Above the Clouds cocktail, recipe below
When you're in the thick of summer, you've got to take advantage of the extra long days with extra fun and relaxation, and what better way to do this than with a cocktail in hand?
These delightful drink recipes are floral, fruity and offer a great way to cool down after a day in the scorching sun. Some require a bit of pre-mixing beforehand, but once you’ve crafted a few specialty syrups, you'll have a delicious drink in your hand and an exciting addition to your bar cart that’s ready to spice up any future beverage.
See also: How To Make Bruno Mars' Favorite Cocktail
From California-based restaurant Herb and Sea comes this fresh take on a mule that mixes fresh snap pea-infused vodka and ginger beer for a refreshing yet zesty sip.
Ingredients:
Directions: To make the snap pea vodka, add a quarter pound of snap peas to a bottle of vodka and let the mixture sit for two days before straining the peas from the liquid. You can also muddle snap peas into the bottom of your cocktail shaker and strain when pouring. To make the honeydew ginger syrup, cut one honeydew melon into squares, removing the seeds and rind, then combine in a blender with small pieces of ginger, and run the mixture through a fine strainer. To create your cocktail, mix the snap pea vodka with the honeydew ginger syrup and lime juice in a tin and shake. Strain into a julep glass with ¾ crushed ice, and top off with ginger beer and 4 dashes of Peychaud bitters. Garnish with a snap pea vine and enjoy!
Another unique cocktail from Herb and Sea, this refreshingly bitter sip includes hints of sweet sugar, creating a drink that will send your palette for a loop and excite your tastebuds!
Ingredients:
Directions: To make the chard and thyme lemon syrup, combine all ingredients into a pot, bring to a boil and let the mixture simmer for about 1 hour, then fine strain into a container. To make the cocktail, combine the chard and thyme lemon syrup with lemon juice into a glass and stir. Fill the glass up to ¾ with crushed ice and add club soda. Top with grenadine, which will sink to the bottom of the glass, then garnish and enjoy!
This unique take on a lychee cocktail comes from the mind of paper florist Zoe Bradley and St-Germain. Bright, berry-filled and beautiful, the aesthetic of the drink is almost as impressive as its flavors.
Ingredients:
Directions: To make the lychee juice, Take one can of seedless lychees in syrup and blend the contents until smooth, then strain with a fine mesh strainer. To create the cocktail, batch all items except the sparkling rose in a cocktail shaker, give a quick shake, then pour in a champagne flute and top with sparkling rose.
This cocktail from St-Germain and jewelry designer Jameel Mohammed brings a careful balance of sweet pineapple and zingy red yuzu to create an explosion of flavor. Great for those looking for a sophisticated cocktail, this drink is sure to impress guests.
Ingredients:
Directions: To make the marigold-infused St-Germain, add 1 large fresh marigold flower (or about 10 to 15 petals) to 2 cups of St-Germain. Blend until smooth, then strain with a fine mesh strainer. To make the cocktail, batch all ingredients except the tepache into a cocktail shaker, give a quick shake over ice, then double strain into a Collins glass with ice . Top with tepache, and stir.
One more from St-Germain, this cocktail uses the fragrant petals of hibiscus to create an intoxicating and romantic flavor profile perfect for summer nights.
Ingredients:
Directions: To make the hibiscus-infused Noilly Prat Rouge, add 1 oz. of dried hibiscus flowers to 6 oz. of rouge vermouth, making sure to submerge the flowers in the liquid. Cover the mixture and let it stand in room temperature for up to 48 hours. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and refrigerate for later use. To make the cocktail, add all the ingredients to a cocktail glass, and enjoy!
Photography by: Lizzie Munro; Kimberly Motos; Lizzie Munro
