Beat the Heat - Summer Perfect Drinks

Heat up, cool down. Summer is blazing hot and sometimes you need more than sweet tea to tame your thirst and chill out. Quench and imbibe in these refreshing and special summer beverages.

San Antonio restaurant, CURED owner and chef, Steve McHugh harkens the days of pharmacy soda fountain, bubbly beverages with a trio of ‘restoratives’ on the summer menu. "The Restoratives aren't heavy, aren't filling, aren't so loaded with sugar," McHugh says. "They fit the apothecary 'feel' here at CURED, flavored with natural aromatics instead of chemicals," he adds. The Restoratives, reflect McHugh's conviction that drinks, non-alcoholic or spirited, warrant a high level of thought and craftsmanship. Light and revitalizing, these non-alcoholic refreshers are perfect for a front porch, summer breezy feel. They are also the perfect start to CURED’s limited-time, summer only, heirloom sweet corn, five-course tasting menu featuring Street Corn Hush Puppies, Charred Corn and Tomato Salad, Sweet Corn Agnolotti and Petite Wagyu Filet.

Vanilla Mint Crush Restorative

• Mint leaves
• 1 ounce lemon juice• Dublin Vanilla Cream Soda

Directions:

Muddle 4-5 large mint leaves with lemon juice
Shake and pour over crushed ice.
Top with Dublin Vanilla Cream Soda
Garnish with mint sprig.

Blackberry Lemon Soda

• 1 ounce blackberry balsamic shrub
• 1 ounce lemon juice
• Topo Chico Mineral Water

Directions:

Combine shrub and lemon juice.
Top with Topo Chico

Chef/owner Jason Dady’s, The Bin Tapas Bar opened last fall showcasing Barcelona-inspired Spanish tapas as well as wine and cocktails. Summer is a perfect time to graze on small plates like Pan Con Tomate, piparra pepper and smoked paprika dusted Deviled Eggs and oil-drizzled sardine fillets. Wine Down East Grayson specials are available starting at 4 p.m. featuring tapas and white, rosé and red wines. Hand-mixed sangria and classic cocktails pair well with the full menu. These distinctive summer beverages are both cool and fresh.

“José Andres” Gin and Tonic

This is served in a stemless wine glass

• 2 ounces Hendricks’s Gin
• Juniper Berries
• Thyme
• Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic

Directions:

Circle the Glass with grapefruit, lemon and lime slices first and leave resting on the side.
Then add ice, gin, tonic, juniper and finish with a little thyme.

St. George Rye Gin and Tonic

Served in a Collins glass

• 2 ounces St. George Rye Gin
• 2 ounces Fresh Grapefruit Juice
• Grapefruit Peel
• Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic
• Lime wedge

Directions:

Add ice to glass, followed by gin, then grapefruit juice.
Fill the rest of the glass with tonic. Add Grapefruit peel and lime wedge.

Launched late last year, Código 1530 had been available for generations to only select families in Mexico and Los Bajo’s jimadors. The tequila with its fully-matured, seven-year aged agave is twice distilled. The Blanco is an unrested tequila while the Rosa is aged and perfected in Napa Valley-sourced, uncharred French White Oak wine barrels. Both varieties showcase well in these fresh cocktails.

Skinny Rosa Margarita

• 2 ounces Código 1530 Rosa
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1 ounce fresh orange juice
• 4 ounces club soda

Directions:

Shake ingredients in a shaker filled with ice.
Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and top with club soda.
Garnish with a lime.

Blanco Paloma

• 2 ounces Código 1530 Blanco
• Squeeze of lime
• 2 ounces fresh grapefruit juice
• 4 ounces club soda

Directions:

In a shaker filled with ice, add tequila, squeeze of lime and splash of fresh grapefruit juice.
Shake and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice, and top with club soda.
Garnish with a slice of grapefruit.