Date: March 2, 2018 | Story: Stephanie Maxwell Newton | Photography: Rett Peek |
Infuse your next round of cocktails with floral tones & fruity garnishes
The approach of porch-sitting weather has us dreaming of warmer temps and gardens in full bloom. And what better way to enjoy the changing season outside than with a carefully crafted beverage in hand? If your mixology is rusty, never fear—we’ve called in the professionals. Turn the page for three springtime spirits sure to inspire countless happy hours in the coming months.
The Apple Blossom
by Dillon Garcia, owner of Arkansas Mixology Associates and general manager of The Pizzeria in Little Rock
SHOP
• 1 ¼ ounces Crown Royal Regal Apple whisky
• 1 ½ ounces grapefruit juice
• ¾ ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur
• Splash of grenadine
• Prosecco (about a cup)
• Sliced green apple
PREPARE
Combine whisky, grapefruit juice, St-Germain, and grenadine over ice in a Collins glass. Top with Prosecco, and garnish with a slice of green apple.
The Queen Bee
by Evan O’Callaghan, head bartender at Cannibal & Craft and Ben’s Apartment in Fayetteville
SHOP
• 1 ½ ounces Greenhouse Gin
• ¾ ounce lavender honey syrup
• ¾ ounce lemon juice
• ½ ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur
• ½ ounce egg whites
• 1 dash grapefruit bitters
• 1 dash butterfly pea flower extract
• 1 dash ground nutmeg
PREPARE
Combine all liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for a full minute to develop a hearty froth. Add ice, shaking again for a minute. Strain into a snifter glass, and garnish with nutmeg and a flower.
Kill Me in the Garden
by Emily Lawson, founder of Pink House Alchemy and proprietor of Foxhole Public House in Bentonville
SHOP
• 2 ounces Tito’s vodka
• ½ ounce Pink House Alchemy Herbalicious syrup
• Half squeezed lemon
• 1 kumquat or small orange
• 1 bunch mint
• Splash of Cava
PREPARE
Stir vodka, syrup, and lemon juice with ice. Slice a kumquat or orange into thin rings. Tear away the tiniest mint leaves from a bunch. Lay herbs and fruit in a wine glass over fresh ice. Strain cocktail onto fruit and ice. Top with a splash of Cava.
