When it comes to light cocktail recipes, the go-to liquor is typically vodka or tequila – whiskey is likely the last option to come to mind. However, there are creative ways to make a spring or summer mixed drink from this traditionally fall and winter beverage: what better way to add some extra originality to your cocktail hour or reception bar menu? The less time a whiskey is aged, the lighter, more hot-weather appropriate it becomes. Some brands, such as Manhattan Moonshine, age their product for less than an hour, creating an easy-to-drink liquor that can serve as an airy base for any cocktail.
See nine refreshing recipes below!
Lady Jane
Ingredients:
- 1 egg white
- 2 ounces Earl Grey tea-infused Manhattan Moonshine
- ¾ ounce lavender simple syrup
- ¾ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
- Lavender sprig for garnish
Preparation:
Add all ingredients, except the garnish, to a cocktail shaker and shake without ice. Open shaker, fill with ice, and shake once more.
Jasmine Blossoms
Ingredients:
- 1 small apricot, pit removed
- 1-1/2 ounces jasmine tea-infused Manhattan Moonshine
- ½ ounce Salers
- ½ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce simple syrup (1:1)
- 1 dash orange bitters (for example, Regan's Orange Bitters #6)
- Mint leaf for garnish
Preparation:
Place apricot in a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add remaining ingredients, except for garnish, and fill shaker with ice.
Watermelon Tarragon Margarita
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup watermelon chunks
- 1-1/2 ounces tarragon-infused Manhattan Moonshine
- ¾ ounce limoncello (for example Ventura Limoncello)
- ½ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
- Sprig of tarragon for garnish
Preparation:
Put watermelon into a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add remaining ingredients, except for the garnish, to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake and double strain into a cocktail glass.
Rose Margarita
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ oz. 100% agave blanco tequila
- 1 oz. fresh lime juice
- 3 red organic rose petals, washed
- ¾ oz. rose syrup
- ¾ oz. Combier or another liqueur d’orange
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients other than the rose petals in a shaker and shake hard over ice. Strain and pour over ice into a rocks glass and garnish with the rose petals. This cocktail can also be made blended by adding all ingredients to a blender with ice and then garnishing with a rose petal.
Aviation
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Manhattan Moonshine
- ½ oz. fresh lemon juice
- ¼ oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur
- ¼ oz. Crème de Violette
Preparation:
Add all ingredients to a shaker over ice and shake hard, then strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lemon peel.
Springtime Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
- 2 1⁄2 oz. bourbon
- ½ oz. St. Germain
- 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
- Strip of lemon zest, for garnish
Start by adding the Angostura bitters and lemon zest to a mixing glass and muddling. Then add the remaining ingredients, stir, and pour into a rocks glass over ice.
Ginger Rabbit
Ingredients:
- ½ oz Star Anise and Black Tea Infused Simple Syrup*
- 1 slice fresh ginger
- 1 strip lemon peel
- 2 oz Manhattan Moonshine
- ½ oz Crème Yvette
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
*Star Anise And Black Tea Infused Simple Syrup (ingredients):
- 1 black tea bag
- 12 oz simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water), warm
- 6 Star anise pods, lightly crushed
Preparation:
To make the Star Anise and Black Tea Infused Simple Syrup, make 12 oz of simple syrup and add 6 Star anise pods, lightly crushed, and 1 black tea bag. Simmer for 15-20 minutes before straining.
To make cocktail, add ginger, lemon peel, and bitters to a shaker and muddle hard. Then add remaining ingredients to the shaker over ice and shake. Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass over ice.
Bees Knees
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Manhattan Moonshine
- 1 oz lemonade (2 parts lemon juice, 3 parts simple syrup, 4 parts water)
- 1 oz Honey Thyme Gastrique*
*Honey Thyme Gastrique (ingredients):
- 1 part honey
- 1 part white vinegar
- 1 part thyme
Preparation:
To make the Honey Thyme Gastrique, add 1 part honey, 1 part white vinegar, and 1 part thyme to a pan and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, then strain.
To make cocktail, add ingredients to a shaker over ice and shake hard. Then strain into a cocktail coupe and garnish with thyme.
Berry Breeze
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Manhattan Moonshine
- 4-5 blackberries
- ¼ oz lime juice
- Ginger beer
Preparation:
Add blackberries and lime juice to a shaker and muddle hard. Then add the lime juice and Manhattan Moonshine and shake hard over ice. Strain into a cocktail coupe, top with ginger beer, and garnish with blackberries.
Read through more mixed drink recipes: signature cocktails for all your wedding milestones, summer beverages for your bachelorette party, and tropical sips for your destination nuptials!
Photos courtesy of Manhattan Moonshine