The following is an extended version of the article that appears in our July 2022 issue.
The Lemon Drop Kid from The Verdant Lady (Photo courtesy The Verdant Lady)
Spicy water, bubble juice, belly wash — whatever you call it, cold and carbonated is the way, and in summer, it’s the element that can reroute any drink order. Oh, it has tonic? That’s the one. Champagne float? Yes, lort. Summer bar menus often feature something citrusy, something bitter and something fizzy.
Sunrise Mimosa
Frozay’s Sunrise Mimosa, an ombre beauty, offers a strong start to the day, with a shot of tequila in the mix alongside plenty of bubbles. Orange juice and grenadine sweeten it up, but the punch of liquor keeps it grounded.
1 ounce tequila
3 ounces Champagne
2 ounces orange juice
Splash of grenadine
Orange wedge
Add tequila to base of Champagne flute. Add chilled orange juice, top with Champagne. Drizzle grenadine down the side of the glass and garnish with an orange wedge.
Midsummer Empress
Elderflower and grapefruit are the alluring match at the heart of Kabana’s Midsummer Empress, which is deepened by the indigo-toned Empress gin and enlivened by tonic. The makers infuse their product with butterfly pea blossom, for color and a subtle, angelica-like herbaceous flavor, and Fairmont Empress tea.
1 1/2 ounce Empress gin
1/2 ounce elderflower liiqueur
1/2 ounce lime juice
Club soda
Mint leaves
To make the drink, shake gin, elderflower and lime juice over ice. Strain into a tall glass, top with soda, garnish with mint.
Paloma Aperol Spritz
A happy, modern marriage of two traditional namesake cocktails, the Paloma Aperol Spritz at Postbellum buoys up the taste buds with two fizzy components: Prosecco and soda water bubble up through layers of silver tequila, grapefruit, fresh lime and orange-soaked Aperol. It’s sour, sweet, bitter, effervescent — all the things, including a perfect complement to a hot evening on their second-level deck.
1 ounce Milagro silver tequila
1 ounce Aperol
Splash of grapefruit
Splash of lime
Prosecco
Soda water
Add tequila, Aperol, grapefruit and lime to a shaker filled with ice; shake. Pour into glass, top with soda water, float splash of prosecco on top.
The Lemon Drop Kid
The dark green, plant-laced interior of The Verdant Lady is a fantastic place to have a beverage, and since they make their own limoncello, we’re going with their complex and bright take on a lemon drop, dubbed The Lemon Drop Kid. Cocktail lovers, check out this relaxing, inviting gem ASAP.
1 1/2 ounces Empress gin
1/2 ounce limoncello
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
Club soda
Fill a shaker tin with everything except the soda. Shake vigorously. Pour over fresh ice in a Collins glass. Top with club soda. Garnish with dehydrated lemon and a cherry.
