Hot summer nights and tropical breezes, set the scene for your flight. All aboard the cocktail train, try these drinks to bring the tropical weather outside, onto the crispy, dry air of the cabin inside.
To help minimize prep space and time while on the aircraft you will want to prepare your garnishes and ingredients before boarding the plane. Chopping fresh herbs, slicing lemon wedges ect. Then store in a plastic bag until ready for use.
Other ingredients such as sugar, and or simple syrup can be measured out and prepared pre flight, so you don’t have to over pack your storage space with unnecessary materials.
Some recipes ask for specific glasses you can either stock the aircraft with these items or go with more accessible glassware. If you find one you really like and you want to stick to it, I would suggest having the glassware available.
REFRESH:
Cucumber Cooler
Ingredients:
- 1 2” piece cucumber, thinly sliced crosswise,
- 1 additional slice for garnish
- 1⁄8 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 1 1⁄2 oz. vodka
- 1⁄2 oz. simple syrup
- 1/4 cup crushed ice
Instructions:
- Take the cucumber slices, thyme, and ice and send them through a blender until slightly mushy, not thoroughly blended. Then, add the rest of the ingredients, cover in a mixer or other covered container, shake, and pour contents into a glass. Add cucumber slice as garnish.
Mojito
Ingredients:
Ice
6 ounces light rum
12 mint sprigs, or spearmint, 8 roughly broken apart
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons sugar
Club soda
4 slices lime
Instructions:
- Place ice in beverage shaker then add in the rum, 8 broken up mint sprigs, lime juice and sugar. Shake well and serve over ice in a high ball glass. Top off each glass with a splash of club soda. Garnish each with a slice of lime and a sprig of mint.
Basil, Grapefruit Cocktail
Ingredients:
- 2 basil leaves
- 1/2 grapefruit, juiced
- 1 1/2 ounce Hendricks Gin
- 1/4 ounce simple syrup
- club soda
- 1 thin slice grapefruit
Instructions:
- In a rocks glass, muddle 1 basil leaf with symple syrup. Fill the glass with ice. Add fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and gin. Stir and top with club soda. Garnish with basil leaf and sliced grapefruit.
GET TROPICAL:
Pineapple and Mango Rum Cocktails
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of cubed mango, if you are in a tropical place get fresh mango, otherwise pick up some frozen mango from the grocery store
- 4 ounces best-quality golden rum
- 4 cups fresh pineapple juice
- Fresh tropical fruit, such as dragon fruit and star fruit, for garnish
Instructions:
- Puree mangoes, rum, and 1/2 cup water in a blender. Pour 2 ounces puree into each of six 12-ounce glasses. Fill glasses with ice, and top off with pineapple juice. Garnish with tropical fruit.
Tequila Sunrise
Ingredients:
4 ounces orange juice
2 ounces tequila
1/2 ounce grenadine
Orange slice for garnish
Maraschino cherry for garnish
Switch it up by adding a splash of pomegranate juice, or another of your favorite fruit juices
Instructions:
- Pour the tequila and the orange juice into a highball glass with ice cubes and stir.
- Slowly pour the grenadine around the inside edge of the glass, it will sink and slowly rise to mix with the other ingredients naturally.
- Garnish with the orange slice and cherry.
Beach comber
Ingredients:
- 1 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup banana liqueur
- 1/2 cup pear nectar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Fresh edible flowers for garnish
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients into a shaker or pitcher, stir vigorously. Pour into four ice-filled glasses, and garnish with edible flowers. Serve.
CLASSICS:
Aviation
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces gin
- 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 ounce maraschino liqueur
- 1/6 ounce crème de violette
- Maraschino cherry for garnish
Instructions:
- Combine liquid ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake until cold, and then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Dark & Stormy
While the captains are weathering the turbulence, your serving up a summer delight.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz of rum
- 3 oz of ginger beer
- a lime wedge for garnish
Instructions:
- To begin, add the 2 oz of rum into a highball glass filled with ice. Pour in the ginger beer. Now simply garnish with the lime and you are ready to serve.
BERRY MADNESS:
To make the most refreshing and delicious berry drinks its best to pre-make the syrup.
Black Berry-Mint Julep or Blueberry, Raspberry
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
- 1 pint blackberries
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 4 cups small ice cubes
- 4 sprigs mint, for garnishing
Instructions:
- Roughly chop mint leaves.
- Puree the mint, blackberries, and sugar in a blender. Pour mixture through a sieve.
- Add bourbon and small ice cubes and blackberry puree into the blender; blend until smooth. Divide mixture among 4 glasses. Garnish each with a mint sprig.
Strawberry Cooler
Ingredients:
2 oz. vodka
3/4 oz. Dolin Blanc vermouth
1 1/2 oz. fresh strawberry puree
3/4 oz. fresh Meyer lemon juice (or substitute 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice and 1 barspoon Creme Yvette)
3/4 oz. rich simple syrup (2:1)
1 dash rose water
1 1/2 oz. seltzer
Ice cubes
Mint sprigs for garnish
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients, except seltzer, and shake briefly to incorporate. Add seltzer to shaker tin and strain all ingredients into an ice-filled Collins glass. Garnish with mint sprigs.
- For the strawberry puree: Remove the tops from 1 pint of fresh strawberries and blend until smooth. Push through a sieve into a clean jar and store refrigerated for up to 1 week.
