The weather is warming up, so it’s time to cool down our cocktails for springtime patio drinking fun with our friends and neighbors. France 44 is here to give you a quick refresher course on some of our warm weather staples!
Floral Gin & Tonics
The Classic:
- 2 oz Tanqueray London Dry Gin
- 6 oz Fever Tree Indian Tonic
- 3/4 oz St. Germain
The New School:
- 2 oz Tattersall Barrel Aged Gin
- 6 oz Q Tonic Water
- 3/4 oz Tattersall Crème De Fleur
The Easy Squeeze:
- 2 oz Hendrick’s Gin
- 6 oz Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic
- 2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters
Who doesn’t love a signature G&T? Spruce up your gin and tonics by adding a floral component to the mix. St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur is a beautiful sweet and floral way to improve on any sparkling cocktail especially when paired with a classic bitter tonic water like Fever Tree Indian. Minneapolis’s homegrown Tattersall Distilling makes a Crème de Fleur that toes the line between St. Germain and Maraschino liqueur and is best paired with a drier gin and crisper tonic like the Q. Want to make a unique and easy cocktail? Use the Elderflower Tonic from Fever Tree, just cut its sweetness with some classic bitters and you’re good to go!
The Summer Spritz
The Staple:
- 2 oz Aperol
- 4 oz Nino Franco Prosecco
Garnish with an orange rind; serve in a flute
The Classic Italian Style:
- 2 oz Cappelletti Aperitivo
- 4 oz Montefresco Prosecco
Garnish with an orange rind; serve in a flute
A low-alcohol spritz is a staple on patios everywhere once it’s warm outside. They’re easy, crowd pleasing and refreshing! If you want to use the ever-popular Aperol make sure you use a drier styled prosecco to cut the sweetness, otherwise the classic Cappelletti Aperitivo is an older wine based recipe with a pinch more bitterness to cut through a sweeter prosecco like the Montefresco.
Margaritas!
The Easy Squeeze:
- 2 oz Los Altos Reposado Tequila
- 4 oz Tres Agaves Margarita Mix
- 3/4 oz Patron Citronge Orange Liqueur
Squeeze of Fresh Lime
The Classic:
- 2 oz Milagro Blanco
- 3 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
- 3/4 oz Cointreau
Garnish with a lime wheel
Who doesn’t love a good margarita? If you’re squeezing your own lime nothing complements the fresh citrus like a crisp clean blanco tequila like Milagro. If you plan on using a mix, look no further than Tres Agaves Margarita mix, the first sustainable, all-natural margarita mix using real agave nectar. Just one small squeeze of fresh lime atop this mix and you’re good to go!
