Of Summertime Spritzers

This past week has been a "please, get this girl a cocktail" kind of a week.  

A Sunday afternoon, people watching in the park and soaking in the warm sunshine totally calls for a cocktail.  Or at least a beer or some wine.

Stressing myself out planning my Fall semester and realizing that my free time, my precious commitment-free, care-free, free time is about to come to a screeching halt?  Please, get this girl a cocktail, hopefully it will take the edge off.

A gathering of good friends, reunited after what feels like way too long?  Let's celebrate and drink a cocktail!

Realizing that I only have about 10 more days of summer break left?  You know the drill.  Fetch that cocktail.

This particular cocktail was dreamed up on a whim as I stood in my kitchen, refrigerator door open, trying to figure out the fate of the latest batch of foraged blackberries.  (They're still going strong, those urban blackberry bushes, and I still cannot resist the little hike and filling another tupperware full of sun warmed fruit.)  In the crisper draw just below them was a big bunch of basil and on the counter were a few lemons.  You know, when life gives you lemons and all that...

It's tart and fruity but neither overwhelmingly so.  The herbaceous licorice notes from the basil make it a bit more sophisticated, a grown up lemonade.  Fizzed up with a bit of club soda and poured over some ice and sparkling wine, this spritzer is just what my week, and weekend needs.

Blackberry-Basil Lemonade

This is just the lemonade portion of the aforementioned cocktail. I trust you guys can mix it up to your liking.  I've really been digging the spritzers lately so I mixed mine up with 2 parts sparkling wine to 1 1/2 parts lemonade and topped it off with a splash of club soda.  Refreshing, low alcohol, and perfect for afternoon sipping.  It's also totally delicious just on it's own.

yields 4 1/2 cups

juice of 3 lemons

1/4 cup sugar

10-12 basil leaves

1/2 cup fresh blackberries

4 cups water (or 3 cups water and 1 cup club soda)

In a blender add lemon juice, sugar, basil leaves, blackberries and 1 cup of water.  Blend for 1 minute, or until the sugar has dissolved.  Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds and pieces of basil leaves.  Add remaining water to strained mixture and refrigerate until chilled.  If you're going the sparkling route, add the rest of the water, chill, then add the club soda just before serving.

Bittersweet

This past week was finals week at school, the second worst week of the semester.   The hands down worst being the week that classes start up again after a break.  Don't get me wrong, I like being back in school and this past semester wouldn't qualify as a tough one in anybody's book, but I'm glad to have washed my hands of it.  To be free from school, at least until the summer session starts back up in a few weeks.  So in honor of being done with classes and also because it was such a gorgeous day, I made this Aperol cocktail last Thursday.  I've actually been holding on to this bottle of Aperol since last summer when it was gifted to me for my birthday.  Have you heard of this Italian aperitivo?  It's fantastic - like Campari's kid sister - just a little brighter, a little orangier and a little less bitter.  It's the bitter that keeps you interested sip after sip and before you know it, your drink has disappeared.  Aperol is warm summer evenings sitting on a porch, watching the sun set, it's bar-b-ques and finding relief from the hot hot sun under the shade of a tree.


Anyhow, back to this bottle that I've been hanging onto for the past 9 months.  Originally I had intentions of drinking it mixed with prosecco, but for some reason it never happened.  And then it cooled down and it didn't seem like the appropriate weather to enjoy my Aperol and prosecco.  Fast forward to last week when Alice Q Foodie mentioned Aperol cocktails in her "Ten Things I'm Excited About This Summer" list (oh, I'm such a sucker for lists!) and a subsequent email from Tasting Table featuring cocktails inspired by the Negroni and boom, I'm inspiration!  So I began my internet scouring for related recipes and lo and behold I found this gem from the famed Pegu Club in Manhattan.  I've never been to Pegu Club, nor I have I even been to NYC, but this cocktail called to me.  Similar to the Negroni it replaces the Campari with Aperol and the sweet vermouth with lemon juice and simple syrup and keeps the gin.  I've read that at the bar they garnish the drink with an orange peel that's been flamed, but I'm not that fancy and simply used an orange twist.  It really is a perfect summertime cocktail.


Intro to Aperol
from Pegu Club in NYC

2 ounces Aperol
1 ounce gin
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup**
dash of Angostura bitter
twist of orange peel, for garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add the Aperol, gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and bitters. Shake well, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Twist the orange peel over the drink to release its oils, then drop it into the glass.

**To make simple syrup, combine 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a slow rolling boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof container and let cool to room temperature. Cover tightly, and refrigerate until chilled through; store indefinitely.