cocktails | theurbanquarter2

Cilantro Mojito

Hot and humid summers days can leave you feeling draggy and uninspired. This drink, utilizing cilantro instead of the traditional mint, will stimulate your taste buds and have you re-inspired in no time.

Ingredients:

Cilantro leaves (handful)

1 oz. simple syrup*

¾ oz. lime juice (fresh squeezed)

2 oz. White Rum (Bacardi Limón)

Club soda

Directions:

Muddle the cilantro, simple syrup and lime juice in the bottom of glass (12 – 14 oz. Collins glass or oversized Rocks glass)
Pour in White Rum, mix and let rest for a minute. Fill glass with iceTop with Club Soda and stir.

*Simple Syrup: Bring equal amounts granulated sugar (1 cup) and water (1 cup) to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. As soon as it reaches a boil, remove from heat and let cool. Refrigerate in a glass jar and use for up to
2 weeks.

Strawberries & Créme

Skip the ice cream. This drink made with cold processed Strawberry and Rosemary syrup and heavy whipping cream, makes the perfect summer after dinner drink.

Ingredients:

1 strawberry, sliced

½ – 1 sprig of rosemary1½ oz. strawberry/rosemary syrup*¾ oz. lime juice (fresh squeezed)2 oz. Vodka (Ciroc)1 oz. heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Remove rosemary leaves from stem and place in cocktail shaker.
Muddle rosemary with strawberry, strawberry/rosemary syrup and lime juice in the bottom of the cocktail shaker until strawberries are mashed and rosemary leaves are bruised thoroughly.
Add ice, Vodka and heavy whipping cream to cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 30 – 45 seconds.
Strain through wire mesh into Coupe (Champagne) glass.

*Cold Process Strawberry andRosemary Syrup: Cold process syrups allow more of the bright fruit flavors to infuse the syrup vs. boiling the syrup.Slice 2 lbs. strawberries (about 5 cups) and put in large glass mixing bowl. Remove leaves from 10 – 15 stems of rosemary and place in mixing bowl. Add 2½ cups granulated sugar and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 3-5 days, stirring daily.After the sugar is completely dissolved and the fruit has thoroughly infused the syrup, strain the syrup through cheesecloth into a glass jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Spicy Raspberry

Margarita

This sweet and spicy drink will have you craving south of the border. The Raspberry/Habanero syrup used in this drink provides just enough kick while the sweetness of the Chambord lets it glide down your throat.

Ingredients:

2 oz. Tequila (Patrón Anejo)

2 oz. lime juice (fresh squeezed)

2 oz. raspberry/habanero syrup*

1 oz. Chambord

lime zest, salt and sugar for rim

Directions:

Mix together the lime zest, salt and sugar. Cut a slice in a wedge of lime to run over and wet the rim of your Highball or oversized Rocks glass. Dip the rim of glass into salt and sugarmix to coat.
Fill glass with ice.
Fill bottom half of cocktail shaker with ice.
Place all liquid ingredients over ice and shake for 30 seconds.Strain over ice into glass.

*Raspberry/Habanero Syrup: In a medium saucepan bring 36 oz. fresh raspberries, 1¾ cups granulated sugar, 3½ cups water and½ – 1 sliced habanero to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer 45 minutes – 1 hour, stirringoccasionally.Remove from heat and let cool. Strain syrup through cheesecloth into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.Note: Habanero are hot, so reduce amount of pepper if desired. You can always add more heat, but you can’t take it away.

Rhubarb Dark & Stormy

Think that copper mugs are only used for Moscow Mules? This drink blends a rhubarb/ginger shrub with dark rum and a ginger liquor to give your taste buds a workout with the tartness of the rhubarb and the sharpness of ginger.

Ingredients:

2 oz. Dark Rum (Mount GayExtra Old)

1 oz. lime juice (fresh squeezed)

2 oz. rhubarb/ginger shrub*

¼ oz. Domain De Canton (ginger liqueur)

Club soda

Directions:

Combine Rum, lime juice, shrub and Domaine De Canton in a cocktail shaker
over ice.
Shake and strain into acopper mug filled withcrushed ice.
Top off with club soda and stir well.

*Rhubarb/Ginger Shrub:Peel and slice 1 full ginger root into ¹⁄₈" slices. Cut 3 lbs. of fresh rhubarb into ½" pieces. Put ginger and rhubarb in a large saucepan. Add 2 cups granulated sugar, 1¾ cups white wine vinegar and 1 cup water. Stir mix and bring to a boilover high heat. Reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally until all the rhubarb is reduced to a mash (about 15 – 20 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.Strain the shrub through cheesecloth into a glass jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Strawberry Shrub & Bourbon

This drink offers many layers of refreshment.
Just try to decide which layer you like most…the strawberry, the balsamic vinegar, the bourbon or the sweet tanginess of the lemon and mint.

Ingredients:

6 – 8 mint leaves

½ oz. lemon juice (fresh squeezed)

¾ oz. strawberry shrub*

¼ oz. Sweet Vermouth2 oz. Bourbon
(Cedar Ridge)

Club soda

Directions:

Muddle the mint leaves, strawberry shrub and lemon juice in the bottom of cocktail shaker.

Add ice, Sweet Vermouth and Bourbon and shake well.

Fill a 6 – 8 oz. Rocks glass with crushed ice.

Strain mixture over ice and top with a splash of club soda.

*Strawberry Shrub: Slice 2 lbs. strawberries (about 5 cups) and put in large glass mixing bowl. Add 2½ cups granulated sugar and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 3-5 days, stirring daily.After the sugar is completely dissolved and the fruit has thoroughly infused the syrup, stir in 1¾ cups balsamic vinegar. Strain the shrub through cheesecloth into a glass jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Mixologists, Chad Johnston and Jeff Savage, have spent the last five years creating and perfecting some of the freshest adult beverages around. Combining their own homemade syrups with premium liquors will have you running to your own garden to try and recreate these delicious drinks.

WRITTEN BY ANITA BABE | PHOTOGRAPHS BY GREG SCHEIDEMANN | PHOTO DIRECTION BY CHAD JOHNSTON

WHAT'S A SHRUB?

When you think of shrub, do you think of those juniper bushes that are below your living room window? This is not that kind of shrub. A shrub is actually a process that was used in the colonial times as a preservation method of fruit with a combination of the fruit, sugar and vinegar. It has become trendy in making “shrub” drinks and utilizing all the different vinegar flavors that are available today.