5 Seasonal Cocktail Ideas That Are Perfect For Winters
One of the trendiest mixology tricks that is being employed by bartenders and those who host social gatherings at home is curating seasonal cocktails and mocktails. These drinks make use of local and regional produce available during a particular season, such that bartenders tend to opt for more environmentally conscious choices while procuring ingredients for cocktails.
Seasonal ideas for making alcoholic blends comprise making use of fruits like watermelons and grapefruits during summers and pears and apples during winters. Along with that, one of the mixology techniques involved in blending seasonal cocktails is going for warmer drinks during winters and preparing fruit-forward, chilled drinks in summers.
As such, different techniques and ingredients are employed across seasons in the making of cocktails which resonate with the weather outdoors.
Read on below for a glimpse into some of the cocktail ideas that are perfect to shake up during varied seasons while hosting a social gathering at home:
Warm Winter Drinks
Cool winds bring with them the festive season and the time for different holidays which indicate a coming together of friends and family at indoor gatherings. This is the season to prepare and serve warm drinks as the temperatures fall. Seasonal drinks like hot toddy, eggnog, spiced rum punch, hot buttered rum can be prepared during cool climes.
These drinks are generally concocted using good quality spirits such as about 45 ml rum or brandy coupled with mulled wine and winter fruits like pears and apples.
Bring the festive spirit into winter drinks by adding a dollop of whipped cream over them as a garnish.
Seasonal Fruit Juices
Another way to infuse seasonal ingredients into cocktails is to source fruits which grow abundantly during a particular time of the calendar year.
For instance, mangoes and pineapples are available in the tropics during summer so they can be used widely to craft drinks like the mango-flavoured margarita or a classic tropical piña colada.
Watermelon, orange or pomegranate juices can also be poured into cocktails made with the addition of 45 ml vodka or 30 ml tequila blanco to incorporate the ripe flavours of seasonal fruits in these alcoholic mixes.
Floral Spring Accents
During spring, flowers begin to bloom in gardens and homegrown shrubberies which means floral accents become the marker of this period. Such florals in the form of lavender syrup or elderflower liqueur can make an appearance in cocktails like a flavoured gin and tonic or a floral cooler.
Rose syrup can also be added to different cocktails like an infused margarita blend or a mint and rose cooler to infuse these drinks with the aroma of the sweet-smelling flower.
Such a fragrant and botanical flourish builds into the seasonal effect of varied cocktails and infuses an herbal touch into the blends.
Tangy Summer Flavours
Another way to infuse seasonal flavours into cocktails during summer is to incorporate lots of acidic and tangy notes in the drinks. This involves making sour-forward cocktails like whisky sour, a classic daiquiri or a mojito.
These drinks are made by blending lemon juice or orange juice together with a spirit and some herbs, and just a hint of simple syrup so their acidic and tangy tastes are highlighted in the cocktail.
Such flavours brought forth through grapefruit juice, lime juice and cranberry juice make for interesting tangy notes in the warm weather.
Flavourful Autumnal Spices
During fall weather, many cocktails like hot toddy or old fashioneds are prepared with the addition of different spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, sage and saffron among others. These flavours build into the overall flavour of the drinks along with imbuing them with a lot of aroma.
Spices can be added to cocktails by making infused syrups or spirits can be imbued with the flavours of cinnamon and star anise.
As chilly winds blow in the fall weather, these intense and spicy drinks become an interesting contrast with the cooler climes outdoors.
Drink responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
