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8 Easy Summer Cocktails – Plus, How to Pre-Batch Cocktails

How to Pre Batch Easy Summer Cocktails

When it’s summery and gorgeous outside, and you’re having a party or attending one, the last thing you want to be doing is spending hours making the drinks. You also don’t want to be making cocktails for everyone all night long if you’re hosting.

What’s the solution?

Pre-make and bottle your cocktails in big batches, or choose simple recipes that take two seconds to make. Keep scrolling to get inspired by our favorite, easy and summery cocktail recipes. Plus, look for our in-store display of all the ingredients you’ll need!

 

HOW TO PRE-BATCH COCKTAILS

SUPPLIES – swing-top glass bottles, funnel, measuring cup

TIMING – Make the batched cocktail 3-4 days in advance and refrigerate. If you’re using fruit juices, make it the day of—they’re perishable and best the day they’re squeezed.

ADDING WATER IN ADVANCE – When you shake a cocktail with ice, the ice actually melts and dilutes the drink. So, when you pre-make a cocktail that usually needs to be shaken, add some water—about 1/5 the volume. This ensures that each drink will taste balanced.

MATH – Our recipes here are in parts, so that you can make as much or as little as you need. One drink or serving usually has around 2 oz. of the base spirit.

SERVING – Serve each cocktail according the recipe directions. Some are over ice, others are poured into a chilled glass, and others are blended with crushed ice.

 

Download & Print Cocktail Recipes (2 pages) > 

 

Pisco Sour drink recipe

PISCO SOUR

Pisco is a type brandy (it’s distilled from the juice of grapes), usually made in Peru or Chile (where the Pisco Sour is the national drink). Icy, frothy, sweet and tart, this drink is super refreshing and great for summer.

Ingredients
– 2 parts Pisco (Try Ocucaje Pisco)
– 1 part Simple Syrup (Try Stirrings Simple Syrup)
– 1 part egg whites
– 1 part fresh lime juice

Garnish: Dash of Bitters (Try Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Bitters)

Directions: Combine and blend all ingredients. When ready to serve, add crushed ice in a blender or shaker. Blend on high for 15 seconds, or shake for 1 minute, then serve. Garnish with 3 dashes of bitters.

*A bottle of Ocucaje Pisco makes around 12 drinks, with 2 oz of Pisco per serving.

Canale Torino Cocktail Recipe

CANALE TORINO

If you like Aperol or Campari, you’ll like this recipe which uses Cappelletti Aperitivo, a red, tasty, wine-based bitter aperitif made in Italy. This Canale Torino recipe is based on one by chef Jimmy Bradley at The Harrison, NYC.

Ingredients
– 2 parts Cappelletti Aperitivo
– 2 parts Dry Vermouth (Try Noilly Prat Extra Dry Vermouth)
-1 part Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao

Garnish: Orange Peel Twist

Directions: Combine all ingredients and ⅕ volume with water if pre-batching. When ready to serve, pour into a glass of ice & garnish. If making individually, add ingredients with 2 cups of ice into a shaker. Shake, then strain into a glass. Garnish with orange peel twist.

*A bottle of Cappelletti Aperitivo makes around 12 drinks, with 2 oz of Cappelletti per serving.

Negroni Cocktail Recipe with Melletti 1870

NEGRONI

A Negroni has just three parts: gin, Campari, & sweet vermouth. You can customize it by swapping out the ingredients, and we love Meletti 1870. A sweet/bitter orange Italian aperitivo, Meletti 1870 is a new, deliciously complex recipe from the Meletti distillery.

Ingredients
– 1 part Gin (try Ford’s Gin)
– 1 part Meletti 1870
– 1 part Dolin Rouge Vermouth

Garnish: Orange Wedge

Directions: Combine all ingredients. To serve, pour over a glass full of ice, and stir well. Garnish with orange wedge.

*One bottle of Meletti 1870 will make around 16 servings, with 1.5 oz per drink. You’ll have leftover gin!

Maine Cooler - Royal Rose Lavender Lemon Syrup

MAINE COOLER

Just like a Tom Collins with vodka, plus yummy lavender-lemon syrup by Royal Rose. Refreshing, sweet, sour, and with a touch of lavender! Try Aylesbury Duck Vodka, which is clean, grainy, spicy and plays well in mixed drinks. (Based on the creation by Andrew Volk of the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club.)

Ingredients
– 2 parts Vodka (Try Aylesbury Duck Vodka)
– 1 part Royal Rose Lavender Lemon Syrup
– 1 part Lemon Juice
– Top off club soda

Garnish: Lemon Twist

Directions: Combine vodka, syrup, & lemon juice. Serve over ice and with lemon wedge. If making individually, shake ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass and top with soda.

*One bottle of Aylesbury Duck Vodka makes around 16 servings, with about 2 oz. of vodka per drink.

Paloma Drink Recipe - Tequila Cabeza

PALOMA

Ahh, the Paloma. Popular in Mexico, it’s a winning mix of tequila, grapefruit soda, and fresh lime juice. Try it with Tequila Cabeza, which is made from 100% agave, grown in the Los Altos region by the Vivanco family for five generations.

Ingredients
– 2 parts Tequila (Try Tequila Cabeza)
– 1 part Lime Juice
– Top with Pellegrino Pompelmo (grapefruit soda)

Garnish: Lime Wedge & Salt Rim

Directions: Combine tequila and lime juice. When ready to serve, fill a glass with ice, add mixture, pinch of coarse salt, and top with grapefruit soda. Stir.

* One bottle of Tequila Cabeza will make you around 16 servings, with about 2 oz. of tequila per drink.

Grumpy Cup Drink Recipe - Pimm's

GRUMPY CUP

Our own recipe! A Grumpy Cup is just like a Pimm’s Cup, but with Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer. Proceed with caution.

Ingredients
– 2 oz Pimm’s
– ½ btl. Crabbie’s Ginger Beer
– Lemon Juice

Garnish: Lemon Wedge

Directions: Fill a glass with ice, pour over with Pimm’s, and top off with Crabbie’s. Stir. Squeeze lemon wedge.

*A bottle of Pimm’s makes about 15 Grumpy Cup servings.

Kalimotxo - Red Wine and Coca-Cola - Drink Recipe

KALIMOTXO

Red wine and Coca-cola?! Don’t knock it till you try it. Popular in Basque-country, it tastes kind of like a sangria, minus the namby-pamby chopping of fruit. Especially refreshing with a squeeze of lemon, say hello to your new summer favorite!

Ingredients
– 1 part Red Wine (try Taron Rioja)
– 1 part Coca-Cola de Mexico

Garnish: Lemon Wedge

Directions: Fill a glass with ice, and combine equal parts red wine and cola. Garnish with lemon wedge.

*A bottle of Taron Rioja makes around 8-10 Kalimotxo’s, with 3-4oz of red wine per serving.

Bittermilk Charred Grapefruit Tonic  - Drink Recipe

CHARRED GRAPEFRUIT TONIC

A cool twist on a classic tonic, and easy to make! Bittermilk Charred Grapefruit is the perfect combination of citrus juices, organic cane sugar, cinchona bark, and fresh charred grapefruit peel.

Ingredients
– 1 part Rum (Try Caña Brava Rum)
– 1 part Bittermilk No. 5 Charred Grapefruit Tonic
– 1 part Club Soda

Garnish: Lime Wedge

Directions: Combine all ingredients, serve in a glass over ice. Garnish with lime wedge.

*One bottle of Caña Brava Rum and Bittermilk No. 5 Charred Grapefruit Tonic will make around 12 servings, with about 1.5oz of each ingredient per serving. You’ll have plenty of leftover rum!

 

Cheers!

 

Summery Cocktail Recipe: Make an Italian Lemonade

Looking for the perfect summery drink idea? Fizzy, citrusy, and bright, this Italian Lemonade recipe is a must-try. Plus, it’s easy to make!

Summer cocktail recipe - Italian Lemonade with vodka, Aperol, fresh lemon juice and club soda

If you need a great vodka to elevate this recipe, we recommend Square One Botanical Vodka, a spirit infused with aromatic botanicals: pear, rose, chamomile, lemon verbena, lavender, rosemary, coriander and citrus peel. Yum.

The recipe also calls for Aperol, which is a bright orange aperitif with a unique sweet-bitter (but fresh) taste, which makes it great for mixing.

One regular sized, 750ml bottle of vodka will make around 16 cocktails, with plenty of Aperol to spare. Stop by the store to pick up all the ingredients you’ll need!

ITALIAN LEMONADE

INGREDIENTS
1 ½ oz. Square One Botanical Vodka
½ oz. Aperol
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
club soda
cherry, orange or lemon slice for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Fill a Collins glass with ice and pour spirits, lemon juice and Aperol into the glass and stir. Top with club soda and garnish.

italianlemonade-horiz-600

If you’d like a few more summertime cocktails to try, in addition to the Italian Lemonade, click to download and print our recipe cards for Rosemary’s Garden and Sun Drop.

printable-squareone

Cheers!

 

3-Ingredient Rum Cocktails to Try This Summer

Enjoying a rum based drink is part of what makes summertime feel like summertime.

But who wants to miss out by spending too much time mixing up elaborate cocktails? Ideally, you’ll want that delicious, delicious, rum cocktail in your hand without breaking a sweat.

Here’s 4 recipes that are easy to whip up, and that you’ll find sophisticated and refreshing. Rhum Clément is featured in each of these recipes; they’re Agricole Rhums with impressive flavor profiles to elevate and add diversity to your basic Sidecar, Margarita, and Daiquiri. Read more about Agricole Rhums and Sipping Rums here.

Swing by Bottles; we’ve got the full Rhum Clément series, all the cocktail ingredients, and recipe cards (plus free swag!) lined up in our spirits section.

Creole Sidecar - Rum Cocktail Recipe

‘Creole Sidecar’

2 oz. Clément Select Barrel
1 oz. Clément Créole Shrubb
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass with a partially sugared rim. Garnish with a large lemon zest.

Clément Select Barrel is made by aging rum for a minimum of 3 years in toasty barrels. The result has nuanced vanilla and toast flavors, with a remarkably smooth finish.

Creole Reverse Margarita - Easy Rum Cocktail Recipe

‘Creole Reverse Margarita’

2 oz. Créole Shrubb
1 oz. premium tequila
¾ oz. fresh lime juice

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with lime and salt (optional)

A Shrubb is a mixer, traditionally made with vinegar and spices as a cocktail flavoring. Clément’s Créole Shrubb is based on an old recipe, with a blend of rums, macerated orange peels, and spices. The result is hugely aromatic, zesty, and spicy, with a lighter body and feel than other orange liqueurs.

Agricol Daiquiri Cocktail Recipe

‘Agricole Daiquiri’

2 oz. Première Canne
¾ oz. Sirop de Canne
½ oz. fresh lime juice
¼ oz. maraschino liqueur – *okay, that’s four ingredients, but you’ll forgive us, right?

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Première Canne: Freshly pressed sugarcane juice is allow to ferment, and is then put through a single, gentle distillation to preserve the cane’s unique flavor. The result is a distinctly dry spirit with notes of cocoa beans, black tea, fresh grass, and a subtle candy sugar finish.

Like the best Vermont Maple Syrup, Clément Sirop de Canne is made by slowy reducing pure, pressed sugarcane juice with rolls of cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla beans. The result is a dry style of ‘simple syrup’ which lightly sweetens and then adds a hint of spice to your favorite cocktails.

Ti Punch - Rum Drink Recipe and Ingredients

‘Ti Punch

1 ½ oz. Clément Canne Rhum Bleue
1 bar spoon Sirop de Canne
1 lime disc (silver dollar-size twist cut off the edge of a lime to capture a little pulp and zest)

Squeeze the lime to extract as much lime oil and juice as possible. Add the Sirop de Canne and Première Canne. Add ice, or don’t add ice… as you like in tradition of our Martinique ritual. Swizzle with a bois lélé or a bar spoon.

Clément Canne Rhum Bleue is a very unique rum, made from a single variety of blue sugarcane. The result is a very bright spirit with flavors of meringue, cucumber, tingly pepper, and wet stone.

New Years Champagne Cocktail Ideas

Happy New Year everyone! We thought it might be nice to share some information about Champagne and Sparkling Wine, and super-easy, festive cocktail recipes you can make to share with friends and family. As your local wine store here in Providence, Bottles is here to help you find what you need for New Years! From beer that drinks like Champagne, to a huge range of cold bubbly, and to very large bottles of liquor, we’ve got you covered!
There’s no better way to celebrate than with a bottle of bubbly. Whether it is Cava from Spain, a Prosecco from Italy, or a Champagne from France, nothing else quites says a celebration like a bottle of sparkling wine.
Sparkling Wine types can be confusing; depending on where the wine comes from determines the name. For instance, Champagne comes from a specific region in France, and only wines that are made in Champagne can be called Champagne.
Prosecco is from northeast Italy, and is generally fresh, light, and has a lovely effervescence. If you are throwing a party and want the Champagne pop minus the Champagne price, try Prosecco. It pairs wonderfully with cheese plates, fruit plates, appetizers, chips & dip, and more.
A great value sparkling wine is Charles de Fere, which pairs with almost anything, and especially party foods such as dips, snacks, and cheese.

If  you need more help, feel free to stop by the store or contact us!

* New Years Cocktail Recipes *
Sparkling Wine is nice to begin with,
and even better paired with specialty liqueurs.
SPARKLING WINE + ST. GERMAIN Enjoy St. Germain, a lovely Elderflower liqueur, with Sparkling Wine. Pour 1/2 part St. Germain and top with Brut Champagne, Dry Sparkling Wine or Brut Rosé. Float half a strawberry as a garnish.
CHAMBORD + CHAMPAGNE Top off with 1/4 oz of Chambord, a black raspberry liqueur. Garnish with a raspberry.
BELLINI COCKTAIL Match with Stirrings Peach Bellini Mix. A cocktail classic, combine 1 oz. of Stirrings Bellini Mix with 3oz. of Prosecco.
We have a huge selection of sparkling wines from all over the world, both out warm on the shelves, and also cold bottles in our coolers.
There’s always a reason to celebrate!
Happy New Year!