While summer has a few more weeks left, Labor Day Weekend typically signals the ushering in of the fall season in the States with parties, gatherings, and vacations in tow. To help the grown-ups celebrate the weekend with some fine sips, we’ve compiled a Labor Day Weekend adult beverages roundup with cocktails and other offerings.
The summer isn’t my favorite season as I’m partial to the cool mornings of fall and the crisp cold of winter. I also tend to find that certain spirits and cocktails of the sort I’ve come to enjoy seemingly work better when it’s cooler out. We’re talking about rye whiskies, barrel-proof bourbon, both aged rum, and tequila, along with porters, Marzens, and stouts for the beer drinkers out there.
This roundup has several brightened-up classic drinks along with some that take daring twists from their typical form. We’ve also included a few ready-to-drink offerings, most of which I’ve sampled and enjoyed thoroughly.
As usual here at Spirit.Ed, I’m throwing everything into the roundup that I’ve either enjoyed or certainly hope to in the near future. I want to personally thank the brands for sharing their wares with me. I’m always grateful to try something I’ve never had before, along with experiencing old favorites once again.
Because of the size of this roundup, I’m omitting my usual descriptors because this is already going to be a scroll monster and I’m trying to save your eyes. We do have links sprinkled all through this post for readers to learn more.
Do know that we intend to cover some of the brands below in singular posts, especially if they’re running a cool campaign we’d like to share with our audience. Stay tuned for that in the coming weeks and months.
As always, everything is in alphabetical order. Enjoy this year’s Labor Day weekend roundup.
3-2-1 Aperol Spritz
Ingredients:
Ice cubes
Soda Water (served from siphon or chilled bottle)
Slice of orange
Instructions:
In a stemmed balloon glass full of ice, combine 3 parts of Cinzano Prosecco followed by 2 parts Aperol. Add 1 part or a splash of soda water, stir gently if needed and garnish with an orange slice. The end result should be a uniform, perfect orange color.
Absolut Citron Lemonade
Ingredients:
1½ Parts Absolut Citron
4 Parts Lemonade
Soda Water
1 Wedge Lemon
How to mix:
Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. Add Absolut Citron and lemonade. Top up with soda water. Garnish with lemon.
Apple Smash
2 oz Proper No. Twelve Irish Apple
.75 oz lemon juice
Splash of fresh pineapple juice
2-3 oz club soda
Mint sprig for garnish
Directions: In a shaker, mix Proper No. Twelve Irish Apple, lemon juice and a splash of fresh pineapple juice. Pour over ice and top with club soda. Garnish with a mint spring and enjoy!
Blackberry Smash
Ingredients:
1 oz Ballotin Bourbon Ball Chocolate Whiskey
.5 part Real Blackberry Puree
2 oz ginger
Squeeze of Lime
Method:
Shake all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a lime wedge or fresh blackberries.
Banana Peel Old Fashioned (By Anna Mains, Monkey Shoulder Brand Ambassador)
Ingredients:
2 parts Monkey Shoulder
1/4 part rich Banana simple syrup
3 dashes black walnut bitters
Method:
Stir, pour over ice, and add banana for garnish.
Banana Street
Ingredients:
1 ½ ounces St-Rémy Signature
½ ounce rye whiskey
¾ ounces roasted banana/clove rich syrup
2 dashes pimento bitters
2 dashes aromatic bitters
Absinthe
Directions:
Stir all ingredients with cracked ice. Strain over a large cube into an old fashioned glass (that has been rinsed with absinthe). Garnish with a brûléed spiced banana wheel.
Basil Gimlet
Ingredients:
2 parts Reyka Vodka
1/2 parts lime juice
1/2 parts simple syrup
Sprig of basil
Method: Combine all ingredients and one basil leaf in a shaker. Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with basil.
Bayou Cosmopolitan
Ingredients:
2 oz of Bayou White Rum
1 oz cranberry juice
,5 oz quality orange liqueur
.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
Method:
In a cocktail shaker add all ingredients. Top with cubed ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add a lime wheel or lime wedge for a tart addition or an orange for a slightly sweeter taste.
Belle Sidecar
Ingredients:
1 oz of Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
0.5 oz Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
0.5 oz Belle De Brillet
Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake, strain and pour into a coupette glass. Finish with lemon peel for freshness.
Berry Independent Punch
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups NOLET’S Silver Gin
1/2 cup Chambord Liqueur
1/2 cup Maraschino Cherry Liqueur
2 1/2 cups Lemonade
1/4-1/2 cup Simple Syrup
1 cup Blackberries or Blueberries
1 cup Strawberries
1 cup Raspberries
Method: Puree fruit in a blender and strain out solids or juice fresh berries in a juicer. Mix berry juice with NOLET’S Silver Gin, Chambord, and Maraschino Liqueur with lemonade in a large pitcher or punchbowl. Taste for sweetness and adjust with simple syrup as needed. Add ice to the mixture, and serve over ice with fruit or floral garnish in a rocks glass.
Bourbon Margarita
Ingredients:
1.75 oz. Old Elk Bourbon
1 oz. fresh lime
.50 oz. agave
Method:
Shake everything and pour over fresh ice into garnish with lime margarita foam lime wheel and pink salt.
Buck
Ingredients:
1 1/2 OZ Woodford Reserve Malt Whiskey
1/2 OZ Lemon Juice
1/4 OZ Rich Simple Syrup
4 OZ Grapefruit Soda
Directions: Add ingredients except for grapefruit soda to a shaker tin with ice. Shake until chilled and diluted. Double strain into a Collins or highball glass with ice. Top with grapefruit soda. Garnish with a grapefruit half moon or peel.
Coffee Coconut
Ingredients:
1 Part Kahlúa Coffee Liqueur
1 Part Espresso (Try instant espresso or cold brew)
2 Parts Coconut Milk
1 Drop Vanilla Extract
How to mix:
Fill a glass with ice. Mix the Kahlúa and espresso with a drop of vanilla. Layer the coconut milk on top.
Dirty Soda
Ingredients:
1 Part Malibu Original
2 Parts cola (or soda of choice)
½ Part cream
Lime slice and strawberries for garnish
How to mix:
Add ice to a tall glass and slowly pour soda in to avoid too much fizz. Add Malibu and top with cream. Garnish with lime slice and fresh strawberries.
Drambuie Coffee Paloma (Created by Drambuie Ambassador Freddy May)
Ingredients:
1 part Drambuie
1 part Tequila
1 part Coffee
1 part Grapefruit juice
Method: Pour all the ingredients over ice in a rocks glass or slim highball and stir. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.
Coconut Dreams
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Cazadores Cafe
1 1/2 oz. Perfect Puree Hibiscus
4 oz coconut water
2 dashes of orange bitters
Method: In a cocktail shaker, combine all the ingredients with ice, shake, and serve over the rocks in a Collins glass and garnish with mint and orange twist.
Cucumber Lemonade
Ingredients:
1 ½ parts Hendrick’s Gin
½ part Lemon Juice
½ part Simple Syrup
Top with Soda Water
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a highball glass filled with cubed ice and lightly stir. Garnish with 3 thinly sliced rounds of cucumber and 1 lemon wheel and serve.
Espresso Martini
2 oz Cincoro Reposado
1 oz Espresso
¾ oz Coffee Liqueur
¼ oz agave syrup
Shake all ingredients for 10-15 seconds aggressively. Serve in martini glass and garnish with three coffee beans.
Filthy Cherry Pimm’s
Ingredients:
750ml Pimm’s No.1 (25.4 oz)
8 oz Filthy Margarita Mix
2 oz Filthy Black Cherry Syrup
12 oz Ginger ale
12 Cucumber slices
12 Lemon slices
12 Orange slices
Filthy Black Cherries
Directions: Fill a pitcher with ice and add all ingredients, first the fruit then the liquids. Stir then pour over a wine glass with ice. Garnish with slices of cucumber and lemon, and a Filthy Black Cherry.
Forget Me Not
1.75 oz. Ilegal Mezcal Joven
.75 oz. Lime Juice
.75 oz. Watermelon Juice
.25 oz. Ginger syrup
Garden of Legacy
Ingredients:
40ml The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old
30ml Pink Grapefruit juice
10ml Sugar syrup
Pinch of sea salt
Method: Combine all ingredients in a tall glass, and add ice. Top up with soda or tonic. Garnish with a pink grapefruit wedge.
Gin Sour
Ingredients:
2 oz Minke Irish Gin
1 oz lemon juice
.5 oz sugar syrup
1 oz egg white
Lemon wedge for decoration
Method:
Add all ingredients with ice to a shaker. Shake hard. Double strain into a glass. Garnish with shaved lemon and serve.
Gold Rush
1.5 oz of Ragtown Whiskey
0.5 oz of lemon juice
0.5 oz of honey syrup
METHOD:
Garnish with lemon peel or dried lemon wheel
Highland Cooler
Ingredients:
Cool juice (pureed fruit) of a ripe, seedless watermelon
Glenfiddich 14-Year Bourbon Barrel Reserve
Method:
Mix the watermelon juice five to one with Glenfiddich 14. Pour into a highball or rocks glass and garnish with a small watermelon wedge and mint. For extra credit, stick the 5:1 mixture in the freezer. Once it’s set, scrape it out with a fork to create a delicious watermelon Glenfiddich snow cone.
High Roller Margarita
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Tequila Cazadores Extra Añejo
3/4 oz Grand Marnier
3/4 oz agave nectar
3 wedges lime
3 wedges lemon
1 wedge orange
Method:
In a cocktail shaker muddle limes, lemons and orange. Add the rest of the ingredients with ice, shake and serve up in a cocktail glass.
Jameson Ginger & Lime
Ingredients:
1 Part Jameson Original
3 Parts Ginger Ale
Lime wedge
How to mix:
Fill a glass with ice. Mix Jameson and ginger ale. Take a wedge of lime, give it a squeeze, and then drop in the glass.
Lavender Haze
2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
1 oz Lavender Honey Syrup
2 oz Lemonade
Lavender Sprig
Method: Fill a stemless wine glass with crushed ice. Shake lemonade and syrup on ice and strain into the glass. Layer Empress 1908 Gin on top and add more crushed ice. Garnish and enjoy.
METAXA 12 Stars Sour
Ingredients:
1.5 oz METAXA 12 Stars
0.75 oz Lime
0.5 oz Sugar Syrup
Garnish: Lemon Zest
Directions:
Pour all ingredients in shaker with ice.Strain over ice into a rocks glass glass. Garnish with an orange peel.
Mexican Spritz
Ingredients:
1 ½ parts Milagro Silver
2 parts Aperol
½ parts Grapefruit juice
3 parts Prosecco
Method:
Pour Tequila, Aperol and Grapefruit Juice over ice. Top with Prosecco. Garnish with Grapefruit slice.
Mood Up Spritz
Ingredients:
1 oz. Próspero Reposado
1 oz. Hibiscus tea
.6 oz. Raspberry syrup
Top with Blood Orange Bitters Kefir Water
Method:
Pour each ingredient into a wine glass, with each ingredient building on the next. Stir drink two times and then garnish with two slices of blood orange, a sprig of rosemary and a raspberry.
Negroni Sbagliato
Ingredients:
1 part Campari
1 part 1757 Vermouth di Torino Rosso
1 part Cinzano Prosecco
Method:
Stir first two ingredients with ice in a glass. Top with prosecco. Garnish with an orange slice.
Overdrive Tonic
1.5 oz Engine Gin
0.5 oz Chinola Passion Fruit
0.25 oz Lemon Juice
3 oz Mediterranean Tonic Fever Tree
Lemon Peel
METHOD:
Build in a glass with ice and garnish with a lemon twist.
Owl Smash
Ingredients:
1.5 oz The Wiseman Bourbon
1 oz Lemon Juice
0.75 oz Simple Syrup
6-8 Mint Leaves
Method:
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice, then shake well for 1 minute. Double fine strain into a glass with ice. Garnish with mint sprig.
Painkiller
Ingredients:
4 parts Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
8 parts pineapple juice
2 parts orange juice
2 parts cream of coconut
Method: Add the rum, pineapple juice, orange juice and cream of coconut to a shaker with ice and quickly shake vigorously to combine. Strain into a hurricane glass or over crushed ice. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and a lime wheel. Serve with a straw.
Patrón EL CIELO Spritz
Ingredients:
1 oz Patrón EL CIELO
2 oz Chilled Pinot Grigio or Provençale Rose Wine
3 oz Chilled Ginger Ale
Method:
In a white wine glass with cubed ice, build all ingredients, stir to combine. Garnish with a fresh orange wedge – squeeze and drop into the glass.
Peach Elderflower Highball (Created by Meg Quinn)
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. Crown Royal Peach
½ oz. Elderflower Liqueur
5 oz. Tonic Water
Rosemary sprigs
Puebla Margarita
2 parts Del Maguey VIDA Puebla
¾ parts Lime Juice
¾ parts Agave Syrup
1 large orange twist
Method: Shake, pour, and top with fresh ice. Garnish with lime wedge and paprika salt rim.
Ranch Water
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Patrón Silver
.75 oz lime juice
12 oz bottle of sparkling mineral water
.75 oz Citrónge Orange Liqueur
Method:
Combine Patrón silver and lime juice in a Collins glass filled with ice. Top with your preferred sparkling mineral water and stir gently to combine.
Reality Check Margarita
Ingredients:
0.5 oz Agave Syrup
0.75 oz Lime Juice
1.5 oz Watermelon Juice
Directions:
Half-rim a rocks glass with Tajin. In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients. Add fresh ice, then shake and strain into rocks glass. Garnish with Watermelon slice and Basil leaf.
Rye Smash
Ingredients:
2 oz Uncle Nearest Straight Rye
3 lemon wedges
6 mint leaves
0.5-0.75 oz simple syrup
Seasonal fruit
Directions: Combine lemon wedges, mint leaves, simple syrup and seasonal fruit in a shaker. Muddle gently to release juice and oils. Add Uncle Nearest Straight Rye and ice. Shave for 8-10 seconds. Double strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a sprig.
Rye(se) Up (By Nicholas Rose, Hudson Whiskey’s Distillery Bartender)
Ingredients:
1.5 parts Hudson Whiskey Do the Rye Thing
¾ part Dolin Blanc Vermouth De Chambery
.5 part Suze
Method:
Add all the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice, and stir until well-chilled. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with a big ice cube. Garnish with a flamed orange peel.
Sea Breeze
Ingredients:
1 oz Sorel Liqueur
1 oz Vodka
1 oz Coconut Water
1 oz Pomegranate Juice
Club Soda
Method:
Add all ingredients to shaker, pour in a tall glass with plenty of ice and garnish with a sprig of mint and a lime wedge
Sgroppino
Ingredients:
2 oz Riondo Prosecco
0.5 oz vodka
1 scoop lemon sorbet
Method:
Add the prosecco, vodka and lemon sorbet into a chilled bowl and whip until foamy and velvety. Pour into a white wine glass.
Spicy Sunshine Marg
1 ½ oz tequila
¾ ounce Sunshine Punch
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz hellfire bitters or fresh jalapenos
Serve over crushed ice/pellet ice. Garnish with lime.
Southern Spritz
Ingredients:
1 ¼ fl oz Four Roses Bourbon
1 ¼ fl oz Campari
1 fl oz strawberry syrup
Garnish:
Strawberry slices
Orange slices
Soda water
Directions: Combine all ingredients into a wine glass. Add ice and top with soda water. Stir to incorporate. Garnish.
Strawberry Basil Fizz Margarita
Ingredients:
2 Basil Leaves
3 oz Club Soda
2 oz Cointreau
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 Strawberry Hulled and quartered
Directions:
Muddle the strawberry and basil in the bottom of a glass. Add Cointreau and fresh lime juice with ice and top with club soda. Stir briefly. Garnish with a strawberry and basil leaf.
Tully Mule (By Kevin Pigott, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey Global Brand Ambassador)
Ingredients:
2 parts Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey
½ parts Fresh Lime Juice
Top with Ginger Beer
Lime Wheel
Method:
Stir Tullamore D.E.W. Original and lemon juice in a mug filled with ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with lime wheel.
When Birds Do Sing (Created by The Balvenie Ambassador Naomi Leslie)
Ingredients:
2 parts The Balvenie Sweet Toast of American Oak 12-Year
½ part Lillet Blanc Aperitif
¾ part Simple Syrup
¾ part Fresh Lemon Juice
4 dashes Grapefruit Bitters
Method:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake briefly. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
Brews & RTDs
Novo Fogo Brazilian Organic Cocktails
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Photo: Getty
Labor Day Weekend Is Here & We’ve Got Some Adult Beverages To Make It A Good One was originally published on cassiuslife.com
