RH Sips: Classic Spring Cocktails
As the seasons change, so do our cocktail orders. It is time to say ‘ta ta’ to our beloved hot toddies for now, and ‘hello’ to mint juleps, rosé, picantes and saketinis! After days spent on the beach or afternoons practicing our recreational habits like tennis or golf, we like to cool off by sipping these delicious summer drinks.
Scroll below to see the list of our favorite warm weather sips and how to make them!
Rosé
We all know the saying, ‘Rosé All Day’, and while we never want to be ‘basic’, we also understand and have a deep love for the pink hued wine. It tastes great with pretty much any meal and extra divine when paired with seafood. Our favorite rosés of the season are the Wölffer Estate Finca Rosé, Miraval Rosé, Whispering Angel Rosé & Chateau Minuty Rosé. Ordering any glass or bottle of those rosés will not leave you disappointed!
Mint Julep
Ah the refreshing Mint Julep, a cocktail that synonymous with the Kentucky Derby since becoming the events official drink in 1938, is always a champion amongst our family and friends during the warmer months. Three parts bourbon to one part of a simple syrup, and bracingly infused with fresh spearmint, you will find yourself transported to Churchill Downs even if it’s not derby day.
How to make:
Pour three oz. of bourbon and 2 tbs of mint sweetener into a a cocktail glass filled with ice and stir gently. Complete the cocktail by garnishing it with a mint leaf. Voila, the simple three ingredient cocktail that everyone will love!
During the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs reports that they sell over 120,000 over the two race days. We recommend using Woodford Reserve bourbon as it is called the "official bourbon" of the derby.
Cranberry SakeTini
My official birthday drink and our go-to tart and refreshing cocktail is a cranberry saketini! We love saketini’s because unlike most cocktails, the liquor in this one is sake, not hard liquor, making it a bit lighter than a Cosmopolitan which has vodka.
How to make (2 drinks):
:
To make a cranberry saketini all you need to make it is sake, cointreu, limes and cranberry juice.
Fill a cocktail shaker up 2/3 with ice and then pour enough sake for it to cover the ice. Next, squeeze on fresh lime into the shaker and add a healthy splash of cointreau and a dollop of cranberry juice to finish it off. Shake vigorously and pour into a martini glass.
Picante
The beloved picante cocktail made infamous as the drink of choice at Soho House brings us right back to those nights spent on the roof with friends and great music. We love picantes for their fresh and spicy charm, and while they are a bit more complex to make, it’s worth it.
How to make: We took these directions directly from Soho House because no one knows how it make it any better!
The ingredients are as follows: Chilli pepper (about ¼ inch wide), 10 coriander (cilantro) leaves with stem, 2oz/ 50ml reposado tequila (substitute: any tequila you have available), .75oz/ 20ml agave nectar (substitute: .75oz/20ml of honey), & 1oz/ 25ml fresh lime juice.
Cut the small piece of chilli and press it with a muddler in a cocktail shaker tin. Hand-clap the coriander (cilantro) and drop in. Add the rest of the ingredients, then shake and fine strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Cut off the top end of the chilli pepper and place – stem upwards – in the drink to garnish.