It is beautiful high summer here in Seattle! Which means it’s time for a nice icy cooler to counterbalance the warm weather. We define a cooler as something light and refreshing, fairly dry, that has club soda in it and is on the rocks. A perfect summertime drink. Not too sweet, not too bitter, just right for sipping during a hot summer day. Today we give you 3 cocktails; one classic, the Straits Sling, and two original cocktails. Now onto the drinks!

Straits Sling

• 2 oz gin
• 1/2 oz dry cherry brandy
• 1/2 oz Benedictine
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 2 oz club soda

Shake all ingredients except soda with ice. Strain into Collins glass with ice. Top with club soda.

• Nose: Lemon, cherry and a little bit of juniper from the gin, with an undercurrent of the herbal notes from the Benedictine.
• Palate: Herbal hit of Benedictine and gin on the front, sweet cherry notes at the mid-palate. The finish is dry bitter lemon and aromatic bitters, followed by a long mild herbal aftertaste.

Wedgewood Cooler (a Booze Nerds original)

• 1/2 lime
• 1 large sprig mint
• 1 oz Old Tom gin
• 1 oz yellow Chartreuse
• 1-2 oz club soda to taste

Muddle lime and mint in a glass. Add gin and Chartreuse. Add a few ice cubes, top with club soda.

• Nose: Mint, honey, wintergreen, lime, sorrel.
• Palate: Honey and mint at the front, lime throughout. Clear, strong, dry herbal note at the mid-palate along with some lime peel. Nice dry bitter finish.

Gone West (a Booze Nerds original)

• 2 1/2 oz gin. (Use something with some backbone. We used the No. 1 from New Deal)
• 3-4 sprigs mint
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 1 tsp. absinthe
• 2 oz club soda

Muddle mint in the shaker. Add everything else except soda. Shake with ice. Pour over ice in a Collins glass. Top with club soda.

• Nose: Mint, lime, anise, cracked pepper
• Palate: Anise, tart lime, basil and juniper combine for a savory start. Sweet mint on the mid-palate, dry but less bitter finish than the others. Really refreshing cool anise/lime flavors at the end of the mid-palate, right before the finish.

We hope the weather is lovely whereever you are, and that you’re enjoying a delicious and refreshing cooler. Be careful though – one of the hazards of coolers is that they go down nice and easy 😀