Squeeze out the rest of summer with lip-smacking citrus cocktails.

Few things can cut through the sweat of mid-summer like the sharp pucker of a citrus cocktail. A little sweet, a little sour and served well chilled, citrus really is the standby summer thirst quencher. Readily available in fruit, juice and frozen form, citrus blends easily with other flavours, it’s rich in vitamins and it goes great with almost any booze from wine to tequila. Even citrus cocktails are versatile; they can be served frozen, prepared ahead in batches or steeped for days. If we haven’t convinced you to rediscover the world of citrus, don’t worry, there’s still hope. We’ve deconstructed some classic cocktails to help understand what makes a good citrus cocktail work. Take this power, use it wisely, we suggest experimentation, perhaps invent a new signature cocktail, then name it, (after yourself of course).

Classic Citrus

Old standbys can make the best cocktail combinations, after all they’ve survived the test of time for a reason, think; orange juice and vodka, grapefruit and gin, lemon and whiskey, lime and rum. These combinations are the basis for some of simplest cocktails and from them we get the humble screwdriver, the greyhound, whiskey sour and the daiquiri. Of course, we couldn’t leave these well enough alone and exploring the classics peaked our curiosity and gave us an altruistic excuse to avoid cutting the lawn.

The Classic Bronx

It may be over 100 years old, but it still packs a punch. The Bronx, reputed to be named after the Bronx Zoo, takes it’s flavour pairing by combining orange with the nip of juniper essence from gin. Sweet vermouth balances out the sour and a hit of dry vermouth tilts it toward a martini.

• 2 oz Gin
• 1 oz Orange Juice
• 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
• 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake, strain and serve in a cocktail glass.

Hot & trendy

What? The classics are a little stuffy for your tastes? We’ll meet your challenge and raise you one of the hottest mixology trends going. Today’s cocktail gurus have been sneaking into the kitchen and raiding the chef’s fresh herbs and spices. Undoubtedly, on occasion this must result in red faces and dented pans, but for us, sitting safely front-of-house, it leads to a whole new boozology experience. The use of herbs and citrus together in drinks such as a mojito, mint juleps or caipirinhas have been around for years, but what’s new is the expansion of this concept to go beyond mint and include rosemary, basil, sage and so forth. The effect is a layering of flavours that complements the citrus. Take our Classic Bronx recipe and add four or five short leafy stems of fresh cilantro to the shaker. Suddenly the flavor extracted from the cilantro by muddling it with the ice in the shaker, transforms the drink. The flavour starts with the anise notes from the cilantro and transitions into the juniper-gin.

Cachaça Mistique

Cachaça (Ka-SHA-Sa) is Brazil’s national booze (and second national pastime) it is similar to rum as it’s made from sugar cane, but unlike rum cachaça is not made from molasses, it’s made directly from distilling sugar cane. Feel free to use the cocktail recipe below as a tool to experiment, change up the lemon for lime, try a pinch of fresh grated ginger instead of ginger ale.

• 2 oz. Cachaça
• 1 oz. Fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz. Cola
• 10-15 Rosemary leaves
• 1 oz. Ginger ale

Combine in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass. Top off with ginger ale and garnish with a rosemary sprig and lemon slice.

Lime and mint or basil, lemon with ginger or rosemary, orange with cilantro or basil, all are fail-safe citrus and herb flavour combinations. Whether you decide to become adventurous or prefer to remain simple, revisiting citrus is a great way to enjoy the summer and fulfill your inner alchemist. Keep in mind, fresh is always best and this applies to both herbs and citrus and don’t forget, both are broadly availability year round thanks to our global village.

First published at CanadianLiving.com