Cocktails for All Seasons

Poetess Mary Clemmer referred to Indian Summer as “the dead summer’s soul.” In a sense I feel it is. The waning days of summer leading into Autumn truly capture and amplify the steamy golden embrace of the season which Walt Whitman described in his Diary in Canada.

Indian summer, attains its amplitude and heavenly perfection, — the
temperatures; the sunny haze; the mellow, rich delicate, almost
flavoured air: Enough to live — enough to merely be.

In thinking about the immutable march of the seasons, one can’t help but reminisce on memories of seasons past and look forward to seasons to come. Certainly, as Marcel Proust knew well, there is nothing stronger than food and drink to evoke memories and transport one to a specific temporal destination. With that in mind, Doctorpopeye has prepared the following cocktail recipes for the reader’s enjoyment.

Summer

The stifling heat of summer tends to require cool and crisp refreshments to slake the thirst. This recipe is a variation on tinto de verano, a summer beverage popular in Spain.

750 ml Las Renas Monastrell Bullas (or similar Spanish red wine)
750 ml Perrier (or similar sparkling water)
Limonata, meyer lemon juice, or aranciata to taste (Doctorpopeye recommends 4-6 ounces)

Serve from a pitcher or punch bowl into champagne flutes of white wine tulip glasses.

Autumn

The residual heat of summer coupled with the first chills of winter necessitate a balanced beverage in autumn. One that is slightly warming, but still refreshing, and not overly rich. This recipe is Doctorpopeye’s own interpretation of spiced apple cider.

8 oz. Strongbow Dry Cider (Or local cider, if one is in the West Country)
1.5 oz. Goldschläger Swiss cinnamon schnapps

Serve cold in a Collins glass.

Winter

The bitter chill of winter necessitates rich, warming drinks. Such refreshments evoke an air of hospitality and light in this bleak and lifeless season.

1.5 oz. VSOP Cognac (No need to break out the XO, as some of the flavors will be masked by other ingredients.)
1.5 oz. Creme de cacao
4 oz. egg nog

Serve chilled just below room temperature in a brandy snifter.

Spring

Spring is the season to celebrate renewal and rebirth. A spring beverage can be moderately rich and impart moderate “warmth” to the taster’s palate. The following recipe incorporates a traditional lenten/Easter beverage: bock beer.

500 ml. Spaten Optimator
1 Scoop of your favorite spring fruit ice cream (Doctorpopeye recommends homemade apricot, if you’re handy in the kitchen and have ample rock salt on hand.)

Serve floats in Maßkrüge.

Doctorpopeye hopes that these recipes will enliven your parties for seasons to come. And, as they say in the legal disclaimer business, “please drink responsibly.”