There’s no better way to say “I love summer” than by serving up a slew of slick, sparkling cocktails around the BBQ, on the cottage dock or your sun-soaked condo balcony. While I’m a staunch supporter of spirits all year round, it feels like the warm weather inspires us more often to grab our shaker, shot glass and bitter bottles.
Over the last year I’ve been studying Klaus, St. Rainer’s Cocktails: The Art of Mixing Perfect Drinks to better educate myself about the ins and out of the classics, while adding a little whimsy and personalization to each slow sipper I splash into a glass. It’s a fantastic tome for wanna-be mixologists and helps outline all the necessities you need at home to craft the most memorable libations.
This summer I’m living for sparkling citrus-forward beverages which offer a refreshing punch to the palate thanks to my new Soda Stream. Long gone are the days that I have to pack my apartment with bottles of San Pellegrino and Perrier. While I may hydrate all day on freshly spritzed H20, I most enjoy wowing guests by providing a DIY cocktail station where they can mix and muddle their favourite spirits, juices, bitters, and soda to create their very own personalized beverage.
Here are three of my favourite sparkling summer sippers featuring mouth-puckering lemon, lime and grapefruit.
The French Blonde is my go-to drink when trying to impress someone who says “I don’t really like cocktails I’m more into wine.” I refuse to tell them what it’s made up of and insist they guess the ingredients.
2 oz grapefruit juice, 2 oz Lillet Blanc, 1 oz Star of Bombay, 0.5 oz St. Germain, 1oz soda water
Last summer I spent two weeks in Rome and the Amalfi Coast and can’t tell you how many ice-cold glasses of Aperol Spritz I slurped my way through. The iconic Italian quencher offers a perfect ode to the orange.
3oz sparkling wine, 2oz Aperol, 1 oz soda water
The Absolut Lime Mule offers a sweet spin to the iconic Moscow Mule, a perfect cocktail for those who enjoy a pucker pleaser courtesy of zesty ginger beer and freshly squeezed lime.
2oz Absolut Lime, 4oz ginger beer, 1oz lime juice, 1oz soda water
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