Sweltering summer months are just around the corner, and
there are few flavors that scream “refreshment” like the sweet and tangy shades
of citrus. Most classic summer beverages — like lemonade, limeade, or iced teas
brightened with a generous squeeze of lemon — incorporate citrus in some
way, and let’s not forget the intense satisfaction of spending a
scorching afternoon sipping margaritas by the pool. Or the TV. Or the
bucketful.
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A gimlet is a time-honored classic, involving a healthy pucker of
lime and, in traditional versions, gin, though most modern gimlets employ
vodka. Of course, most modern gimlets also employ bottled lime cordial that
comes pre-sweetened, instead of using the sour fruits of dirty squeeze work.
The Gimlet Royale ($14) at Bar Ten (10 Huntington Avenue,
Boston, 617.424.7446) is a fancy-pants version of this bar menu staple,
featuring copious amounts of fresh lime juice with Ketel One vodka, mint, and a
kiss of champagne. Crisp, cool, and bubbly, this cocktail is the essence of
summer.
Even more creative are cocktails that take their cues from global
ingredients, melding multicultural flavor staples into harmonious creations
that just work. At BanQ (1375 Washington Street, Boston,
617.451.0077), Elle’s Kyoto Cooler ($10) riffs on the flavors of Japan,
Southeast Asia, and Mexico, which sounds bizarre, but the results are simply
beautiful. Sake, a muddled Thai chili, and agave nectar team up with grapefruit
and lemon juices to basically give your palate a sweet spanking. But you
deserved it, naughty.
Taking more of a figurative folklore stance on the whole “global”
thing is the Mother Earth cocktail ($10) at Bambara (25 Edwin H. Land
Boulevard, Cambridge, 617.868.4444). Organic vodka, Maker’s Mark, and Aperol
get a gleeful squeeze of fresh tangerine juice, with agave nectar once again
sweetening the deal. This socially conscious concoction debuted on Earth Day,
of course, and helps make the world a better place to drink, once cocktail at a
time.
