summer cocktail cool-down.

Now that we are finally home, we are not leaving. This summer, our backyard is our beach, our beer garden, and our tiki bar. And this past holiday weekend Jon was serving up some mighty fine cocktails to help beat the heat. Our guide? Shake: a new perspective on cocktails--a.k.a. my favorite mixology book at the moment. 

We picked up this handy-dandy mixology guide at Union Market sometime last year. The recipes are simple and seasonal and ever so quaffable. First up: the Spicy Mezcalita--my favorite for it's smokey-spicy notes. It's a margarita with character.

Ingredients:
2 shots tequila
1 shot Mezcal
1.5 shots Cointreau
1.5 shots fresh lime juice
2 slices of fresh jalapeño (plus two more for garnish)
2 slices of fresh lime (to garnish)

To prepare, combine the tequila, Mezcal, Cointreau, lime juice, and two slices of jalapeño in a shaker, and add ice to above the level of the liquid. Shake, shake, shake. Strain the mixture into rocks glasses over large ice cubes and garnish with the remaining jalapeño and lime slices.

The Spicy Mezcalita will knock your socks off, I promise. I'd drink it all the livelong day, if tequila weren't more evil than a toddler without a nap. So next we dialed it back some and Jon served up the Smog Cutter, which features Tomr's Tonic Syrup--a staple on our bar.

Ingredients:

1 shot Mezcal

3 slices of fresh ginger

2/3 shot Tomr's Tonic Syrup

2/3 shot simple syrup

2/3 shot fresh lemon juice

Negra Modelo beer

Muddle ginger in a shaker until fragrant, then add Mezcal, Tomr's Tonic, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Add ice to above the level of the liquid and shake, shake, shake. Strain mixture into a Collins glass (we used a tall juice glass) containing large ice cubes. Top it all off with Negra Modelo beer.

Last but not least we mixed up what Shake's crew calls Hop, Skip, Go Naked. Turns out, that's more or less what happened, as Cecile woke up from her nap and refused to get dressed again. Must've been the heat. Oh, and she demanded a fancy straw for her afternoon drink, too ;)

^^Just look at my girl's outie! But I digress ...^^

Ingredients:

2 shots Vodka

2 shots simple syrup

2 shots fresh lemon juice

2 slices fresh lemon (for garnish)

1 can of summer ale (we used Brooklyn Summer)

Add the vodka, simple syrup, and lemon juice to the shaker, and then add ice--you guessed it--to above the level of the liquid. Shake, shake. Strain the mixture into pint glasses (or mason jars, if you don't think the trend is too passé) containing large ice cubes, and top off with summer ale. Garnish with a lemon slice.

These drinks were gooooooooood. The Spicy Mezcalita is far and away my favorite, but the beer-booze combos made for some very easy day drinking ... perfect for enjoying our backyard during Cecile's afternoon snooze.

Cheers!

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