Throw A So-Long-To-Summer Soiree
Saying goodbye so summer is always tough, but a Labor Day cocktail party is one of the best ways to do it.
Master party planner Colin Cowie shared recipes for some of his favorite summer cocktails on The Early Show Wednesday, along with word on the latest drink decorating trends.
What better way to greet guests than with something colorful and exciting to drink? Simply take an ordinary drink and make it into an extraordinary moment -- something Cowie knows all about.
Remember, he says: Your drinks should always be as stylish as you are. The trend right now is to not have your garnish hanging over your drink, but have it floating on top, or neatly placed on the rim of the glass. Clean, simple, sexy!
Some of Cowie's favorite drinks this summer include:
GREEN GODDESS
This refreshing, light and delicious drink is made with cucumbers.
Garnish is important when serving a drink, Cowie observes, and we should dress our drinks up just as we would ourselves.
Ingredients:
2 ounces (60ml) of vodka
3/4 ounce (25ml) St Germain Elderflower or elderflower syrup
1/2 ounce (15ml) fresh lime juice
1/4 ounce of honey
Wheel European cucumber cut into quarters
Cucumber fan for garnish
Preparation:
Muddle the cucumber pieces and the fresh lime juice in the bottom of a Boston glass. Add the remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass garnish with a thinly sliced cucumber, sliced 3 times and fanned out -- float on top of cocktail.
Muddling: To muddle something is to smash it against the sides of the glass. It is recommend that you use either a wooden muddler or a bar spoon with a muddler for this purpose to avoid scarring the glassware.
Glass: Martini Glass
Ice: None
Garnish: Thin sliced cucumber, fanned out, float on top
Note: The Martini Extreme Glass used by Cowie in this segment was from Riedel (www.riedel.com)
BLUEBERRY MARGARITA
Last year was all about the pomegranate, but this year, it's all about the blueberry. This drink du jour is chic and sexy and easy. This recipe calls for a flavorful blend of fresh blueberries and sorbet to provide a sensational end-of-summer kick to your party! It also has an incredible color.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup tequila (any brand)
2 tablespoons Triple Sec
1 tablespoon lime juice
2/3 cup blueberries
14 ice cubes
2/3 cup raspberry sorbet
Add all ingredients into blender and blend.
SAUVIGNON BLANC INFUSED WITH PEACHES & STRAWBERRIES
This drink is similar to sangria and is great to serve during a late brunch or in the early evening. Simply cut up your peaches and strawberries, place in a pitcher and add your sauvignon blanc. Let sit for one day and serve.
Cowie made this cocktail in an infusion jar with two compartments, enabling him to mix the ingredients of the cocktail in the top half of the jar and place ice in the bottom half, so the ice didn't melt in the wine/fruit mixture and water it down.
CAIPIRINHA
This is the drink you serve when you really want to fuel the fire!
Brazil's national cocktail, it's made with Cachaça, sugar and lime. Cachaça is Brazil's most common distilled alcoholic beverage. Like rum, it's made from sugarcane. However, cachaça is made from sugarcane juice, while rum is made from molasses, a byproduct of the sugar refining process. It's common to substitute vodka or rum in drinks made with cachaça, including the Caipirinha.
Stirrings has created a very easy version of a more complicated cocktail. This usually requires muddling of the ingredients and with this recipe; it's just two easy steps.
Ingredients:
2 parts Stirrings Caipirinha Mixer
1 part cachaca (pronounce: ca-sasha)
In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 parts Stirrings Caipirinha Mixer and 1 part cachaca with plenty of ice. Cover and shake vigorously. Serve over ice and garnish with a lime wedge.
For an added bonus, Cowie adds leche juice, fresh lime, fresh ginger and a lime wheel.
Note: The Server Column Cowie used was by Sugahara
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