The heat seems to be breaking. Mosquitoes and ticks have mostly succumbed to their well-deserved deaths. Nights are still long, but a hint of coolness touches the edges. Summer is winding down. At this point, that mojito is perhaps not as refreshing as at the start of summer; or maybe mint juleps just aren’t cutting it anymore, and the thought of yet another margarita turns the stomach. As the summer progresses, and our imbibing continues — there is, after all, still plenty of evening to sit on the porch with friends — it’s easy to get a bit bored with the familiar go-tos, even if they’ve been creatively altered. Blueberry mojito? Been there. Pineapple margarita? Had way too many.
In spite of the disinterest in the tried and true summer beverages that we dream of all winter long and now can’t stomach, the end of summer doesn’t have to signal the end of summer libations. It’s just time to shake things up a bit, and venture into new realms with some late season cocktails.
Fruit has finally ripened and can be found in a dazzling colorful array across farmers’ market stands. Take advantage of what is in season by looking for drinks that tie in with those market buys. A Bitter Peach made with bitters, egg whites and peach syrup, or a Grilled Peach cocktail featuring muddled grilled peach and a spicy bourbon take advantage of the current abundance of this golden fruit. Blackberries, also in season, are on display in drinks such as The Bitter Bar’s Black Forest, which combines the dark berries with bourbon, lillet rouge and fresh lemon.
But if peaches and berries are sweeter than what the taste buds desire this time of year, a roasted fig cocktail may be the perfect drink to bridge the summer-autumn gap. Look to cocktails such as the Portuguese Fig made with rum, port and roasted fig.
For those with more floral inclinations, lavender additions imbibe any cocktail with a late summer feel. With each sip of OAK’s The French Hare, one is transported to the endless lavender fields of Provence. The Monk’s Garden, laced with lavender, herb-infused vodka, cucumber and lime, also featured on OAK’s cocktail menu, offers the drinker a chance to stroll the ancient herb gardens of an old European abbey.
It is not unusual this time of year, however, for the mind to drift away from summer fruits to thoughts of campfires and cooler nights. Cocktails utilizing the smoky qualities of mezcal, such as The Bitter Bar’s Taproot, or Zolo Grill’s aptly named, Campfire, with its smoked salt rim, bring to mind starry nights around the fire.
If drinking smoke doesn’t appeal, cocktails using whiskeys keep drinking creative and light, in the still hot summer temperatures, especially when combined with herbal bitters. The spicy, warm qualities of these cocktails bring autumn to mind, without overheating the body.
With the creative energy of Boulder bartenders doing their best to keep up with the seasons, there’s no reason to drink the ordinary. And for those with their own creative bent, what better time of year to experiment with all the gardens are providing. And it’s unlikely friends and guests will turn down the chance to be your guinea pigs. Cheers to the summer’s end!
