Labor Day means the sun is setting on summer, but, as the saying goes, it ain’t over till it’s over. More than half of Americans will be hosting or attending a cookout to celebrate Labor Day weekend, and one easy way to make sure there is extra time to spend socializing while firing up the grill is to serve a pre-batched cocktail. And to make it every easier, the team at SHKR has provided a couple batch cocktail recipes using seasonal flavors that you find at your local farmer’s market or garden
Peachy Summer Bite Spritz
Refreshing, lightly sweet with an acidic bite.
- 1 ½ cups peach oleo saccharum*
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice (~ 6 lemons)
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup vodka
- 1 (750 ml) bottle Prosecco
- 1 handful of fresh basil
- Fresh sliced peaches
* Peach oleo saccharum
- 2 cups fresh, ripe peaches, chopped (~ 2 large peaches)
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup warm water
Chop up the peaches and place in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, tossing the peaches to coat. Make sure the sugar is on as much of the fruit as possible. Loosely cover the bowl with a towel and let sit for 30 minutes. Stir the mixture again, cover, and let sit for another 30 minutes. Once the mixture is very syrupy, with most of the sugar dissolved at the bottom, add the water and stir to dissolve any remaining sugar. Strain the peaches from the syrup using a fine mesh strainer. You can reserve the peaches as a garnish.
Combine the peach oleo saccharum, lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, vodka, and a heaping handful of basil in a pitcher. Stir vigorously to mix. Pour into a glass or mason jar filled with ice, fill approxiately halfway, and top with Prosecco. Garnish with a basil sprig and peach slice. Makes about 8 servings.
Sweet & Spicy Garden Margarita
The perfect balance of sweet and spicy with an herbaceous touch,
- 4 cups watermelon
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 Jalapenos (cut and diced without seeds)
- 2 heaping handfuls of plucked mint
- 750 ml bottle silver tequila
- 1 cup Aperol
- 1 ½ cups lime juice (~ 10 limes)
- Tajin rim
- Watermelon slices
- Mint sprigs
In a food processor, combine watermelon, sugar, mint, and jalapenos. Once blended, pour into a pitcher and add the tequila, Aperol, and fresh lime juice. Stir vigorously to mix. Rim a glass or mason jar with Tajin, fill with ice, and garnish with a mint sprig and watermelon. Makes about 16 servings.
Love cocktails but enjoy them even more when you’ve got someone else making them for you? Hire SHKR, a bartender-on-demand service providing experienced bartenders and servers for private events, weddings, and other social gatherings. For more information and bookings, email: bookings@SHKR.co.
