On June 30 at 8 p.m. EDT, an extra second will be added to the clock to account for a discrepancy between Earth’s rotation and the atomic clock. We’ll take every additional second of summer that we can get, right?
To help toast this extra second of summer, here are 10 tropical concoctions from top mixologists — perfect for summer cookouts, pool days and beach trips.
1. Cantaloupe Martini
Eddie Garcia, jade bar at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain – Paradise Valley, Ariz.
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Skyy Citron Vodka
2 oz. watermelon liqueur
Splash orange juice
Splash fresh lime juice
Cantaloupe balls for garnish
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake and strain into chilled martini cocktail glass. Garnish with cantaloupe balls.
2. Umstead Mai-Tai
The Umstead Hotel and Spa – Cary, N.C.
Ingredients
1 oz. Pineapple juice
1 oz. Orgeat cream
1 oz. Malibu rum
1 oz. 10 Cane
.5 oz. Cointreau
.5 oz. Lime juice
Small batch grenadine floater
Fill cocktail shaker with ice and add pineapple juice, orgeat cream, Cointreau, lime juice and rum. Cover and shake until very cold. Short shake and pour into rocks glass. Float grenadine in corner of glass and top with ice. Garnish with pineapple wedge, orange slice, pineapple wedges, lemongrass, and cherry.
3. The Perfect Mojito
David Conley, Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa
Ingredients
1.5 oz. White Rum
.5 oz. simple syrup
Juice of 1/2 lime
6 mint leaves with a sprig for garnish
Splash of soda water
Slap the mint, and add all ingredients except for the soda water into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Only shake a couple of times. Instead of floating the club soda, pour the drink into the glass on top of the soda water, allowing it to evenly filter throughout the drink.
4. Planter’s Punch
The Newes from America Pub at Kelley House – Martha’s Vineyard, MA.
Ingredients
1.5 oz. light rum
1 oz. dark rum
1 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. orange juice
.5 oz. grenadine
Dark rum floater
Shake all the ingredients together (minus the dark rum floater) with ice. Strain into a large glass with fresh ice and top with a dark rum floater, a cherry, and an orange slice.
5. Lighthouse Lemonade
Greg Fournier, Harbor View Hotel – Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka
.5 oz. St. Germain Elderflower Liquor
.5 oz. house-made sour mix
Club soda
Mix together the vodka, elderflower liquor, and sour mix. Serve over ice and top with club soda and garnish with mint and lemon slice.
6. Farmer’s Market
Zachary Blair, Whiteface Lodge – Lake Placid, N.Y.
Ingredients
2.5 ounces of 44 nectarine potato vodka
2 ounces of homemade watermelon basil juice
.5 ounce of Cynar artichoke bitters
Shake in a cocktail shaker with ice and serve straight up. Garnish with salted lemon and watermelon rind.
7. Summer on the Rocks
Travis London, celebrity chef and founder of Healthy Chic Eats:
Ingredients
2 oz. Seagrams Escapes Classic Lime Margarita
1 oz. Grapefruit-infused Tequila
.5 oz. simple syrup
Handful of Blueberries
Juice of 1/2 a lime
Club Soda
Lime slice for garnish
Muddle berries with lime margarita, tequila, lime juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, and shake and strain into glass. Top with club soda. Garnish with lime slice.
8. Glad Rags
Taylor Hall, Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Titos vodka
.5 oz. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
.5 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
.5 oz. St. Germaine liquor
1 rosemary sprig
Muddle rosemary with juices in a shaker glass, and then add vodka and top with ice. Shake and double strain over fresh ice in a highball glass. Top with a rosemary sprig.
9. 1000 Islands Iced Tea
Sabrina Starr, 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel – Clayton, N.Y.
Ingredients
.5 oz. Clayton Distillery Vodka
.5 oz. Clayton Distillery Gin
.5 oz. Clayton Distillery Bourbon
.5 oz. Clayton Distillery Peach Whiskey
.5 oz. Clayton Distillery Lemonade Moonshine
4 oz. Raspberry iced tea
Splash pink lemonade
Add liquor and iced tea to cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and pour. Top with a splash of pink lemonade.
10. Red’s Good Time
Owen Joseph, Sea Crest Beach Hotel – Falmouth, Mass.
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Absolut Citron
.75 oz. guava puree
Splash of Sprite
Splash of club soda
Mint, to taste
Pour ingredients over ice in a 10-oz. highball glass. Stir and top off with Sprite and club soda. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
