Refreshment from a cocktail glass – our favourite summer drinks

What do you do when it’s hot? Cool off, of course!

You could swim a few laps in the pool or lake, enjoy a delicious ice cream – or perhaps sip a fruity cocktail. After all, summertime is the season of balmy evenings and romantic sunsets, and with a refreshing cocktail in your glass, it all becomes even more delightful. We asked bar manager Markus Winzer which drinks and cocktails taste particularly good in the summer heat and learnt lots of interesting facts about this fruity delight in a glass – including a preview of cocktail trends.

“In summer, there are particularly good, fresh and aromatic fruits, and it is precisely these that make summer drinks so incomparably fruity,” says Markus Winzer, who is responsible for the cocktail creations at the Winzer Bar. When selecting his fruity ingredients, he places particular emphasis on seasonality and on avoiding ready-made products and preservatives. “After all, you should make the most of the variety and freshness that summer fruits offer!” he says.

With his drinks, he brings a rainbow of vitamins to the glass: “Light flavours and citrus fruits such as grapefruit are particularly refreshing in summer. They bring a lightness and freshness to the drink that suits the summer perfectly. Add to that lighter spirits such as gin and vodka, or even a smooth bourbon, plenty of ice to keep the hydration balance right. And cooling mint,” says the expert.

Which drinks are particularly trendy right now?

“The rediscovery of the summer is the Whiskey Julep, a very refreshing drink that is usually prepared with mint and has its origins in the American South,” explains Markus Winzer. Anyone wishing to sample a Whiskey Julep straight from the master himself is best off doing so right here in our New York Bar.

Our new cocktail menu...

Of course, we’d also like to give you the chance to enjoy our new cocktails in advance! With these 3 recipes, you can enjoy delicious refreshment at home too...

Tommy’s Margarita:

• 6 cl 100% Blue Agave tequila
• 3 cl freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1.5 cl agave syrup

Shake all ingredients vigorously with crushed ice for 15 seconds and strain into a tumbler over crushed ice.

Queens Fizz:

• 4 cl London Dry Gin
• 2 cl St. Germain (elderflower liqueur)
• 1 cl lemon juice
• 1 dash lemon bitters (or orange bitters)
• Champagne

Shake all ingredients except the champagne vigorously with solid ice for 15 seconds and double strain into a coupette or cocktail bowl. Top up with champagne and garnish with a mint leaf.

Albemarle Collins:

• 4 cl London Dry Gin
• 2 cl lemon juice
• 2 cl 1:1 sugar syrup
• 4–5 fresh raspberries
• Soda

Gently crush the raspberries in the glass, add the gin, lemon juice and sugar, and mix well. Stir in some solid ice and top up with soda water. Stir gently once more and garnish with a twist of lemon.

Written by Katharina

We say cheers and wish you a wonderful summer at Hotel Winzer.