Haute Drinks: Cocktails from East End Hot Spots to Try This Summer

Great new cocktails from East End hot spots to celebrate the summer of 2017. 

NICK AND TONI’S

Cose Verde (“green things” in Italian) “This light and leafy tequila cocktail is all you need to kick-start your summer,” says Pia Bazzani, beverage manager at Nick and Toni’s.

2 oz. Cimarron Blanco Tequila
4 slices cucumber
4 basil leaves
1 oz. fresh lime juice
¾ oz. simple syrup
Soda water

Muddle the cucumber and basil in a shaker. Add tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, and ice; shake. Pour all ingredients into a double Old Fashioned glass with a half-salted rim. Top with a splash of soda water. Garnish with cucumber wheel and sprig of basil.

LT BURGER

Blood Orange Margarita “Nothing says summer like refreshing, fruity, spicy cocktails by the beach. Let the fun begin,” says Laurent Tourondel, chef-owner of LT Burger.

2 oz. Sauza 100% Blue Agave Silver Tequila
½ oz. Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
1 oz. agave nectar
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1 ¼ oz. blood orange juice

Fill a 12 oz. highball glass with ice. Add all ingredients in order. Shake with a cocktail mixer and pour into a stemless martini glass that has a half rim of salt. Garnish with a slice/wheel of blood orange* and piece of mint. (*A slice/wheel of orange may be substituted if blood oranges aren’t available.)

ARBOR

Black Lemon “The Black Lemon is an updated approach to a French 75, and perhaps a highbrow approach to Mike’s Hard Lemonade,” says Grant Wheeler, beverage partner of Den Hospitality. (This season Arbor will have a new outdoor bar, The Garret, run by top mixologists from Den Hospitality.) “The summer spices or coriander and white pepper help balance the bold citrus of the lemon, which makes the drink a bit more quenching and a bit more food-friendly than its classic compatriots. It’s refreshing yet elegant.”

1 oz. vodka
¾ oz. coriander lemon cordial
2 ½ oz. cava
3 dashes Black Lemon Bitters Stir ingredients in a mixing glass, then add the cava. Serve in a large wine glass with a big ice cube.

DOPO LA SPIAGGIA (SAG HARBOR, EAST HAMPTON)

Spicy Cucumber Margarita “Spice things up after the beach when it really gets hot, for example, with the Spicy Cucumber Margarita,” says chef-owner Maurizio Marfoglia. Dopo la Spiaggia mixologist Marc Johnson says this drink is a favorite at the restaurants.

2 oz. Libélula 100% agave tequila blanco, or top-quality tequila of your choice
1 oz. Combier Orange Liqueur
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1 generous squirt of agave
1 oz. spicy cucumber puree* Fresh cucumber slices and bamboo skewer if available
*Spicy Cucumber Puree 1 medium cucumber 4 jalapeños (2 seeded, 2 unseeded)
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1 generous squirt of agave
Mix all ingredients together with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake thoroughly and pour into a tumbler. Garnish with fresh cucumber slices on a bamboo skewer and place it across the top of the glass.

KOZU

The Cosmo “Cosmos are always popular,” says Zach Erdem, owner of Kozu. “We made the Cosmo unique by adding blood orange flavor and homemade candy brittle. The flavors of the drink and the unexpected sweetness of the brittle make it a fun summer cocktail.”

2 oz. Chopin Vodka
¾ oz. Triple Sec
½ oz. Blood Orange Liqueur
½ oz. fresh lime juice Serve on the rocks with a garnish of Cranberry Brittle* *Cranberry Brittle
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
½ cup chopped dried cranberries Cook the sugar and water until it becomes light caramel.
Remove from heat and stir in the cranberries. Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a flat pan. Let cool and break into small chunks.

UNION CANTINA

Mezcalita de Pina “Made with the flavors most people associate with Mexico, it is a bold spin on the classic margarita and pays homage to Union Cantina’s prohibition past and modern Mexican present,” says Ian Duke, owner of Union Cantina.

1 ½ oz. Ilegal Mezcal Muddled jalapeños
½ oz. lime juice
1 oz. pineapple purée Cilantro
½ oz. agave
Muddle the jalapeños with the lime juice, then add the cilantro. Pour in the Mezcal, pineapple purée, and agave.