Gather Round the Table: Scorching Summer Sippers for your 4th

This week we celebrate our independence, mostly by drinking a lot of beer.  There are, however, more refreshing libations to be had.  They come from the world of cocktails, and they come with all the history, tradition and lore of the best brews.  There are of course dozens of cocktails that would fit the bill on some hot July  afternoon on your patio, but we shall concentrate on just five.

The first of these archetypal summer sippers got its start as medicine some 50 years before it was considered a posh cocktail by anyone.  Gin, a juniper-flavored distillate itself originally created for medicinal purposes, was popularly mixed with quinine water by British soldiers in India to smooth the quinine’s bitter flavors. 

Quinine, in turn, had been invented in 1858 and quickly popularized for its ability to ward of malaria among Her Majesty’s troops in the tropics.  When it arrived in more temperate zones, like the bars of London and New York, it got dressed up with ice and lime wedge, served in a highball, and the classic Gin & Tonic was born.

The next is a cousin to the G&T, and although people will argue as to whether to use gin or vodka (or I’ve even heard rum!) in a Tom Collins, it is fairly well documented that the original cocktail was made from a sweet gin that is no longer available called “Old Tom,” from which the drink also apparently took its name. 

Although now made with dry gin, it is sweetened with simple syrup (equal parts by volume of sugar dissolved in water and briefly boiled), and mixed with lemon juice before being poured over ice and topped with club soda.  For a more refreshing (though more complicated) version, refer to the recipes below.

Bacardi Light Rum is the number one selling distilled beverage in the world, and there is a reason for that.  When Don Facundo Bacardi Massó invented the world’s first light (clear and colorless) rum in 1862, his method of distilling five times then charcoal filtering and oak mellowing would create a beverage high in alcohol, but so light and smooth that nearly everyone could enjoy it.  After the Spanish-American war, revelers celebrated their independence from Spain by drinking a concoction called the “Cuba Libre” – now the single most popular cocktail on the planet – and today referred to simply by its ingredients, Rum & Coke.  Purists will emphasize that it must be Bacardi light rum (not Myers or Captain Morgan) and it must be Coca-Cola (not Pepsi or RC).  As always though, I say go with your own tastes.

Quickly gaining on the Rum & Coke in popularity, especially among the 20-something set, is the favorite cocktail of Ernest Hemingway during his storied days in old Havana.  The Mojito is one of those cocktails that people obsess over, argue about, and everyone seems to know the bar the makes the best one.  Some things are sure though.  Ingredients should include light dry rum (never dark), spearmint – what the Cubans call yerbabuena, not peppermint – and sugar, not simple syrup.  The granulated sugar aids in the process called “muddling,” in which ingredients are crushed together in a glass using a tool that resembles a miniature baseball bat (see the recipe, below).

One last popular summer refresher is the Margarita, and this is the one that I tend to get very picky about.  It’s history is quite disputed as well, having been credited to a Mexican Hotel manager in 1936; a Jose Cuervo distributor and his bartender buddy in L.A. in the ‘50s; a San Antonio Socialite named Maragrita Sames who claimed that she didn’t like weak drinks or weak men; an taco bar owner in Taxco, Mexico; and Danny Herrera, then manager of the Ranch La Gloria in Tijuana in 1948.

Regardless of who invented it, there can be no doubt that in order for it to truly be a Margarita, it must be made with high quality tequila such as Patrón or Herradura Ligero, it must be made with real, fresh lime juice (never with sour mix) and it must be served on the rocks.  The salt on the rim is quite tasty, but optional.  Cheap tequila will show through both in the flavor and the next morning, and a fine orange liqueur like Grand Marnier will taste better than ordinary triple sec.

Any of these would make a cool, bracing alternative to the same old light beer or wine cooler while gathered around the grill on Independence Day.  Happy 4th, everyone.

Gin & Tonic

2 ounces dry gin
3 ounces tonic water
Lime wedge for garnish

Fill a highball glass with ice.  Pour in the gin and the tonic simultaneously.  Garnish with lime wedge.

Tom Collins

2 1/2 ounces dry gin
1 ounce fresh lemon juice

3/4 ounce simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, boiled to dissolve)
Club soda
Maraschino cherry and half orange wheel, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, combine the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup.  Shake briefly.  Strain into an ice-filled Tom Collins glass (like a highball but narrower) and top with a splash of the club soda.  Garnish with orange and cherry.

Cuba Libre (a.k.a. Rum & Coke)

The secret to his is that it’s not merely a combination of rum and cola, but has particular proportions, and needs not just a lime wedge, but some juice to offset the sweet cola

2 ounces light rum
1 ounce fresh lime juice
3 ounces Coca-Cola
1 lime wedge, for garnish

Fill a highball with ice.  Build in the highball in the order listed.  Garnish with lime.

Mojito

4 lime wedges
2-3 teaspoons granulated sugar
8-10 fresh spearmint leaves
2 ounces light rum
Club soda
Mint sprig, for garnish

Using a wooden muddler, muddle the lime wedges, sugar, and spearmint in a mixing glass until the sugar is dissolved, and the mint and limes are well crushed.  Add ice and rum, and shake briefly.  Strain into a Collins glass full of ice.  Top with club soda and garnish with mint.

Margarita

1 ½ ounce high quality tequila
1 ounce Grand Marnier (triple sec will do, on a budget)
½ fresh lime juice (not “realime” and definitely not sour mix)
Lime wedge for garnish

Salt the rim of a rocks glass and add ice.  In a cocktail shaker, combine the above ingredients.  Shake well with ice.  Strain into rocks glass, garnish with lime.