🍊Crush your summer drink
Is Orange Crush going to be the drink of the year?
Looking for a solid go-to drink this summer?
It might be wise to look toward the Orange Crush, which was recently named the official cocktail of Maryland.
(Another interesting choice could be Michigan’s cocktail, the Hummer, which my dad used to order on special occasions and is essentially a milkshake!)
The Orange Crush is a supremely simple recipe, which in itself is ideal for a summer drink choice, according to Molly Horn, Total Wine & More’s chief mixologist and spirits educator — and a Maryland native.
“While the Orange Crush has been around for quite some time, especially as a staple at Maryland and Delaware beach bars, I think its sudden rise in popularity everywhere has to do with a couple things: for one, it was just recognized as the official Cocktail of Maryland, and for another, its super easy to make, super easy to drink, and made with accessible and affordable ingredients,” Horn said. “You can find pocket-friendly vodka and triple sec pretty much anywhere, and you can even save a little more by taking a shortcut in quality as long as you use fresh orange juice – which, again, easy to make, easy to find.”
🍊 Total Wine’s base recipe:
2 oz. Deep Eddy Vodka
1 oz. Orange liqueur
1 oz. Fresh squeezed orange juice
4 oz. Lemon-lime soda
Slice of orange to garnish.
Method: Pour ingredients into a highball glass filled with ice, stir. Garnish with orange slice.
But Deep Eddy (which, I should note, sent me a pineapple vodka recently, which when mixed with a pineapple or tropical juice… whoa) provides a “quick-and-easy Orange Crush”:
1.5 oz Deep Eddy Orange Vodka
0.5 oz Triple Sec
3 oz. Orange Juice
Sprite
Method: Pour ingredients into a cup with ice, top with Sprite.
And if you’re looking to switch it up a little bit, or just simply like whiskey better than vodka, go for this recipe provided by the excellent Maryland-based Sagamore Spirit, the Bartender’s Choice Orange Crush.
1.5 oz rye whiskey
3 oz. Fresh orange juice
0.25 oz orange liqueur
Lemon-lime soda
Orange for garnish.
Method: Add all ingredients, except lemon lime soda, into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain ingredients into highball glass with crushed ice. Top with lemon-lime soda and garnish with orange slice.
Note: Sagamore Spirit is running an “Orange Crush Week” starting May 15th at participating bars nationwide. The brand also released a ready-to-drink Orange Crush in a can.
Clearly, there are many possible variations here. But Horn said the recipes can be simplified even more.
But, back to the base Orange Crush, Horn said its base qualities make it an ideal go-to summer cocktail: “It doesn’t need to be shaken or stirred, it’s super refreshing and light and it holds up in a plastic cup.”
Couple big days that need simple cocktail recipes!
Today is the Kentucky Derby! A horse named Journalism is the favorite … I can drink a Mint Julep to that!
🏇 Mint Julep
2 oz. Woodford Reserve bourbon (the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, but any bourbon will do.)
.5 oz. Simple syrup (Editor’s note: Woodford Reserve makes a mint julep cocktail syrup.)
3 Fresh mint leaves
Crushed ice
Method: Rub mint leaves in hands, rub it the oily leaves in the glass. Add simple syrup, broubon and crushed ice to the glass. Stir. Fill with ice and garnish with fresh sprig of mint and powdered sugar.
Bonus Derby cocktail: The Woodford Spire
1.5 oz. Bourbon
2 oz. Lemonade
1 oz. Cranberry juice
Method: Add ingredients to mixing glass, stir and pour over ice. Garnish with lemon twist.
🍋🟩 Margarita Monday!
Monday is Cinco de Mayo, America’s strange celebration of Mexico. Here’s a simple Margarita recipe from Cointreau:
1 oz. Cointreau
2 oz. Blanco tequila
1 oz. Fresh lime juice
Method: Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake vigorously before straining into a rocks glass filled with ice. Glass can be rimmed with salt and garnished with lime wedge.
And while you’re at it, apply for Cointreau’s “$500 Lime of Credit” by the end of Monday.
Reads of the week
The New York Times’ wine critic Eric Asimov wrote about finding some treasures in the ever-crowding and overwhelming wine aisles. He lists a huge range of varietals, only one of which I had ever heard of!
My buddy Joshua Bernstein wrote about Americans’ hesitancy to pony up for beer and how breweries are keeping prices down for the Wall Street Journal. (Last month for WSJ, Josh wrote about Kirkland’s new lager, a beautiful Helles-style beer brewed by the amazing Deschutes Brewery. The beer, which I just got more of yesterday, also just won a silver medal at the prestigious World Beer Cup!)
Texas Monthly tackles how breweries are starting to combat the slowing market. It hits on many things that will be key to neighborhood breweries remaining open, namely: be a community and neighborhood asset. Then sell beer.