By CAPT (Ret.) Scott C. Gibney
Warm temperatures. Sunny skies. Relaxing days. The perfect ingredients for a refreshing drink. Summer is a great time to experiment with different drink recipes, both with and without alcohol. Here are some easy to make, and great tasting, summer beverages. Enjoy!
Classic Mojito
The history of the mojito is one of fact, myth, and legend. It has been widely published that Ernest Hemingway enjoyed his favorite drink, the Mojito, during his 20 years living in Cuba. Did he enjoy a mojito as he wrote his Pulitzer prize-winning book The Old Man and the Sea? We will never know. But we do know the mojito enhanced its popularity due to none other than James Bond! During Die Another Day, Halle Berry emerges from the ocean and walks up to Pierce Brosnan’s Bond. He lifts his glass and says to her, “Mojito? You should try it.” She does…and you should too! Here is a recipe that uses fresh mint and honey (instead of simple syrup) that will cool you off and add to the drink’s history.
Ingredients & Prep
- Lime
- 7 leaves fresh mint for muddling
- 1 stem fresh mint for garnish
- 1 1/2 ounces white rum
- Club soda
- 1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
Combine mint leaves, honey, one slice of lime, and a splash of club soda in the bottom of a tall, clear, highball glass. Using a muddler, gently press down to mix ingredients. (Be careful not to rip mint leaves.) Squeeze in juice from a lime wedge. Add rum and ice. Top off with club soda. Stir. Garnish with mint and ½ lime slice.
Watermelon Margarita
Watermelon, and its red color, shouts that it’s summer! With this simple and delicious recipe you can enjoy a cocktail and be ready to watch the sunset in just a few minutes. Want to make it a mocktail? Just replace the tequila with lemon-lime seltzer.
Ingredients & Prep
- 1 ¼ cups fresh watermelon juice (made from 1 small watermelon)
- 2 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 ½ ounces tequila
- Ice
- Sea Salt to line glass rim (optional)
Cut fresh watermelon into cubes. Add to the blender. Strain juice to remove seeds and pulp. Add watermelon juice, lime juice, tequila, and ice to a shaker. Shake well. Line the edge of the glass with lime and sea salt. Add ice to glass and pour in margarita. Use a lime slice as garnish. Now sample it. Adjust amounts of watermelon juice, lime juice and tequila to taste.
Mimosa (sans alcohol)
Not all fun drinks have to be made with alcohol! Check out this great tasting mimosa that leaves out those pesky calories from alcohol. Just replace champagne with your favorite flavored carbonated seltzer like orange, strawberry, or peach. A non-alcoholic sparkling wine can also be used for a different taste. Experiment and try them all! Great for brunch or to relax by the pool.
Ingredients & Prep
- Chilled fresh orange juice, strained to remove pulp (if fresh is not available, substitute with a store-bought variety without pulp)
- Chilled, flavored, carbonated seltzer
Just add equal parts orange juice and seltzer into a fluted champagne or wine glass. Place a slice of orange on the glass rim. Doesn’t get much easier than that!
Author: Captain Scott Gibney, USN (Ret.) is a graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy and a 30-year US Navy veteran. He and his wife, Susan, own Gibney Solutions LLC (College & Career) (www.gibneysolutions.com), a company focused on college admissions planning and career coaching. Scott can be reached at Scott@gibneysolutions.com.