Savor Summer’s Last Days With These Labor Day Cocktails

It’s hard to believe that the summer is already drawing to a close, but we’re here to make sure that you ring out this Labor Day weekend with a bang! After all, Labor Day is one of the best holidays of the year, with three days of boozing, BBQs, and of course, babes in bikinis. What more could you ask for??

This Labor Day, switch your signature summer classics with these delicious drinks to make your backyard barbecue the hottest on the block as you toast to the final days of summer.

Palo-Veza

Ingredients:
1 oz Tequila Don Julio Reposado
3 oz Grapefruit Soda
3 oz Lager
Grapefruit peel for garnish

Preparation:
Combine Tequila Don Julio Reposado, grapefruit soda and lager into a highball glass with ice (salted rim optional). Stir contents with bar spoon. Garnish with a long grapefruit peel.

 
Swizzle Me This, Batman

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
1 1/2 oz Club Soda
1/2 oz Pineapple Syrup
1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Dash of Drambuie
4 drops Smoked Saline*
Hella Bitters
Pineapple Leaf for garnish

Preparation:
In a highball glass, add pineapple syrup and lime juice. Add crushed ice ¾ up the glass. Add Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, club soda, smoked saline and 3-4 dashes of Hella Bitters. Stir cocktail well, preferably with a swizzle stick. Garnish with a long pineapple leaf, pointy side up.

*How to make smoked saline: Combine 2 oz of smoked salt in a bowl with hot water until salt is completely dissolved. The proportions should be 4:1 water to salt.

Recipe created by Tobin Ludwig

 
South of the Border

Ingredients:
1 oz Zacapa Rum 23
1/3 oz Myers Dark Rum
1/3 oz Orange Curaçao
2/3 oz Perfect Puree Passion Fruit
1/3 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1/3 oz Orgeat Syrup
2 dashes Aromatic Bitters
Mint Sprig & Orange Slice for garnish

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain contents into a rocks glass over crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprig and orange slice.

Recipe created by New York City mixologist Lynnette Marrero

 
Cruzan Summer’s End

Ingredients:
1 part Cruzan Estate Diamond Dark Rum
1 part Cruzan Black Strap Rum
1 part Fresh Lime Juice
3/4 part Turbinado Syrup*

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker over ice. Shake hard. Single strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with fresh grated Nutmeg.

*Turbinado Syrup Ingredients:
8 parts Hot Water
8 parts Turbinado Sugar

Combine 8 parts Hot Water and 8 parts Turbinado Sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Refrigerate. Will last for 30 days.

 
Summer Honey Punch

Ingredients:
3 cups Wild Turkey American Honey
2 cups SKYY Vodka
1-1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 cups simple syrup
30 dashes Angostura bitters
15 dashes orange bitters
2 oranges

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients into a punch bowl and stir. Slice two large oranges into half wheels and add to the top of the punch. 10 minutes before serving, add 5lbs of ice and stir occasionally. Ladle into cups and enjoy.

Recipe created by Moses Laboy

 
Boulevardier Swizzle

Ingredients:
1 oz Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
1 oz Cinzano Rosso
1 oz Campari
3 dashes orange bitters

Preparation:
Build over crushed ice. Swizzle and add more crushed ice. Garnish with orange twist.

Recipe created by Naran Young

 
Enjoy your Labor Day weekend, we’ll see you back here on Tuesday!