Merrill House owner and creative director Jordan Martin. “Jordan and I came up with the recipe together using tea from the Rare Tea Company. We wanted something subtle that would not overpower the delicate flavours of the tea. Kinsip had just released the saffron liqueur and it was unique and subtle, so we added a splash of gin to give it some grip; then when I was testing the recipe more recently, I added the sparkling wine, as it really brightened it up without masking any of the flavours.” Astrid recommends using a gin that’s not too heavy on the juniper, such as Bombay Sapphire. Use a micro-plane to shave the fresh ginger garnish.

Ingredients

1½ oz. Kinsip saffron liqueur
¼ oz. gin
2½ oz. good quality green tea
1 oz. sparkling wine
Fresh ginger and fresh mint for garnish

• Steep the green tea in advance and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
• Add the saffron liqueur, gin and cold tea to a mixing beaker with ice and stir until cold.
• Strain into a vintage sour glass, champagne coupe or flute.
• Top with chilled sparkling wine. Garnish with a shaving of ginger root and a sprig of fresh mint.

Makes 1 madly groovy drink.

photograph by Stephanie Trattner