Treks & Bites | Cocktail Corner

Who doesn’t love a good cocktail? Toasting with a fancy drink is a festive way to celebrate and always seems to signal a special occasion! We love our wine, but every once in a while it’s fun to get creative at the bar, and on this page, we share the concoctions we think are especially delicious! We are pretty lucky because we have our own in-house bartender (Joel Iventosch) who prides himself on making creative and festive cocktails! He is our go-to bartender when it comes to making a great drink for any occasion, but especially for gatherings with friends and family! As we post each new recipe, you can scroll down to see any of those you’ve not yet seen!

*Summer Rosé  Sangria

*Coconut-Lime Margarita

*Campari-Aperol Spritz

*Citrus Parade Gin & Tonic

*The Purist’s Pink Salt Margarita

*Amaretto Apple Lattes

SUMMER ROSE SANGRIA

Sangria!!  One of my favorite memories from touring with @wicked_musical was a castmate who would always sing out “sangria” whenever he made it! And, it was delicious! A few weeks back, when throwing a surprise party for a friend, we decided that sangria was in order and specifically, a rosé sangria. And so we made it! With hints of strawberry, orange, grapefruit, lime, cucumber, and mint, this refreshing cocktail will be sure to have your guests happy! Aperol gives an added brightness and beautiful pink color. Serve with or without ice and sparkling water! Enjoy! 

Ingredients

  • 🍊 1 orange
  • 🍓 2 cups strawberries, sliced
  • 🍬 2 tablespoons sugar 
  • 🍋 1 lemon
  • 🥒 1/3 cucumber
  • 🍃 1/2 small grapefruit
  • 🍈 1/2 lime 
  • 🍷 1 bottle of rose of choice
  • 🍹1/3 cup Aperol 
  • 🌿 1 handful of mint leaves

Coconut-Lime Margarita

  •  🥥  2 oz. of your favorite tequila 
  •  🥥  1.5 oz. Cointreau 
  •  🥥  1.5-2 oz. fresh lime juice
  •  🥥  2 tablespoons cream of coconut (Coco Lopez or similar)
  •  🥥  2 wedges or slices of lime (one for the drink and one for garnish)
  •  🥥  For the rim of the glass: pink Himalayan salt or regular margarita salt

Campari-Aperol Spritz (per drink)

  • 🥂1.5 oz. Aperol
  • 🍒1 oz. Campari
  • 🍾⅓ cup Prosecco
  • 💦 ¼ cup seltzer
  • 🍈Squeeze of lime juice
  • 🌺🍈🍊🍒Garnishes: flower, lime wedges, orange slices, cranberries

CITRUS PARADE GIN & TONIC

  • 🌺1.5-2 oz. of your favorite gin (depending on how strong you like it) – normally we use Bombay Sapphire East gin, but Hendricks or Tanqueray are also great for this cocktail
  • 🌺4-6 oz fine Indian Tonic water
  • 🌺1 large wedge lime (for squeezing in for juice), 
  • 🌺1 thin wedge lime of lime (for garnish)
  • 🌺1 thin wedge of pink grapefruit
  • 🌺1 thin wedge of orange
  • 🌺1 thin slice of cucumber
  • 🌺8-10 juniper berries
  • 🌺1 sprig of rosemary (optional)

THE PURIST'S PINK SALT MARGARITA

  • 3 oz. good tequila (Cazadores Reposado, Casamigos Anejo, or your favorite)
  • 1.5 oz. Cointreau
  • 1-1.25 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice (just depending on how tart you want it)
  • 1/2 tablespoon light blue agave syrup (if using amber or raw syrup instead of light, then reduce the amount a little since they are sweeter than light)
  • 1 lime wedge 
  • 1 teaspoon ground pink Himalayan salt for the rim of the glass *Optional: If you can handle it and love tequila, float 1/2 to 1 oz. premium sipping tequila over the drink as the ice melts. (Clase Azul Reposado, Don Julio 1942, or Casamigos Anejo or your favorite tequila). Personally, I have never done this! But I do love a lime juice floater poured over the top!🍈

AMARETTO APPLE LATTE

  • 🍹 1 oz. spiced amaretto (or rum) 
  • 🧃 1 oz. unfiltered apple juice
  • 💫 ½ teaspoon brown sugar
  • 🥛 1 oz. foamed milk
  • 🌟 a sprinkling of powdered cinnamon
  • 🌸 ½ vanilla bean
  • 🥢 1 cinnamon stick 
  • 🍎 1 thin slice of apple

Instructions

  • 🌺 Chop the orange (keep the peel on) and slice the strawberries. Put both in a pitcher and add the sugar. Stir and let sit for 20 minutes to macerate and allow the fruit to develop some juices.
  • 🌺 Meanwhile, slice lemon and cucumber and chop grapefruit and lime (keeping the peel on both).
  • 🌺 Pour rose and Aperol into the fruit mixture.
  • 🌺 Add cucumber and lemon slices, grapefruit and lime pieces, and mint and stir.
  • 🌺 Refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
  • 🌺 Serve as is, or over ice, and/or with a dash of sparkling water!

Coconut-Lime Margarita

  • Wet the edge of a rocks glass with one lime wedge and then rim with salt. Squeeze first lime wedge in the bottom of the glass, then discard lime. Fill glass ¾ full with ice cubes. In a pitcher or shaker mix tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and coconut cream together stir well. Pour drink over the ice. Garnish with the remaining lime wedge.  

Campari-Aperol Spritz (per drink)

  • Fill glass with ice. Pour Aperol and Campari over ice. Add Prosecco and finish off with a seltzer or club soda. Drop in a splash of lime juice and garnish with your favorite edible flowers, lime and orange wedges and a few frozen cranberries!
    🥂Cheers!🥂

 Citrus Parade G&T recipe (per drink)

  • Fill a highball glass 2/3 full with ice cubes (not crushed). 
  • Add gin. Squeeze the large lime wedge on top of the gin and discard the rind. Add half the juniper berries.
  • Add about half of the desired tonic.
  • Add grapefruit, orange, lime, and cucumber slices (and rosemary if using), arranging as desired (kind of wedge them between the side of the glass and ice cubes).
  • Add additional/remaining tonic as desired (note use 2 oz gin and 4 oz tonic for a strong drink, 1.5 oz gin, and 5-6 oz tonic for a weaker cocktail. Garnish with remaining juniper berries. Enjoy!

The Purist's Pink Salt Margaritas

  • Mix tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and agave in a shaker or pitcher, if making a big batch. Shake or stir well. 
  • Prepare the glass: Wet the rim of the glass with lime by rubbing a lime wedge around the rim of the glass and turn the glass upside down onto a plate of ground pink salt. Rotate back and forth to get a nice salted rim. 
  • Fill the glass 2/3 with ice cubes. Squeeze the lime wedge into the glass. Pour cocktail mixture over the ice. Then, drop lime into the drink. Sip away!

Amaretto Apple Latte

  • Heat apple juice in a small pan or in the microwave.
    Steam milk in an electric frother (like Nespresso makes), your cappuccino maker, or using a hand-held frother (like Aerolatte). 
  • Place brown sugar in a cocktail glass and pour warm apple juice over. Stir to dissolve sugar.
  • Add amaretto or spiced rum, and spoon milk over the top.
  • Sprinkle with cinnamon.
  • Add vanilla bean and cinnamon stick and place apple slice on the lip of the glass. 
Author: Suz
Course: Dessert
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This drink is so refreshing with coconut cream in place of agave and lots of fresh-squeezed lime juice! We salted the rim with pink Himalayan salt, but for a sweeter version, it would be fun to garnish the rim with unsweetened shredded coconut. 
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Joel is decidedly the bartender-sommelier-cicerone in our family! And, he makes a ridiculously good margarita! It’s been called hallucinogenic by some who have over-indulged! When that happens, it becomes a “phantasmagorical” cocktail … new vocab word meaning there can be an exhibition of optical effects and illusions; a constantly shifting complex succession of things seen or imagined; or a scene that constantly changes! But I digress. Nevertheless, it is super tasty and when drunk responsibly, (possible oxymoron?), it’s the perfect complement to Mexican food! Even Grams loves these margaritas and remains upright after drinking them, so it can be done!  

The key to his margaritas is no mix whatsoever but just fresh lime juice, light blue agave syrup, good quality tequila, Cointreau, pink salt, and a lot of ice cubes! Try to sip slowly!
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Vanilla bean may be the most exquisite part of this drink made with frothy steamed milk, hot apple cider, your favorite spiced amaretto (or spiced rum for a lighter version), and cinnamon stick, but the combination is indescribably delicious! And, it’s so light for an after-dinner drink on Christmas night … or any other wintery night! The thinly sliced apple garnish is beautiful, but also fun to munch on while you enjoy your cocktail! But, did we mention how much we LOVE that vanilla bean! Recipe below!
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Join the Conversation

  1. Wow these are all so beautiful and colorful and vibrant. Such great proof that a special cocktail is the right move for any occasion. I especially love the coconut lime margarita!

    1. Thanks, Lee! Cocktails are so much fun and such a great creative outlet! Yours are always so beautiful and inspirational! It kind of makes you wish every day was Friday, doesn’t it???🍹

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