Shake it Up | Summer Drinks (Part I)
As I shared last week, Tyler and I are working on expanding our cocktail expertise and have kicked off a Shake it Up series on the blog. We are mixing our way through “Shake” by Eric Prum and Josh Williams. We're starting with summer drinks and will work our way through Fall, Winter and Spring in the coming months. We're hoping to learn a bit more about the art of cocktails and find the perfect drink to share with friends and family!
Over the last several days, we've been on the hunt for all of our ingredients. Let me tell you what, nothing makes me feel dumber then walking into a liquor store and having NO IDEA where to locate a darn thing. Mezcal? Apersol? Where in the world do we even start? I'm sure we looked ridiculous.
After pacing several stores (trying to look like I remotely knew what I was doing) and frantically Googling words on my phone, we were able to locate just about every ingredient required. Mezcal is still on the list, but that's mostly because what we found was SUPER expensive. Otherwise, our new bar is fully stocked and ready to start mixing! By the way, we're trying to stick to the brands, ingredients and gadgets recommended in the book, but we have opted for a few less expensive options and will use some items we already owned. We have no idea what we're actually going to like just yet, so I hate to throw a ton of money at any one item.
This weekend, we kicked things off with The Montauk Mule and Hop Skip and Go Naked - how can anything be bad when the names are so fun?! :)
The Montauk Mule
My first reaction? It tastes like summer! Cool, refreshing, and just the right mix of tart and sweet.
Muddling the fresh ingredients proved to release wonderful smells in the kitchen and really heightened the flavor of the drink. Plus, it was fun to watch everything come together from fresh ingredients we purchased just hours before. The main ingredients in this drink were mint, lime juice, vodka and prosecco.
I know it's early, but this drink is definitely a front runner for me! Loved it!!
Hop, Skip and Go Naked
Light and refreshing for a hot summer day, I think this cocktail would please a crowd.
A little lemon juice, vodka, and summer ale proved to be a perfect combination.
The AWESOME Purdue glass didn't hurt either.... Boiler Up!
After testing our luck with two drinks, I think we're off to an excellent start! Both used vodka which I'm surprised to admit I ended up liking. The addition of lemon and lime juice kept things light and refreshing, so I'm anxious to see what mixers we will use with other liquors. Stay tuned!