Here’s the simple rule of thumb, if it’s not better with a squeeze of lime, don’t drink it when it’s hot outside. Think about it this way, what is the temperature of the origin of your favorite brown alcohol versus the clear alcohol? They drink Scotch in Scotland and Crown Royal-Canada to stay warm. They drink Tequila in Mexico and Rum in the Caribbean to stay cool, both with lots of lime.
I’m not going to argue vodka coming from Russia or gin coming from England that’s like the Texans who believe Crown Royal is a year round beverage.
Let’s talk my favorite brands:
Vodka—Tito’s, this Austin native is half the price of Grey Goose, every bit as good as and has the gold medals to prove it.
Gin—Hendrick’s, a really flavorful English gin that’s been around for more than a century, they must be doing something right.
Rum—Meyer’s Platinum, this is difficult to find but much better than Bacardi. They have retained the rum flavor of their dark rum but lightened it up, really great taste.
Tequila—I’m not going to start this argument with a recommendation. If you are drinking shots you’ve got your favorite. If you are drinking margaritas, it just doesn’t matter.
While all of these alcohols can be consumed straight in the winter time to keep you warm, there are some things you can do to make some very refreshing yet intoxicating beverages for the summer, here are a few of my favorites:
Uncle Ferdie’s Margarita: I promise this is the best margarita you have ever had, you will beg for a second. Before you drink the third you should be warned it will render your legs useless.
The recipe came to us from my brother-in-law who begged the bartender at the old Fort Duncan Officer’s Club to give it to him after consuming possibly hundreds of them during the dove hunting season in South Texas. The simplicity of this recipe is brilliant.
Ingredients:
1 shot Tequila-your favorite clear tequila will do but it doesn’t need to be top shelf
1 shot Triple Sec-buy the cheapest you can find, it just doesn’t matter
Juice of 1½ large Lime—when you buy your limes at the store make sure you select the heaviest limes you can find, they have the most juice. Squeeze your limes with a lime squeezer; you want all of this nectar you can.
Cracked ice—this is the secret ingredient. I usually will fill a quart Ziploc bag with cubes, press out the air, seal and bang the bag on the counter until all the cubes have cracked.
Cocktail Shaker
Martini glasses, chilled in the freezer
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
Fill the cocktail shaker three quarters full of the cracked ice, immediately add the Tequila, Triple Sec and lime juice. Shake vigorously until frost forms on the outside of the shaker. Remove the martini glass from the freezer and strain the margarita into the glass without the ice. You should see shards of ice floating in the drink. Add the Grand Marnier into the center of the glass before serving.
You can double this recipe to make two drinks at once. Serve them immediately don’t let the drink sit in the shaker it will get watered down. Immediately after serving the first, you just as well start making the second because the first one goes down like lemonade.
These can be made by the pitcher. Mix equal parts of Tequila and Triple Sec. Keep track of the number of shots of tequila you pour and add 1 ½ limes for each. Mix the Tequila, Triple Sec and lime juice together in a pitcher. As you want to serve, pour into the shaker with the cracked ice shake and serve.
Gin and Tonic
Ahh, the country club summertime favorite, best in the locker room at the 19th hole or in a lounge chair at poolside This is the very first alcoholic beverage I ever consumed.( Okay, this is the very first alcoholic beverage I consumed at a legal drinking age.) This requires good Gin and equally as good a tonic. As mentioned above, I recommend Hendrick’s Gin if you can find it. But the tonic is the primary ingredient.
Many years ago my wife and I stopped into Harry’s American Bar in Paris to escape the summertime heat and enjoy the ambiance of this historic drinking establishment. We met good friends, one of whom is originally from England. He pointed out that at Harry’s they make a Gin and Tonic with a proper Indian Tonic with quinine. Indian Tonic gets its origin in British colonial India, where malaria was predominant. Quinine became recognized in the 17th century and was used to cure and prevent malaria. It was necessary to take quinine regularly in tropical areas of South Asia and Africa. Hey, I live in Houston, Texas. The climate is remarkably similar to South Asia and Africa in the summertime. We have our fair share of mosquitoes that legendarily carry malaria. I think a Gin and Tonic may be required by the health department.
Ingredients:
2 oz Hendrick’s Gin4 oz Schweppes Indian Tonic
Ice
Highball glass
Half of a key lime squeezed into the glass and discarded
Pour gin into a highball glass over ice cubes and top with tonic water. Squeeze in lime juice. Give the mixture a quick stir and enjoy.
Ingredients:
Replace the Gin in the recipe above with Tito’s Vodka
Tom Collins
This was my mother’s favorite party drink. It’s a pretty presentation, a little sweet and very refreshing.
Ingredients:
In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the gin, lemon juice, and sugar. Shake well. Strain into a Collins glass almost filled with ice cubes. Add the club soda. Stir and garnish with the cherry and the orange slice.
Rum and Soda
If you replace the Coca Cola in a “Cuba libra” with simple club soda and add extra lime you get a very refreshing beverage that allows you to enjoy the flavor of the rum without covering it up with Coke.
Ingredients:
2 oz Meyer’s Platinum Rum
4 oz club soda
Half a key lime squeezed into the glass and discarded
Ice
Pour rum into a highball glass over ice cubes and top with club soda. Squeeze in lime juice. Give the mixture a quick stir and enjoy.
Enjoy summer!
