Summer is Cocktail Season
And we're here to help, with some great summer cocktail ideas using fresh fruits and flavored syrups. We're also offering a fun, interactive summer cocktail tasting seminar in Downers Grove and participating in a cocktail tasting in Chicago next week! More great events coming up soon, check out our event listings for details.
Great Cocktails in Indiana?
Sonja is heading to the Indianapolis area again next week, with some fun events planned. She recently wrote about a couple of great places to find cocktails in Indiana - check out the story here.
Get Your North Shore Here
Planning a staycation in this great city of ours? There are many adventures to be had in the Chicago area, and we'd love to be part of yours. Here are some new places where you can find our spirits, and you can find the whole list on our website here.
June 2008 News
Strawberry Rhubarb Fizz
2 oz Distiller's Gin No. 6
¾ oz Rhubarb Simple Syrup
2 Fresh Strawberries
Club Soda
Muddle one cut-up strawberry in the bottom of a glass with syrup. Add ice, then add gin and top up with soda. Stir quickly, then garnish with whole strawberry on the rim.
French Riviera
By Angie Jackson of Ultimate Elixirs
1½ oz NS Tahitian Vanilla Vodka
½ oz Orange Curacao Liqueur
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz Mint Simple Syrup
Fresh Raspberries
Layer crushed ice with raspberries in a wine glass. Shake remaining ingredients together with ice, strain into wine glass over ice & berries. Garnish with lemon twist and fresh mint sprig.
Summer with Van Gogh
Developed with Nick Luedde from Uncommon Ground
2 oz North Shore Vodka
2 oz Fresh Watermelon Puree
Splash of Mint Syrup
Dash of Sirène Absinthe Verte
Shake ingredients with ice, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
Making Flavored Syrups
A great way to bring new flavors into your drinks is by using a flavored simple syrup. Simple syrup is really easy to make, and you can flavor it with all kinds of things. Start with one cup of sugar and one cup of water, and place them in a saucepan.
To make plain syrup, just heat the mixture, stirring often, until it boils. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, then cool completely.
For a flavored syrup, try one (or more) of these add-ins:
Rhubarb - add 20" of fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/4 inch slices and add to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Press with a potato masher before cooling. Cool to room temperature, and press with your masher again, then strain out the rhubarb. You'll have a lovely pink syrup with the fresh, tart flavor of rhubarb. Also works with other fruits & veggies, just cut them up and simmer with the syrup for a few minutes.
Lemongrass - add 20-24" of fresh, peeled lemongrass or use 2 tsp of dried lemon grass.
Herbs - use mint, lavender, basil, thyme, oregano, or any other spice that sounds intriguing. Try adding the leaves from one small bunch of mint or basil as a starting point (quantity needed varies by size of leaf, etc.). You can always add more herbs the next time, or add plain syrup to cut it if its too strong.
Store your syrups in the refrigerator, ideally in a sealed glass bottle or jar, for up to a month. Some of them may start to lose a little flavor over time, but they'll keep for a month.
New Places to Find North Shore Spirits
We've been continuing to grow our list of restaurant, bar and retail partners. Here are the latest additions!
ILLINOIS
Algonquin:
Randall & Vine
Champaign: Cafe Luna, Piccadilly Beverages (select locations)
Chicago: C-House, Chicago Firehouse, Delilah's, Hollywood Pantry, In Fine Spirits Lounge, Mrs. Murphy & Sons, Spiaggia, Treasure Island (new Hyde Park location), Weegee's Lounge
Highwood: North Shore Wine & Spirits, Sage Grille
La Grange Park: Angel's Spirits
Naperville: Cabernet & Company, Catch 35, Jimmy's Grill, Peterson Spirits & Fine Wines, Tango, Timpano Chophouse
Niles: Liquor Barn
Ottawa: Jay's Liquors
INDIANA
Bloomington: Irish Lion
Crown Point: Winfield Liquors
Indianapolis: Ko's Liquor, Landsharks, Union Jack Pub
Lafayette: La Scala, The Black Sparrow, The Other Pub
West Lafayette: Bar Barry Liquors, McGraw's Steak, Chop & Fish House, O'Bryan's Nine Irish Brothers
One More Cocktail
Scarlet Diamond
The signature cocktail we developed for the Screen Actor's Guild's 75th Anniversary Celebration in Chicago
1½ oz North Shore Vodka
1½ oz Fresh Sour Mix (1/3 lemon, 1/3 lime, 1/3 simple syrup)
½ oz Parfait Amour*
½ oz Pomegranate Juice
1 oz Club Soda
Shake first four ingredients with ice, strain into champagne flute. Top with club soda, and add one fresh berry for a garnish.
*Parfait Amour is an orange blossom and vanilla liqueur. Sometimes they are made with roses or violets also.
Looking for a Summer Cocktail Adventure?
Next month, cocktail enthusiasts from around the world will be gathering in New Orleans for a five day celebration of cocktails. Called the Tales of the Cocktail, this annual event promises to be one of the most exciting seminars of the summer. Opportunities to taste spirits and enjoy great cocktails abound, along with education sessions and parties to boot.
There's still time to register, and let us know if you're going - we hope to see you there!
North Shore Distillery is the first and only artisanal distillery in Illinois. We have a passion for spirits, and for developing creative new products. Learn more about us on northshoredistillery.com. We hope you enjoy our products!