Five must-try cocktails and mocktails for summer

There’s no better time to sip a seasonal cocktail.

As summer’s scorching days beckon us to seek respite at the beach or dips in the pool, libation architect Wynton Hudson has five signature concoctions on the brain.

Tropical fruit staples – melons, pineapples and sorrel – are baseline ingredients in Hudson’s creative process as he shakes, stirs and pours margaritas, highballs, and mocktails in the palm-shaded shelter on the deck of a St Andrew residential pool.

“These are definitely summer drinks and light refreshers,” pipes up Hudson as he rims a glass with lemon sugar for a watermelon margarita cocktail he has christened summer thyme. It’s a blend of lime juice, tequila, triple sec and his personalised cordial of thyme and watermelon.

“The drinks I made are crafted from ingredients readily available, so we use fruits that are in season,” he further notes. “We are looking at flavour, texture, dilution, all the various components that go into a drink. So for summer, we are talking about lime, watermelon, mint, fresh herbs, and pineapples, which are in abundance right now.”

The 38-year-old is head honcho of his own bespoke consultancy biz, Hudson’s Cocktail Story, which does menu development, bartender training, and ideation for four-star hotels, private villas, and corporate companies.

Today, Hudson – winner of multiple bartender competitions and the former bar manager at Susie’s for an eight-year run – is poolside in the suburbs, whipping up his conceptual drinks.

Frolicking in the water mere feet away is personal trainer and chef Malik Reid, joined by make-up artist and photog Nicolina Diabo, who are both eager to do the taste test.

Two sips of the garden dew cocktail made Diabo an immediate convert.

“My go-to summer drink usually consists of citrus notes, with cucumbers or watermelons, and herbs,” she told Food as she advocated for wearing sunscreen when outdoors for extended periods.

Hudson’s garden dew hit the sweet spot for Diabo with its precise fusion of lime, gin, Sparkling Elderflower, and a cordial mix of cucumbers and melons.

“Most definitely my fave,” she raved about the libation, served in a flute and garnished with shaved cucumber spirals.

For Reid, who advised wearing shorts and tank tops when possible to counter the summer heat, the watermelon and thyme margarita topped his scorecard. With good old-fashioned lemonade typically his preferred summer beverage, the fitness practitioner said he enjoyed the margarita’s light, easy flavour.

Food shares these summer-perfect drink recipes for your consideration, whether sipping in the comfort of home, riverside, or beachside.

SUMMER THYME

Watermelon and thyme margarita

INGREDIENTS

3/4 oz Hudson’s watermelon thyme cordial

1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

1 oz blanco tequila (el Jimador)

1/2 oz Cointreau

2 drops of saline solution

DIRECTIONS

1. Rim a glass with lime and lemon sugar.

2. Combine ingredients and shake with ice.

3. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

4. Garnish with a slice of lime and a sprig of fresh thyme.

RAZOR LEAF

Grilled pineapple caipirissima

INGREDIENTS

1 oz Hudson’s grilled pineapple cordial

3/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

1 oz overproof white rum (Worthy Park Overproof)

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine ingredients with ice and shake well.

2. Strain into a rock tumbler with crushed ice.

3. Garnish with a pineapple leaf.

HIBISCUS COWGIRL

INGREDIENTS

1 oz sweetened sorrel cold brew

1 oz Hudson’s grilled pineapple cordial

1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

2 oz ginger beer (Fever Tree)

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine ingredients over crushed ice in a tumbler.

2. Stir gently and garnish with a pineapple spear.

3. Top with pineapple coconut milk foam.

PINEAPPLE COCONUT MILK FOAM

Combine 300ml pineapple juice and 500ml coconut cream in an iSi Whip. Charge with two nitrous oxide caps. Shake well and allow to chill for 30 minutes before use.

GARDEN DEW

Cucumber-melon French 75

INGREDIENTS

3/4 oz Hudson’s cucumber melon cordial

3/4 oz gin (Citadel)

1/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

2 1/2 oz Sparkling Elderflower

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine cordial, gin and lime juice in a mixing glass with cracked ice.

2. Stir well until chilled.

3. Strain into a chilled champagne tulip and top with Sparkling Elderflower.

GENGIBRE PARADISI

Grapefruit ginger highball

INGREDIENTS

3/4 oz Hudson’s ginger syrup

1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

3 oz grapefruit soda (Fever Tree)

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine ingredients over ice in a highball glass.

2. Stir gently and garnish with lime slices and a sprig of fresh mint.

lifestyle@gleanerjm.com