With another Friday the 13th upon us. In of world of troubles, who needs that?
Fortunately for the superstitious among us (at least those who might like an adult beverage every so often), May 13 is also World Cocktail Day 2022.
What better way to stay in good spirits than having a delicious drink or two to ward off any bad luck?
Thrive 50plus is raiding its own liquor cabinet, so to speak, and bringing back out some of our favourite concoctions from around the world in recent years to celebrate the day.
Mint Julep
We’ll start off by horsing around some and drink to long-shot Rich Strike, who astounded the racing world by winning the 2022 Kentucky Derby with 300-1 odds. Juleps — mint and sugar stirred with crushed ice and spirits like bourbon and rum — have been a staple of the US South since the early 1800s.
The link between juleps and the racetrack dates back to at least the 1820s, when references appear to sterling silver julep cups being awarded as trophies to first-place jockeys.
“It ties together two of Kentucky’s most well-known industries: horse racing and bourbon,” said Chris Goodlett, senior curator of collections at the Kentucky Derby Museum.
Pisco Sour
The Pisco Sour is a classic South American cocktail. And like so many food and beverage favorites, it has a long, disputed history behind its creation.
With a lively mixture of tangy citrus and earthy pisco that practically dances across the tongue, of course everyone wants credit.
This version is served at the renowned pisco bar Chipe Libre (José Victorino Lastarria 282, Santiago) in Santiago, Chile, which diplomatically serves both Peruvian and Chilean versions of the spirit.
Chipe Libre Pisco Sour
3 ounces pisco brandy
1 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup
Combine the ingredients in a mixing tin, fill it with ice, shake hard and strain in a chilled glass.
Hurricane David
The cocktail Hurricane David — named after a 20th century storm — is as strong and powerful as its namesake.
It’s under a “Category 5” label and comes from Basil’s Bar on the private island of Mustique. (That’s in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean.) A classic beach bar, it’s a place where music floats out through the windows over the waves. You can recreate the experience at home.
Hurricane David
1 ounce strong white rum (Wray & Nephew brand if you can find it)
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce dark rum
½ ounce Kahlua
½ ounce lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup
Combine the ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake hard and serve in a rocks glass on ice with a lime wedge.
Miami Mojito
This rum-based highball is the unofficial trademark drink of Florida’s “Magic City.”
A trip to Miami wouldn’t be complete without a glass of minty magic on a rooftop bar. Back in 2017, CNN went to Miami to learn mojito secrets from the master, Grammy-winner producer, and musician Emilio Estefan.
Estefan’s edition uses four local limes, a sprig of mint and homemade sugar syrup. The ingredients are mixed together, and Estefan is generous with the rum (see the video at the top of this story). But it’s the sugarcane that he pinpoints as the key ingredient.
Benedictine / Monte Carlo
Go international in your liquor cabinet, and you’ll have the world in your hand. And while renowned for wine, the French know a thing or deux about cocktails as well.
Benedictine is a French liqueur that’s been around half a millennium. It’s a digestif made with nearly 30 herbs. While the exact blend is a secret, angelica, hyssop and lemon balm are in it. Try it in a Monte Carlo.
Monte Carlo
2 ounces of rye whisky
½ ounce of Benedictine
A couple of dashes of Angostura bitters.
Put the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir for about 30 seconds until well chilled. Then strain it into a chilled rocks glass over a large ice cube.
Singapore Sling
The gin-based Singapore Sling cocktail has staying power. It’s said to have been invented at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore in 1915.
The original recipe is lost, but a more recent one given by the Raffles’ head barman back in 2015 features:
Gin (30ml)
Cherry brandy (15ml)
Cointreau (7.5ml)
DOM Benedictine (7.5ml)
Angostura bitters (dash)
Grenadine (10ml)
Pineapple juice (120ml)
Lime juice (15ml)
Shake well and strain into glasses filled with ice.
