Up Your Cocktail Game this Summer

August 20, 2019by Rachel Jimenez

Tired of serving the same old thing? Up your cocktail game and put your own touch on drinks that turn good times into great ones. Here are a few tips, tricks and trends you can master to help you create unique cocktails.

 

Think bigger than liquor

Not every cocktail requires spirits alone. In many cases, an inventive cocktail can also include a mix of beer or wine. For example, you can add Prosecco to beer. It’s a light, sparkling and bubbly wine that doesn’t overpower the beer flavor. Or you can create a beer sangria by substituting fruit lambic beer from Belgium for red wine.

 

Stay up on the trends

There’s no better way to drink than on-trend. A few trends to note in 2019: the highball is making a comeback, people prioritize quality over quantity in their cocktails today, house-made cocktail ingredients like shrubs are very in style (so water that garden), and spiked slushies with an international flair are basically the new Aperol spritz. Dive in. Discover a trend.

 

Speaking of spiked slushies…use fresh fruits.

When it comes to mixing killer cocktails, it goes without saying that you should opt for premium liquors. But one thing you might not consider – top-shelf produce. Looking to make a sparkling wine cocktail? Skip the grocery store juice, and instead add fresh, local and seasonal fruits as a puree.

Add fruits like melons, berries, peaches, or the sweetest and the freshest ingredients you can find. Blend them together before adding to sparkling wines such as Prosecco or Champagne. Or, add the fruit puree to pinot grigio, chardonnay, or rosé and add seltzer.

There are millions of cocktails to try and to put your own touch on. Really, your imagination is the limit.