Summer Cocktails

What better way to cheers to the weekend than with some refreshing cocktails? Jose's sister, Maria del Mar, just published her third cookbook Summer Cocktails!  The recipes include the classics, some throwbacks, punches, and treats to go with them.  It is also full of information about the ingredients, what glassware to use for each drink, and she teaches you how to pickle things! Today I am sharing three amazing recipes with their descriptions, but you have to buy the book to know the rest and trust me, it's worth it. 

{ one }

The Sassy Señorita Margarita

Makes 1

I hear that a kiss with a Latin accent makes its recipient weak in the knees. That may well be fiction, but this drink is guaranteed to make anyone swoon.

{ Ingredients }

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1/2 lime

2 ounces tequila

1 ounce triple sec or Cointreau

1 ounce fresh lime juice or Homemade Lime Sour Mix (page 131)

{ Instructions }

Spread salt on a small plate or saucer. 

Rub the rim of a glass with lime half to moisten. 

Dip rim into salt and shake off excess. 

Fill glass with ice.

Place tequila, triple sec, and lime juice or sour mix in shaker. 

Shake vigorously and strain into prepared glass. 

Serve. 

{ two } 

A Tropical Vacation Hawaiian Punch

Makes about 12 ½ cups (about 3 quarts), serving 24

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the party. The point of punch is to mix something potent, set the bowl up in the middle of the room, and walk away—after pouring yourself a cup, of course. This tropical mixture is an all-around favorite. You might consider making two batches.

{ Ingredients }

2 (750-milliliter) bottles dark rum or Pineapple Rum (page 130), chilled

2 cups guava nectar, chilled*

2 cups fresh orange juice, strained and chilled

1 cup passion fruit juice, chilled

1 cup fresh lime juice, strained and chilled

½ cup grenadine (or more to taste)

2 tablespoons Angostura bitters

Maraschino cherries for garnish

Pineapple wedges for garnish

Ice mold**

{ Instructions }

Stir rum, guava nectar, orange juice, lime juice, passion fruit juice, grenadine, and bitters together in a punch or other serving bowl. 

When ready to serve, slide in ice mold. 

Serve in ice-filled cups and garnish with cherries and pineapple wedges, if desired.

CHILL OUT! Make this punch up to 2 days in advance and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

*INGREDIENT NOTE: When shopping for fruit juices and nectars, do stop to read the ingredients as some are packed with additives and thickeners such as cornstarch which make these fruit drinks heavy and lackluster. 

**ICE MOLD: Ice molds are easy to make and will keep large batches of liquids cold and undiluted. Fill a medium or large stainless steel bowl or a Bundt pan about ¾ of the way full with water. Freeze. Allow to sit at room temp for about 10 minutes, then turn out into your serving vessel.

{three}

Sparkling Red Sangría

Makes about 13 cups (a generous 3 quarts), serving 24

Sangría is traditional Spanish recipe for a sweetened red wine drink; its sanguine hue is responsible for the name. While it keeps its bleeding soul, this edition is made with Lambrusco, a frizzante (lightly sparkling) red wine from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Common additives to sangría, such as fresh juice and brandy, are included here, as are pitted fruits that typify summer. Thyme and rosemary accentuate the fruit-forward drink.

{ Ingredients }

4 peaches, nectarines, plums, or a combination, scrubbed, pitted, and cut into ½-inch cubes or wedges

2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 cups brandy

2 (750-milliliter) bottles Lambrusco, chilled*

2 cups fresh orange juice, strained and chilled

2 cups club soda, chilled

1 cup Homemade Sour Mix (page 131)

Large ice pieces or cubes, plus additional for serving

1 bunch fresh thyme or rosemary

{ Instructions }

Place the fruits in a large bowl. Rub the orange zest into the sugar until no strands remain and sprinkle it on the fruits. Add the brandy and allow to rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. 

Stir wine, orange juice, club soda, and sour mix together in a punch or other serving bowl. Add several pieces of large ice or large cubes, fruit and brandy, and stir.  Serve drink in ice-filled cups or glasses, making sure to scoop in fruits. Garnish with sprigs of fresh thyme and/or rosemary and serve immediately.

*INGREDIENT NOTE: Lambrusco loses its fizz rather quickly, so don’t expect it to come out of the bottle and behave as festively as Champagne. 

Photography by: Tara Striano 

Prop styling by: Penelope Bouklas & Emily Rickard

Buy the book!

See more of Maria del Mar's and Tara's work on their website: 

Cookin' and Shootin' 

Have a great weekend!