Eric Alperin, the mixologist behind cocktail hot spots The Varnish in Los Angeles and Half Step Bar in Austin, Texas, isn’t the type to overcomplicate things.
“I like to take a classical approach,” he says. “It’s not my style to throw in a lot of exotic ingredients like chili pepper syrup.”
That simple, straightforward approach fits the mood and feel of the steamy summer months, which isn’t surprising given that Alperin’s two bars are located where it’s warm all year long. After all, on a hot summer day most people want a cocktail that’s cool and refreshing, not something overly complex.
We also take that approach at home. Just as our warm-weather cooking techniques often amount to no-cook recipes like salads and gazpacho, we like to keep our summer refreshments simple by using three ingredients or less.
But just because we don’t like too much fussing doesn’t mean we’re sacrificing anything. Straightforward cocktails can be, and often are, delicious.
“Simple cocktails can make for some of the best cocktails,” says Charles Joly, beverage director at the high-concept Aviary cocktail lounge in Chicago and recent winner of the Diageo World Class 2014 competition in London, where he was named best bartender in the world.
They’re also the foundation of all other cocktails, which means if you learn the basic formulas you like, you can craft an ever-changing array of cocktails.
For instance, if you like a daiquiri that’s simple syrup, lime juice and rum, you can swap out the simple syrup with honey syrup, the lime for lemon, the rum for gin and you’ll have yourself a Bee’s Knees. Or, if you like a martini with two parts gin to one part dry vermouth, you can swap out the gin for rye and the dry vermouth for sweet vermouth to have yourself a Manhattan.
Here are four three-ingredient or less recipes to get you started.
Pour ingredients into shaker filled with ice, stir until well chilled, strain into cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.
Bee’s Knees
Sweet: 3/4 ounces honey syrup (made with a 1:1 ratio of honey to water)
Sour: 1 ounce lime juice
Alcohol: 2 ounces gin
Shake ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass.
Gimlet
Sweet: 3/4 ounces simple syrup
Sour: 1 ounce lime juice
Alcohol: 2 ounces gin
Variation: Sub vodka
Shake ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass.
Martini
Alcohol: 2 ounces gin
Modifier: 1 ounce dry vermouth
Variation: Sub vodka
Pour ingredients into shaker filled with ice, stir until well chilled, strain into cocktail glass and garnish with lemon twist or olive.
Manhattan
Alcohol: 2 ounces rye
Modifer: 1 ounce sweet vermouth
Variation: Add 2-3 dashes of angostura bitters
Pour ingredients into shaker filled with ice, stir until well chilled, strain into cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.
