To get ready for the new Garden Party season, we’ve assembled a menu of al fresco cocktail recipes that are as lovely on an urban backyard patio as they are on the veranda of a country manse. Using seasonal fresh fruits, herbs, and flowers to bring the outside in, here are four of our favorite outdoor recipes for all your al fresco needs.
30-LOVE CUP
The Pimm’s Cup has long been the cocktail of the English Lawn Tennis Association, and so don’t be surprised if one sip of this Pomp & Whimsy version has you calling in at the Club to find a new doubles partner. Like all great cups, the secret is in the fixings – fresh fruit and herbs that intensify the flavor the longer they infuse. How long should they steep, you ask? Why, a couple of sets is just about perfect.
2 parts Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur
1 part dry curaçao
1 part Italian vermouth
4 parts lemon soda
Sliced apple, orange, cucumber, strawberries
Fresh mint
Steep the fruits in the liquors in a pitcher filled about halfway and keep covered in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours. Right before serving, add ice directly to the pitcher and top with the lemon soda, garnishing with the fresh mint.
SANGRIA, MY DEAR (AKA THE MELBA CUP)
The English have been enjoying cups (fruit and wine-based cocktails fortified with liquor) at their society events for centuries. Across the channel, the Spanish have been drinking something similar in sangria for equally as long. So, whether you’re serving Anglophiles on the terrace or Hispanophiles on the Terraza, we think your guests will love this simple rosé-based cocktail either way. Much like other cups, we recommend batching ahead of time for maximum flavor.
1 part Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur
1 part rosé
1 part club soda
Sliced peaches, raspberries
Fresh mint
Muddle the peach slices and fresh raspberries in a pitcher and add the wine and gin so it is filled about halfway. Allow to steep in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours. When ready to serve, add ice directly to the pitcher and top with club soda, garnishing with the mint.
GEORGIA JULEP
It’s common knowledge that as the air outside heats up, the cocktails must cool down. The julep has long been a staple serve in the American hostess’s cocktail arsenal, and this south Atlantic version adapted from a traditional recipe is about as refreshing as they come. As a bonus, when peach season hits you can infuse the peaches in batches and use the leftover fruit for a delectable peach pie or cobbler.
4 oz Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur
4 oz cognac
1 ripe peach
2 tsp sugar
10-12 sprigs of mint
Begin by thinly slicing the peach and marinading in the Pomp & Whimsy and sugar for 1-3 hours. Strain. Add 3-4 sprigs of mint to a julep cup and muddle gently to release the oils. Fill the cup with crushed ice. Pour 1 oz of the peach-infused Pomp & Whimsy and 1 oz of the cognac over the ice. Makes 4 servings.
POMP & TONIC
Surely a quintessential garden party would not be complete without the Gin & Tonic? Originating with the British Raj in the colonial era, the quinine in the tonic was at one time believed to prevent malaria. However, while we no longer think the cocktail will keep the mosquitoes at bay, we have heard it may help an afternoon of cricket fly by. Gin-Gin!
1 ½ oz Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur
3 oz tonic
fresh lime, cucumber slices, pink peppercorns
Place a large spear of ice or several large ice cubes to a highball glass. Pour over the Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur, followed by the tonic. Add a squeeze of lime, a couple of cucumber slices, and a few pink peppercorns as garnish.