Cocktail season is year round, but in the summer you have the chance of adding fresh local fruits. I received this email about fruit cocktails courtesy of JOEY Restaurants and I thought I’d share it with you. Don’t forget to buy BC fruits as much as possible, and enjoy patio season.
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From vodka to rum and gin to whiskey, there really are no limits when it comes to liquors that can be infused with fruit flavours. Knowing which liquor will compliment fruit the best is helpful when serving cocktails at your summer parties this year. You never know; your favourite fruit and favourite liquor may just be the perfect match.
“There’s no better time to add fruit to cocktails than during the summer when the majority are in season,” says Jesse Sahlin, Beverage Director at JOEY Restaurants. “If you’re looking to spruce up your cocktails with seasonal flavours, its best to find the most complimentary fruit for your favourite liquor.”
If you’re eager to pair the right fruits with your liquor of choice this summer, look no further. Here’s how to pour the best tasting cocktails during sunny days.
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Strawberries and blueberries in a bowl Lemon– This universal cocktail garnish pairs well with just about anything, but there are some liquors that make it shine. Infuse your vodka cocktails with lemon juice for a refreshing vodka lemonade or use lemons as a garnish for any vodka drink. Add some lemon juice to a whiskey sour or garnish any gin-based cocktail.
- Strawberries– Bourbon, rum or wine-based cocktails are great to pair with fresh strawberries during the summer. Try bourbon with soda and muddled strawberries or a classic strawberry daquiri with rum. You also can’t go wrong with a strawberry-infused sangria.
- Watermelon– Tequila, vodka or rum are great liquors to pair with watermelon, whether you use fresh watermelon or juice. Pour tequila and watermelon juice over ice to create a refreshing cocktail or blend vodka and watermelon with ice to make a slushy. There are really no limits when it comes to watermelon and summer cocktails.
- Blueberries– Like strawberries, blueberries are versatile when it comes to cocktails, and are that much better when they’re in season. Try a blueberry Moscow mule with vodka or infuse your favourite beer with fresh blueberries for a sweeter finish.
- Grapefruit– When pairing fresh grapefruit or grapefruit juice with liquor, gin or vodka are best suited. Infuse your classic gin and tonic with grapefruit slices or add grapefruit juice to vodka for a simple yet refreshing cocktail.
Don’t have the time to pour your own fruit-infused cocktail at home this summer? Back again this summer at JOEY restaurants across Canada is The Watermelon Drink. Head over to a JOEY location near you and try out the cocktail brought back by popular demand. With vodka and fresh watermelon, the drink is the perfect refreshment for the season. Check out the recipe here:
The Watermelon Drink
1.5oz Absolut Vodka
2.5oz of fresh watermelon, agave, lime juice
Fresh mint leaves
Add ice, shake
Strain over fresh ice
Mint bouquet and watermelon cube garnish
To learn more about The Watermelon Drink and to find a JOEY Restaurant near you, please visit https://joeyrestaurants.com.
About JOEY Restaurant Group:
Whether the inspiration comes from just around the corner or a continent away, the JOEY Restaurant Group believes in handcrafted, locally and globally inspired menu offerings. With 37 locations across Canada, Washington and California, our highly-skilled and passionate culinary and hospitality teams are ready to serve you.
About Corby Spirit and Wine
Corby Spirit and Wine Limited is a leading Canadian marketer and distributor of spirits and imported wines. Corby’s portfolio of owned-brands includes some of the most renowned brands in Canada, including J.P. Wiser’s®, Lot No. 40®, Pike Creek®, and Gooderham & Worts® Canadian whiskies as well as Lamb’s® rum, Polar Ice® vodka, McGuinness® liqueurs, and the recently acquired Ungava® gin. Through its affiliation with Pernod Ricard S.A., a global leader in the spirits and wine industry, Corby also represents leading international brands such as ABSOLUT® vodka, Chivas Regal®, Aberlour® and The Glenlivet® Scotch whiskies, Jameson® Irish whiskey, Beefeater® gin, Malibu® rum, Kahlúa® liqueur, Mumm® champagne, and Jacob’s Creek®, Stoneleigh®, Campo Viejo®, and Kenwood® wines. In 2018, Corby was named one of the 50 Best Workplaces in Canada by The Great Place to Work® Institute Canada for the seventh consecutive year. Corby is a publicly traded company based in Toronto, Ontario, and listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the trading symbols CSW.A and CSW.B. For further information, please visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter (@CorbySW) and Instagram (@CorbySW).
About Absolut Vodka
Since 1879, Absolut Vodka completely redefined the premium vodka landscape, becoming synonymous with art, culture and nightlife. Every drop of Absolut Vodka is manufactured using ingredients from Åhus, a tiny village in southern Sweden. They call this process One Source: from the hard winter wheat grown in local fields, to the pristine water and the glass bottle itself, everything comes from One Source, making every Absolut bottle in the world the same distinctive character and taste.
For more information visit www.absolut.ca or follow @Absolut on Facebook or @AbsolutVodka on Instagram
