PARCHED | 5 COOL COCKTAILS TO CAMPAIGN FOR

Summer cocktails from bars around New York City.

By Alainna Lexie Beddie (NYT)

Americano

Dante, the new take on the old Caffe Dante, a near 100-year-old Greenwich Village institution, stays true to its Italian origins. And its Negroni happy-hour menu boasts 11 different variations, including this Americano — a favorite among regulars.

1 ounce Campari
1 ounce Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth
Perrier, to top
Orange wedge, to garnish

1. Pour the Campari and vermouth into a highball glass filled with ice.

2. Top with Perrier, and stir.

3. Garnish with the orange wedge and serve.

Americano

Yuzu-Calpico Fizz by Bar Goto

At the Lower East Side’s new Japanese tapas and cocktail bar, Bar Goto, drinks feature distinct Asian elements like fragrant shiso, delicate cherry blossom and, in the case of this fizz, tart yuzu. The citrus is tempered with a splash of Calpico, a milky and concentrated Japanese soft drink beloved in summer months (and by my Japanese mother).

2 ounces gin
¾ ounce lemon juice
½ ounce Calpico
½ ounce cane syrup
2 teaspoons Yuzu preserves
1 ounce club soda

1. Add all the ingredients except the club soda to a mixing tin.

2. Use a hand mixer to dissolve the yuzu preserves thoroughly.

3. Add ice and shake.

4. Strain into a highball glass, top with the club soda and serve.

*At Bar Goto, they garnish this cocktail with a jelly-infused marshmallow … the details of which are top secret. So maybe steal a standard marshmallow from a bag near the bonfire for a little D.I.Y. garnish hack.

Spritz by Alta Linea

Alta Linea, the outdoor restaurant at the High Line Hotel, introduced brunch this summer. The spot is famous for its frozen Negronis, which draw the after-work crowds; but its slightly bitter and refreshing spritz might be more appropriate for daytime noshing.

1 ½ ounces Contratto Bitter*
1 ounce Fever Tree club soda
2 ounces Prosecco
Orange slice, to garnish

1. Pour the Contratto Bitter into a wine glass.

2. Top with ice, the club soda and Prosecco.

3. Garnish with an orange slice, and serve.

* “I think of this as the grown-up version of the Aperol Spritz, which is one of my favorite cocktails,” says Joe Campanale, who devised Alta Linea’s drink menu. “Contratto is a new-to-market Italian aperitif that uses only natural ingredients and is delicious.”

Cape Town Mule by Toro

Sangrias and a handful of soda-based drinks (red wine and cola, anyone?) complement Barcelona-style tapas at the New York outpost of Toro, which originated in Boston. This season, its Cape Town Mule — which nods to southern sweet tea, with rooibos-infused vodka — stands out on its own.

2 ounces rooibos-infused vodka*
1 ounce fresh lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup
¼ ounce ginger juice*

1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing tin with ice and shake.

2. Strain into a glass with new ice, and serve.

*For the vodka infusion: Combine one bottle of vodka with 3 tablespoons rooibos tea. Allow to sit for 30 minutes, and strain out the tea.

*For the ginger juice: Peel and chop a generous hunk of fresh ginger, and combine it with just enough water to allow it to spin in a blender. Blend until liquid. Strain off any fibers with cheese cloth.

Summer Harvest by Waldorf Astoria

In July, the Waldorf Astoria New York unveiled its new summer beer, dubbed the Greatest of Them Ale, in its recently expanded rooftop garden. The hotel’s Peacock Alley restaurant serves it in a cocktail with lemon and honey — collected from the bees that live on the roof.

1 ½ ounces Greenhook Ginsmiths American Dry Gin
¾ ounces honey syrup*
¾ ounces fresh lemon juice
2 ½ ounces Waldorf’s Greatest of Them Ale summer beer (or any Belgian-style witbier)
Lemon peel, for finishing

1. Add all the ingredients except the beer and lemon peel into a mixing glass filled with ice, and shake well.

2. Strain into a chilled Pilsner glass, filled with ice cubes.

3. Top with the beer. Twist a lemon peel over the top to release the scented oils, then discard. Serve.

*For the honey syrup: Heat 1 part honey with 1 part water until juts dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

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