Labor Day Drinks!

With the dog-days of summer almost behind us, there are just a few weeks left until the start of pumpkin spice season and the push for flannel, cozy, and crisp.  It’s finally time to stash away the pool floaties and dig out those flannels from the corner of your closet.  Before you begin your preparations, let’s take one last opportunity to embrace the fleeting summer moments while they’re still here.

 

Folks in the Denver area are either headed to the mountains for the weekend, celebrating with a concert at Red Rocks, or backyard BBQ.  Molly’s has crafted a list of our 10 favorite cocktails to enjoy the long weekend-with ingredients that are easy to find (most of which may already be in your bar), and easier to make.  Cheers to summer, until next year!

 

Summer Rye

1 1/2 oz Sazerac rye whiskey

3/4 oz St-Germain elderflower liqueur

1/4 oz simple syrup

3/4 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 oz Fuji apple juice

Champagne, chilled, to top (approximately 3/4 oz)

Garnish: sliced apple cubes

 

Steps:

• Add the rye whiskey, elderflower liqueur, simple syrup, lemon juice and Fuji apple juice to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled

• Double-strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice

• Top with the Champagne

• Garnish with diced apple cubes

•  

 

 

Demi Peach

12 ounces wheat beer or lager, chilled

1 ounce peach syrup (or to your liking)

 

Steps:

• Add the beer and syrup into a pilsner glass

• Stir gently and briefly to combine

 

 

 

Negroni Sbagliato

1 ounce Campari

1 ounce sweet vermouth

1 ounce prosecco or other sparkling wine

Garnish: orange peel

 

Steps:

• Add the Campari and sweet vermouth to a mixing glass filled with ice, and stir until well-chilled

• Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, or serve up in a Champagne flute without ice (optional)

• Top with prosecco

• Garnish with an orange peel

 

 

 

 

Fall & Summer
1 1/2 ounces Don Julio añejo tequila

1/2 ounce orange juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 ounce fig preserves

5 fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 ounce ginger syrup*

Garnish: rosemary sprig

 

Steps:

• In a shaker, muddle all ingredients except the tequila

• Add the tequila and ice and shake until well-chilled

• Strain into a highball glass or stemless Champagne flute

• Garnish with a rosemary sprig

 

*Making the Ginger Syrup: 

Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat

Add 1 cup sugar and stir until dissolved 

Remove from heat and let cool completely

Place 1 2-inch piece of ginger (finely chopped) in a mesh strainer and pour mixture over top

Press ginger with a muddler or back of a spoon to remove as much liquid as possible

Let it cool and then store in an airtight container or bottle in a cool/dark space

 

 

 

Paloma

2 ounces tequila

1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

Grapefruit soda, chilled, to top

Garnish: lime wheel

Garnish: salt rim (optional)

 

Steps:

• Rub a lime wedge around the edge of a highball glass, and dip the rim in salt (optional)

• Add the tequila and lime juice to the glass, and fill with ice

• Top with grapefruit soda, and stir briefly and gently to combine

• Garnish with a lime wheel

 

 

 

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

3 basil leaves

1 large strawberry

1 ounce gin

2 ounces lemonade, chilled

Club soda, chilled, to top

Garnish: basil leaf

Garnish: strawberry slice

 

Steps:

• In a double rocks glass, muddle the basil leaves and strawberry

• Fill with ice and set aside

• Add the gin and lemonade into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled

• Strain into the prepared glass

• Top with a splash of club soda

• Garnish with a basil leaf and strawberry slice

 

 

 

Whiskey Smash

3 lemon wedges

2 ounces bourbon

3/4 ounce simple syrup

4 mint leaves

Garnish: mint sprig

 

Steps:

• Muddle the lemon wedges in a shaker

• Add bourbon, simple syrup, mint leaves and ice, and shake until well-chilled

• Double-strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice

• Garnish with a mint sprig

 

 

 

Averna Limonata

2 ounces Averna 

4 ounces lemon soda (such as San Pellegrino Limonata)

Garnish: lemon wheel

Garnish: sage leaf

 

 

Steps:

• Add the Averna and lemon soda into a Collins glass with ice and stir gently to combine. 

• Garnish with a lemon wheel and sage leaf.

•  

 

 

Rum Punch

1 1/4 ounces light rum

1 1/4 ounces dark rum

2 ounces pineapple juice

1 ounce orange juice, freshly squeezed

1/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

1/4 ounce grenadine

Garnish: brandied or maraschino cherry

 

Steps:

• Add light rum, dark rum, pineapple, orange and lime juices, and grenadine into a shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled

• Strain into a Hurricane glass over fresh ice

• Garnish with a maraschino or brandied cherry

 

 

 

 

Beachfront Margarita

 

2 1/2 oz blanco tequila 

2 1/2 oz freshly squeezed citrus juice (orange, blood orange, tangerine, or grapefruit)

1 1/2 lime juice

1 tsp agave nectar

Splash of sparkling water

 

Steps:

Run a wedge of lime across the top of 2 cocktail glasses

Once damp, coat the rim in salt

Add all the ingredients except the sparkling water into a cocktail shaker with a few cubes of ice; shake for 30 seconds until chilled

Strain the margaritas into serving glasses with new ice

Top with a splash of sparkling water in each glass and serve