By Babs S. Harrison
When temperatures rise, there’s always a cool spot inside at Bar 1896 at Castle Hot Springs. Take a seat across from the fragrant bouquets of herbs picked from the on-site culinary garden and watch the cocktail mentors work their magic to create the best summer cocktail. The team of mixologists at Bar 1896 has mastered the art of the cocktail. Blending, macerating, infusing, muddling, shaking, and stirring…the behind-the-bar alchemy of these cocktail magicians produces a gorgeous array of jewel-toned libations garnished with fresh herbs, tiny flowers, and the occasional veggie from the resort’s extensive regenerative gardens.
When crafting the best summer cocktail, the requirements are that it’s truly delicious, refreshingly cold, as well as thirst-quenching and this can be achieved with either acidity or carbonation. In addition, there are bonus points if that first sip takes your palate on a sensory tropical vacation!
A gin and tonic with a wedge of lime is a classic go-to summer libation, so why not try on something a bit more extraordinary? A well-crafted cocktail is greater than the sum of its parts above all when a mixologist arrives at just the right balance of flavors and ingredients. Dive in and explore this season’s craft cocktails designed for summer sipping. For those who can’t make it to the lush oasis of Castle Hot Springs, Bar 1896 shares the formula for their go-to summer libation, the Yacht Club.
THE YACHT CLUB SUMMER COCKTAIL
The base for this cocktail is the original Pimm’s No. 1, a gin-based liqueur infused with herbal botanicals, spices and fruit. James Pimm invented Pimm’s No.1 when he was operating an oyster bar in London in 1840. He served his house-made concoction in small tankards called cups as a digestive tonic. Pimm’s No. 1 eventually became the most popular drink in London today and the Pimm’s Cup is the unofficial cocktail of Wimbledon.
The Yacht Club uses British Pimm’s as its base, adding a Calypso beat with the fragrant addition of Golden Falernum, a Caribbean rum-based liqueur redolent of almonds, vanilla, cloves, limes and ginger, with a subtle kick of hot pepper and is used as an accent to add an exotic depth of flavor.
Next, an equal amount of ginger syrup is added to the Yacht Club for spicy sweetness and more flavor. You can easily elevate your at-home cocktail game by keeping a batch of this bar staple in the refrigerator. A generous addition of freshly squeezed lime juice brightens up the drink with tart, thirst-quenching acidity.
No cocktail goes out undressed from Bar 1896. Renowned for their culinary gardens and citrus varieties, Castle Hot Springs provides a living pantry of fresh options for the mixologists who have carte blanche to pick whatever they wish. A summertime arrangement of cucumber that is sliced thinly and skewered onto a pick laying across the rim. It is then joined with a fresh tall sprig of marjoram and a dehydrated citrus wheel of lime. The Yacht Club is excellent with lunch, after a hike, or lounging by the pool. Cheers to summer!
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz Pimms No. 1
- .5 oz Golden Falernum
- .5 oz Ginger Syrup
- .75 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
DIRECTIONS
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a small Collins glass. Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel, cucumber slice (thinly sliced lengthwise), and a fresh sprig of sweet marjoram.