Cool Off with Summer Drinks and Cocktails

When summer is stretching on and the days are long and hot, you need something refreshing to beat the heat and unwind. For a backyard barbeque, a poolside gathering or a celebration at home nothing beats cool drinks by the pitcher or glass - the best way to tame a scorching South Texas summer.

Kim Haasarud, the James Beard-honored Master Mixologist and author of a best-selling cocktail series with Wiley & Sons (101 Margaritas, 101 Martinis, 101 Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks, 101 Champagne Cocktails, 101 Blender Drinks, 101 Mojitos and Other Muddled Drinks, 101 Tropical Drinks, and 101 Shots), knows her drinks. Haasarud runs two companies: Liquid Architecture, “a full-service beverage consultancy delivering top-of-class beverage programs for spirit brands, restaurants, hotels, and special events”, and the newly launched  Rattle & Rum, a craft cocktail catering company, based in Phoenix, that creates craft cocktail experiences for large-scale events. Recognized as a hand-crafted cocktail authority, her libations have created quite a following in New York and Los Angeles, where she’s developed beverage programs for restaurants, as well as wine and spirit clients. Additionally, she has been featured in hundreds of magazines, newspapers, and national television shows.

Here, she shares two of her fun pitcher drinks to cool you down when the heat is on:

Poolside Pitcher (64 oz pitcher)

This is an easy one for summertime and is super fresh. The longer it sits, the better it gets!

Juice cubes, 1 tray (or 12 cubes)*

2 cups vodka

2 cups 7-Up

*Juice Cubes

Fill an ice tray with fresh juice. Fresh is best, especially if it’s something from your backyard such as grapefruit or orange.

Fill half a pitcher with juice cubes. Add the vodka and top with 7-up. Stir, then pour into individual glasses. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Botanist Lemonade (64 oz pitcher)

An easy sipper. I originally made this with Botanist Gin; it has lots of great notes of lavender, grapefruit and herbaceous, mineral flavors. So delicious, but you can make it with any gin you prefer.

1 grapefruit, cut into slices, then cut in half (half moon)

1 orange, cut into slices

1 lemon, cut into slices

1 lime, cut into slices

2 cups Botanist Gin

1 cup lemon juice (fresh)

1 cup simple syrup

1 cup water

Half a cup of sparkling water or club soda

Add the Fruit in the bottom of a pitcher. Add the gin to the fruit and lightly mash down and swirl around. (No need to crush it, you just want to start to get the juices and oils from the skin to start to infuse into the gin.) Add all the other ingredients and stir well. Just before serving, top with ice. Pour into small glasses.

For a Texas twist, consider America’s original craft vodka, Tito’s, handmade in Austin. Their artisan micro-distilled vodka has won many awards including the Unanimous Judge’s Choice Double Gold at the World Spirits Competition and the Chairman's Trophy for World's Best Vodka Tonic. It also happens to be the perfect spirit for summer drinking.

Here, Tito's provides three infusions to try in two of their favorite summertime cocktail classics: Tito’s All-American Lemonade and Tito’s American Mule:

The Basics

Tito’s All-American Lemonade

Pour Tito’s Handmade Vodka in a glass over ice and add lemonade.

Garnish: Lemon wedge or mint sprig

Glass: Mason jar or Collins

Tito’s American Mule

Fill chilled mug with ice. Add fresh lime juice and Tito’s Handmade Vodka followed by the ginger beer.

Garnish: Lime wedge

Glass: Copper mug

Infusion Variations

Jalapeno Infusion

Spice up your cocktails with a super simple jalapeño infusion! Just add sliced jalapeño to an infusion jar (or drop them directly into a bottle of Tito’s Handmade Vodka). Jalapeños can infuse quickly, so test the heat every 30 minutes. When it’s hot enough for you, remove the peppers and keep them to garnish your drink! Try this infusion in a TitoRita, a Tito’s American Mule, or spice up your Tito’s All- American Lemonade. We recommend a ratio of 1 jalapeño per 1 liter of Tito's.

Berry Infusion

Flavor your next cocktail with a berry infusion! We've found that frozen berries result in a stronger infusion than fresh ones because the ice crystals permeate the skin of the fruit allowing the vodka to really draw out the flavor. We suggest 1 cup of berries per 1 liter of Tito's Handmade Vodka, and about 18 hours for the flavors to really make an impact. Try a blackberry, strawberry, or blueberry infusion with your next American Mule, or simply mix with lemonade.

Herbal Infusion

Make your next cocktail an herbaceous one with an easy herb infusion. Rosemary, basil, mint, thyme... the flavor possibilities are endless! Just add fresh herbs to an infusion jar, Mason jar, or directly to a bottle of Tito's Handmade Vodka, and taste test daily until it has reached the right strength for you. Try your herbal infusion in a Tito’s American Mule or an All-American Lemonade!

One of the most elegant places to sip in San Antonio has to be this gorgeous listing in Monte Vista. 

With spacious room and ample seating for a crowd, stately hardwood, a luxurious 7 ft-long granite counter, under counter beverage cooler, and stand-alone bar it’s a room made for celebrations and special memories. Details on this luxury listing, of award-winning Portfolio agent Kevin Crawford, can be found here.

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We are top performing real estate professionals, experienced in representing exclusive properties and the people who buy and sell them. Where you live is a reflection of who you are and the life you prefer to live, and WE have the keys to the finest our area has to offer.

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