This is Summer!
It’s time to complete our boozy trilogy. We did Halloween Cocktails, we’ve done Christmas Cocktails, and now it’s time to dive into the summer with refreshing drinks by the poolside! Join Disney Dummies Tuong La, Samantha Leggatt, Bradley Sales, and Laura Gordon as they once again whip up some delicious drinks and quench your thirst while ranking Top 5 Summer Cocktails!
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Ground Rules
- Going with the dictionary definition of what constitutes a cocktail: “an alcoholic drink consisting of a spirit or several spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as fruit juice, lemonade, or cream.”
- We are ranking the drinks based on taste (duh) but also the edge goes towards how “Summer-y” it is
- Also we are ranking based on it’s presentation as well.
- Many of these drinks were not tested in advance. Therefore, the episode is more like “Top 5 Summer drinks we tried this recording”
- Below are pictures of our cocktails we made that evening which we assembled between nominations.
Group Top 5
5. Classic Margarita
4. Aperol Spritz
3. Bali Bali
2. Pimm’s Cup
1. Pina Colada
Below are all the drinks we made this episode.
Tuong’s Drinks
Summertime Rose Tequila Sangria (credit: Half Baked Harvest)
Ingredients
- 1 bottle Rosé
- 1 cup silver tequila
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/3-2/3 cup agave nectar depending on your taste
- 2 cups fresh strawberries hulled + halved
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup sliced peaches
- 1 cup fresh pitted cherries and or watermelon
- 2-3 limes sliced
- original flavored kombucha or sparkling water for topping
- basil for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, combine all the ingredients except the sparkling water (or kombucha) and basil. Stir, gently to combine and then place in the fridge until chilled.
-
To serve, give the sangria a good stir, then fill each glass with ice and pour the sangria over the ice. Top with sparkling water or kombucha. Garnish with basil and edible flowers. Drink up!
Painkiller (credit: The Spruce Eats)
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dark or navy rum
- 4 ounces pineapple juice
- 1 ounce orange juice
- 1 ounce cream of coconut
- Pineapple wedge, for garnish
- Grated nutmeg, for garnish
Instructions
- Pour the rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and cream of coconut into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
-
Shake well and strain into a chilled highball glas with fresh ice
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge and sprinkle the Painkiller with grated nutmeg on top.
Sammy Sosa(credit: Copy Me That)
Ingredients
- 5 oz Rum (divided)
- 2 cups of ice (divided)
- 4 oz piña colada mix
- 4 oz strawberry daiquiri mix
- 1 oz Blue Curacao
Instructions
- Blend together 2.5 ounces of your favorite rum with 1 cup of ice and 4 ounces of piña colada mix. Blend until smooth and then set aside. Rinse out your blender and add 2.5 ounces of the same rum, 1 cup of ice and 4 ounces of strawberry daiquiri mix. Finally, layer in a hurricane glass the piña colada mixture, 1 ounce of Blue Curacao, and your strawberry daiquiri mixture to create a red, white and blue stripe.
Sam’s Drinks
Aperol Spritz
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Aperol
- 2 oz Bubbly
- top with Soda
- Orange slice garnish
Instructions
- pour apperol & bubbly over ice, top with soda – STIR , enjoy!
Pina Colada
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 6 oz white rum
- 6 oz cream of coconut ( Coco Lopez brand)
- 6 oz pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 4 cups ice
- 4 oz golden or anejo rum
- Pineapple leaves or wedges for garnish
Instructions
- add all to blender – blend!
Moscow Mule
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka
- 1/2 oz lime juice (fresh is best)
- 4 oz ginger beer
- lime garnish
Instructions
- pour all over ice and stir. preferably served in copper mug
Brad’s Drinks
The Mai Thai
Ingredients:
- 1 oz (30 ml) jamaican rum
- 1 oz (30 ml) white rum
- 1/2 oz (15 ml) dry curaçao
- 1 oz (30 ml) fresh lime juice
- 1/2 oz (15 ml) orgeat syrup
- GARNISH: mint sprigs, inverted lime husk, and a cocktail cherry
- OPTIONAL #1: 1/2 oz (15 ml) dark rum (to float)
- OPTIONAL #2: 1/2 oz (15 ml) 151 rum (for fire)
Method:
- Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker (except for the optional ones).
- Add some crushed ice and give a quick shake until chilled (about 5 seconds).
- Open pour from shaker into a tumbler tiki glass and add more crushed ice to top it off.
- OPTIONAL #1: pour the dark rum gently over the ice to float it on top.
- Add garnishes by inserting the mint sprigs towards the edge on glass and placing the cocktail cherry inside the inverted lime, on top of the ice. Add straw to serve.
- OPTIONAL #2: pour the 151 rum into the inverted lime and light on fire when serving.
The Strawberry Basil Smash
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. (60 ml) jamaican rum
- 1/2 oz. (15 ml) rich demerara syrup (2:1 sugar:water)
- 4 lemon slices cut in half (remove seeds)
- 2 large strawberries
- 8-10 basil leaves
- GARNISH: strawberry slices & basil sprigs
Method:
- In a cocktail shaker add the lemon, strawberries, and rich demerara syrup then muddle together.
- Add the rum and basil leaves to cocktail shaker with the previously muddled ingredients.
- Add ice and shake until chilled (about 10 seconds).
- Double strain from shaker into a tumbler glass with a large chunk of ice in it.
- Add garnishes to serve.
The Bali Bali
Ingredients:
- 3/4 oz (22.5 ml) jamaican rum
- 3/4 oz (22.5 ml) white rum
- 3/4 oz (22.5 ml) cognac
- 3/4 oz (22.5 ml) dry gin
- 1/2 oz (15 ml) falernum*
- 1/2 oz (15 ml) passion fruit syrup
- 3/4 oz (22.5 ml) pineapple juice
- 3/4 oz (22.5 ml) orange juice
- 3/4 oz (22.5 ml) lime juice
- 1/4 oz (7.5 ml) semi-rich simple syrup (1.5:1 sugar:water)
- GARNISH: pineapple fronds and a cocktail umbrella
Method:
- Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
- Add some crushed ice and give a quick shake until chilled (about 5 seconds).
- Open pour from shaker into a tall tiki glass and add more crushed ice to top it off.
- Add garnishes and a straw to serve.
*Falernum Recipe (if not using store bought)
Ingredients:
- 4 oz (120 ml) white rum (preferably overproof)
- 6 limes, zested
- 50g (~4 tbs) toasted almonds, roughly crushed
- 12 whole cloves
- 15g (~2 tbsp) chopped ginger
- 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/2 vanilla bean with seeds (or ~1/2 tbsp extract)
- 8 oz (240 ml) semi-rich simple syrup (1.5:1 sugar:water)
Method:
- Combine rum, lime zest, toasted almonds, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla in a sealable jar.
- Seal, shake, and set aside in a cool dark place to infuse for ~24 hours, agitating every few hours if possible.
- After 24 hours, filter contents to remove all solids and add simple syrup to the resulting liquid.
- Stir or shake to combine and store sealed in the fridge.
Laura’s Drinks
Spicy Pineapple Margarita(credit: Gimme Some Oven)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces mezcal or tequila blanco
- 1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice*
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- 3/4 ounce Cointreau*
- 2 to 4 fresh jalapeño slices*
- ice
- optional rim: Tajín and/or coarse sea salt
- optional garnishes: pineapple wedge, pineapple leaf, extra jalapeño slices and/or lime wedge
Instructions
-
Rim the glass (optional). Run a fresh lime wedge around the edge of the glass, then dip it in a plate of either Tajín, coarse sea salt, or a combination of the two
-
Mix the margarita. Add the mezcal, pineapple juice, lime juice, Cointreau, and jalapeño slices to a cocktail shaker or mason jar. Add a handful of ice, cover, and shake the margarita vigorously for 5 to 10 seconds until it is chilled.
- Serve. Strain the margarita into the prepared glass, fill with extra ice, top with any garnishes that you would like, and enjoy!
Pimm’s Cup (credit: Liquor.com)
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Pimm’s No. 1
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Ginger ale, to top
- Garnish: cucumber slice
- Garnish: mint sprig
- Garnish: strawberry
- Garnish: lemon wheel (optional)
- Garnish: orange wheel (optional)
- NOTE: stick with ginger ale or substitute lemon-lime soda or other fizzy lemon drink like Sanpellegrino
Instructions
- Add Pimm’s No. 1 and lemon juice into a highball glass over ice, then top with ginger ale and stir briefly to combine.
- Garnish with a cucumber slice, mint sprig, skewered strawberry and optional lemon and orange wheels.
Classic Margarita (credit: Gimme Some Oven)
Ingredients (1 serving)
- 1 1/2 ounces silver tequila
- 1 ounce orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec)
- 3/4 ounce freshly-squeezed lime juice
- optional sweetener: agave nectar or simple syrup, to taste
- ice
- lime wedge and coarse salt for rimming the glass
FOR A PITCHER OF MARGARITAS (16 SERVINGS):
- 3 cups silver tequila
- 2 cups orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec)
- 1 1/2 cups freshly-squeezed lime juice
- optional sweetener: agave nectar or simple syrup, to taste
- ice
- lime wedges and coarse salt for rimming the glasses
Instructions
- Salt the rim (optional). Run a lime wedge (the juicy part) around the top rim of your serving glass. Fill a shallow bowl or plate with salt, then dip the rim until it is covered with your desired amount of salt. Set aside.
- Make the margarita mix. Add tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice and a few ice cubes to a cocktail shaker. Cover and shake vigorously for about 10 seconds. Give the mix a taste and stir in a teaspoon or two of sweetener if desired.
- Serve. Fill the prepared serving glass with ice. Strain in the margarita mix, garnish with a lime slice, serve and enjoy. Cheers!