As we scratch, pant and paw our ways into the dog days of summer, I slowly turn my head away from the rich rum tiki concoctions so satisfying in the warm months’ beginnings, to drinks that take just a little bit of juicing pre-prep and you’re mostly done. Once the limes are squeezed or the other juices are extracted, you can throw these liquids in the fridge and pull ‘em out in a jiffy to concoct quick, thirst quenching drinks which serve one main purpose…they cool you down.

Be reminded that these are the hot weather drinks; the drinks for when it’s tough to even open the back door to check on how brown the grass is turning or to flip and drain the kiddy pool, full of hot brackish water and dog fur. I serve these drinks in tall, frosted white glasses produced in the 50’s and 60’s, back when air conditioners were found only in parents’ bedrooms and maybe the living room if you were lucky. We drink these in carports with oscillating fans plugged in and Sammy Davis Jr. on the player, bug-spray nearby.

Watermelon Cooler

It’s new, and I confess I first read about it in a house-keeping and craft magazine, but I’ve tweaked it and made it more of a “wow” drink. You’ll need a Cuisinart or small food processor, but who doesn’t have one by now. I made a pitcher of these this summer and had to make two more by 8pm. It was a hit and one I’ll stand by each time the neighbor’s pool becomes too tempting a target.

Here we go –

• Start with a medium, seedless watermelon and remove all the fruit.
• Cut the fruit into pieces small enough to fit into your food processor.
• Puree till liquefied, pour into large bowl, and repeat till melon is all gone.
  • Strain this juice through mesh; a strainer (I used my clean flour-sifter) till all you have is the sweet, cool juice.
  • In a large plastic pitcher, muddle 10 fresh mint leaves, ½ oz ginger or plain simple syrup.
  • Fill pitcher with enough ice to chill the drink, but remember you’ll also be adding ice to the recipients’ glasses so don’t go crazy in the pitcher.
  • Divide the watermelon juice and pour half into the pitcher.
  • Add a cup and a quarter of vodka, stir, and fill the rest of the pitcher with ginger ale.
  • Pour into tall, ice-filled glasses and serve with a straw. You’ll be pouring another pitcher so…make it ahead of time and keep in the fridge.

Lonsdale

I first tried this after reading the recipe in the July/August 2009 issue of Imbibe magazine and really liked it. It was like summer in a glass. To make the called- for honey-syrup, just stir a cup of honey into a cup of hot or just boiled water till dissolved. Let mixture cool to room temperature & refrigerate. It’ll last a couple months in your bar fridge.

Here we go –

• 1 ½ oz Gin
• ¾ oz lime juice
• 1 oz apple juice
• ½ oz honey syrup
• 2 fresh torn basil leaves

Shake in a cocktail shaker with ice till very cold and strain into cocktail glass or over rocks in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a fresh basil leaf.

Papa Doble

Without a doubt, this Hemingway favorite jumped right to the top of this summer’s drink list. I had my first at a great little bar on a hot June day, went home and whipped up a few more. I don’t know if it’s the grapefruit or the maraschino, but something in this drink refreshes in a great and unique way. I prefer this one on the rocks but plenty like it as an ice-blended drink more.

Here we go –

• 2 oz Silver or White Rum
• 1 oz lime juice
• ½ oz grapefruit juice
• ¼ to 1/3 oz (to taste) Maraschino liqueur

Mix ingredients with ice and pour it all into a tall glass or blend in a blender with ½ cup of ice and pour into a medium glass. Lime wheel as garnish for either.

Vero Beach Lemonade

Knocked back a couple of these while watering the lawn the other night. They were an ice-cold, slice of heaven. Very refreshing and easy to make and will make the gnats forget you’re there…or the other way around.

Here we go –

• 1 ½ oz Bourbon
• ½ oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
• 1 oz lemon juice

Pour above over ice in a tall glass then stir with straw. Fill glass to top with 7-up and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Lager and Sour Cherry

Here’s one that’s pretty self-explanatory. Fill a large, clear pitcher with cubed ice. Pour bottles of your favorite weiss, lager, or ale till around 2 inches from top. Pour sour cherry nectar or juice (unsweetened) over top beer in pitcher. Let the juice just settle into the iced beer. Pour ice and drink into frosted pilsner or tall glasses. The combination of the ice, beer and sour really quench the thirst and cool the brow.

Cherry & Peach Sangria

Picture yourself standing barefoot on the shade-cooled cement of your back patio or balcony, a small garden table stands next to you. On it, sweats a pitcher of cold sangria so summery and flavorful you debate whether or not to share. You could just sit there…read your book and drink the whole damn thing by yourself, screw the neighbors. This is that kind of drink.

Here we go –

• 2 bottles of chilled, inexpensive, dry sparkling wine
• 8 oz Maraschino liqueur
• 1 oz peach bitters (you can find these around now, just ask your liquor merchant)
• ½ lb pitted sweet cherries
• 2 fat ripe peaches sliced into smallish pieces

Pour the Maraschino over the bowled fruit, toss & cover and set in your fridge for 4-5 hours. Pull the fruit/liqueur mixture and place into a large pitcher. Add the bubbly and stir gently. Ladle into ice filled short glasses.

Santa Cruz Rum Daisy

You can make a Daisy with almost any liquor. This is a pretty basic & simple cocktail to make, yet with the addition of summer fruit, she sings. A tall glass and lots of ice add up to a great chugger.

Here we go –

• Crushed ice
• ½ oz simple syrup
• ½ oz Curacao
• ½ to ¾ oz lemon juice
• 3 oz Rum

Shake above ingredients with ice in shaker till ice cold. Pour everything, including ice, into a tall glass or hurricane. Float summer fruit – melon balls, peach slices or blueberries – in the glass and top with club soda.

Summer Cocktails.