Aperitivo in the Garden
A three recipe feature from Batch Cocktails cookbook by Maggie Hoffman, paired with a crave-able smoked salmon dip
The day is hot, begging for something cold and refreshing. When it comes to cold beverages, I usually stick to iced herbal teas, rosé and the occasional white wine. I needed to broaden by cold beverage repertoire, and that’s is where I turned to
brilliant book Batch cocktails: Make-Ahead Pitcher Drinks for Every Occasion. A curation of professional mixologist’s cocktails from across the country, these drinks bring ease and an elevated nature to your dinner parties. Outdoor entertaining in the summer requires cold beverages, and I am so excited to feature three recipes from Maggie’s wonderful book.
I learned three key things Maggie’s book I will be bringing into my own drinks and other cooking going forward. They are simple and will be elevating my skills as a dinner host.
Teas in syrups for cocktails
This was a big eye opener - bagged teas add an incredible depth of flavor to cocktail syrups. The idea of making your own syrup for cocktails feels fancy, but in practice it was simple to pull off with very few ingredients. I love some of these syrups for not just cocktails, but to use them in baking – a green tea, white pepper syrup over a cake? Move aside while I drizzle. I am also excited to try some of my own herbs I am growing in cocktails syrups – lemon verbana, bee balm, mint, Japanese parsley – to see what other flavors I could bring to cocktails.
Don’t discard vegetables or fruits when cocktail syrup making
I was drawn to making the Reina Punch cocktail because of the Hibiscus-Bell Pepper Syrup–you heard me right! It sounded so fresh and fun I couldn’t wait to try it. The unexpected joy of the cocktail was the leftover peppers–saturated in a sugary syrup, I dabbed them dry and dehydrated them to create a sweet, chewy bite which I topped the salmon dip with - it’s so good.
Garnishes, garnishes, garnishes
I love a garnish. As an Art Director, I love to plan out that finishing touch that takes the look of a dish from meh to wow. With cocktails, I was always a bit concerned about them chillin in the glass while I drank it - would it drive me crazy? I have discovered a well paired garnish not only adds beauty but aroma. The aroma is the first experience, and the garnish usually leads this parade of the senses. I did deviate from the cookbook here, leveraging what I had in the garden and dehydrator (ok, I got a dehydrator and now I am hooked. Apologies to all. I am dehydrating everything. Watch out world.)
The Garden Bar
Get yourself a bench, or upside down crate and make yourself a garden bar. With Apertivo, guests might pour a drink and mingle around, sitting here or there around the garden, walk through the pumpkin trellis while sipping something refreshing. No need for a full table, a simple bench will do.
For these images, I worked with Haus Theory to pull a curation of currently shoppable items. The pitchers, glassware, ice bucket and woven serving tray are all sourced from Haus Theory. They curate such beautiful vintage pieces, and was over-the-moon to get to use them here in this post. The silver-rimmed coupes are my personal favorite, as is the round beverage vessel. Shop online or stop in to shop this incredible store (items within this post are available in store only.)
Index
The following three recipes are reprinted with permission from Batch Cocktails: Make-Ahead Pitcher Drinks for Every Occasion by Maggie Hoffman, copyright © 2019. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Photography copyright: Kelly Puleio © 2019
Alcohol-free Honeydew Limeade
Makes about 10 servings in a 2-Quart Pitcher
It’s not that regular limeade is boring, but things get much more interesting when you add cooling honeydew juice. This recipe from Troy Sidle formerly of ZZ’s Clam Bar in Manhattan is subtly spiced with white peppercorn and nutty green tea. Poured over ice, this drink is restorative and tart. And don’t worry, you don’t need a juicer for this. After removing the melon’s seeds and peel, toss the cubed fruit in your blender and let it run, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer. The sweetness of the drink will depend on how ripe your honeydews are; taste a bit and add extra syrup to the pitcher if needed.
3 3/4 cups fresh honeydew juice (from 3 large or 4 medium
melons)
11/4 cups fresh
lime juice
5 to 7 tablespoons chilled spiced green tea syrup (recipe follows)
1 cup cold water
To Serve
10 mint sprigs
Up to 2 hours before serving, make the batch. Prepare honeydew and lime juices and pour into a 2-quart pitcher, stirring well.
Mix in 5 tablespoons chilled spiced green tea syrup and water. Pour a small amount of pitcher mix over ice and taste to assess sweetness, then stir in additional syrup if needed. If not serving immediately, seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
To serve, pour into ice-filled collins glasses and garnish each glass with a mint sprig.
Spiced Green Tea Syrup
Makes about 3/4 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons
11/2 teaspoons whole white peppercorns
2/3 cup water
2 green tea bags
2/3 cup sugar
In a small, dry saucepan, toast peppercorns over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add water and bring to a bare simmer, then add green tea bags, making sure they’re completely submerged. Remove from heat and let steep for 6 minutes, then discard tea bags. Add sugar to saucepan, return to medium-high heat, and stir constantly until completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a mason jar or other resealable container. Refrigerate until chilled or for up to 1 week.
Unchained Melody
Makes about 10 servings in a 2-quart pitcher
Bourbon loves orange and spice; fans of the old-fashioned know this. In this cocktail from Katipai Richardson-Wilson of Brooklyn’s Dirty Precious, the citrus and whiskey share the spotlight. Honey and orange tea amplify the bourbon’s toasty barrel flavors. (The honey syrup is cut with a bit of sugar so the honey doesn’t dominate.) I hope this recipe catches your eye in cooler seasons, when piles of crisp leaves and bonfires call for bourbon drinks. For a big gathering, double the recipe for a large punch bowl, add an ice block (see page 11), and make sure each glass gets plenty of ice.
2 1/4 cups high-proof bourbon (such as Medley Bros.)
1 1/2 cups chilled orange-honey syrup (recipe follows)
1 cup plus
1 tablespoon water
1 cup plus
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
To Serve
10 orange wheels
10 orange twists (optional)
Up to 1 day before serving, make the batch. Pour bourbon, chilled orange-honey syrup, and water into a 2-quart pitcher and stir to mix. If not serving immediately, seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
Up to 2 hours before serving, prepare lemon juice and stir into pitcher mix. Reseal and return to refrigerator if not serving immediately.
To serve, fill pitcher with ice, add orange wheels, and stir gently until outside of pitcher is cool. Pour cocktail into ice-filled rocks glasses. Express oils from an orange twist over each cocktail, if desired, and use twist as garnish.
Orange-Honey Syrup
Makes about 1 2/3 Cups
1 cup water
2 orange tea bags (such as Tazo wild sweet orange)
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup honey
In a small saucepan, bring water to a bare simmer over medium- high heat. As soon as you spot the first bubble, add tea bags, remove from heat, and let steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add honey and sugar to saucepan, return to medium-high heat, and stir constantly, just until dissolved. Remove from heat. Let cool, then transfer to a resealable container and refrigerate until chilled or for up to 1 week.
Reina Punch
Makes about 13 servings in a 2-quart pitcher
Juicy red bell peppers are just as refreshing as any other fruit, and this drink from Philadelphia-based bartender Emily Earp Mitchell shows the intriguing flavor they can add to cocktails too. Slicing the peppers thin and letting them macerate with sugar draws out the juices, which are paired with tart hibiscus tea and lime. Tequila adds its desert sage note, and Pinot Noir backs up the band with its own earthy qualities. Think of this as sangria gone savory and all the way fresh.
2 1/2 cups chilled blanco tequila
1 1/4 cups Pinot Noir
1 1/4 cups chilled hibiscus–bell pepper syrup (recipe follows)
2/3 cup water
1 1/4 cups fresh lime juice
To Serve
8 lime wheels
13 rosemary sprigs (optional)
At least 2 hours and up to 12 hours before serving, make the batch. Pour chilled tequila, Pinot Noir, chilled hibiscus–bell pepper syrup, and water into a 2-quart pitcher and stir to mix. Seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.
Up to 2 hours before serving, prepare lime juice and stir into pitcher mix. Reseal and return to refrigerator if not serving immediately.
To serve, stir mixture well and add lime wheels to pitcher. Pour into ice-filled rocks glasses and garnish each glass with a rosemary sprig.
Hibiscus-Bell Pepper Syrup
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
1 cup sugar
1 hibiscus tea bag (such as Traditional Medicinals)
1 cup boiling water
Using a very sharp knife, slice red parts of bell pepper into the thinnest strips you can manage. Place in a heat-safe bowl along with sugar and use a muddler to bruise slightly. Let macerate for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When time is almost up, steep tea bag in boiling water for 3 minutes, then discard tea bag and pour hot tea over bell pepper mixture. Stir to incorporate sugar. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a resealable container and let cool. Refrigerate until chilled or for up to 2 days.
Herbed Ice Cubes
I chose a mix of edible floral and herbs from my garden–rose buds, violet blooms, mini mint sprigs, lemon verbena leaves, and rose thyme sprigs–adding 3 to 4 items to the bottom of large cube ice molds. I filled the mold halfway with purified drinking water (bottled from the store-this will give you clear ice) and placed it in the freezer. After an hour or so, I filled the ice cube trays up the rest of the way with water. Freeze overnight and enjoy in your cocktails! I loved how they looked within the Honeydew Limeade for a floral contrast against the bright green drink.
Smoked Salmon Dip
This dip is so good. Since I made it the first time, I have made it two times since because we love it so much. It is the perfect balance of crunchy, smoky, chewy, sweet, creamy and spicy. A textural delight and flavor packed dish perfect for a garden apertivo. It pairs beautifully with the cocktails with it’s salty/savory nature, with the hint of sweet coming from the candied bell peppers.
Candied bell peppers – I cannot say enough. They take this dip to the next level, and they are using what would have been discarded from Hibiscus-Bell Pepper Syrup. Make the syrup and cocktail above to get these candied peppers, or you can sub in dates - equally as chewy and sweet as the peppers.
4oz. Cream Cheese, softened
4oz. Hot Smoked Salmon, I used Honey Smoked Fish Co. Original Salmon
8-10 Snap Peas, sliced thinly at a sharp diagonal
1 Dried Candied Bell Pepper (recipe below) or 2 to 3 Pitted Dates, chopped
1 small bunch Dill or Chives, finely chopped
Lemon Zest of one lemon
Lemon Juice from half a lemon
Chili Oil or Harissa
Olive Oil
Maldon Salt
Serve with Ruffles Potato Chips
Dried Candied Bell Pepper
Take the thinly sliced pepper leftover from the Hibiscus-Bell Pepper Syrup and pat it dry with a paper towel. If you have a dehydrator, let it dry at 140 degrees fahrenheit for 4-5 hours, checking after the first two hours for a chewy consistency. You want it like a raisin consistency. If you are doing this in an oven, arrange the pepper on a wire rack inside a baking sheet or on a sheet of parchment. Bake at 170 degrees fahrenheit for 2 hours, check every 30 minutes after that until raisin-like texture is achieved.
The Dip
Spread the cream cheese onto a serving plate.
Gently shred the smoked salmon with your hands, arranging it evenly over the plate.
Top it with the thinly sliced snap peas, candied bell pepper or chopped dates, then the finely diced dill or chives.
Cover everything with the the lemon zest and juice from half of a lemon.
Drizzle with chili oil or harissa (I find thinning the harissa out with a bit of olive oil helps with drizzling) to your own heat preferences.
Finish with a good drizzle of olive oil and a shower of Maldon salt.
Enjoy immediately with a big bowl of Ruffles Potato chips.
What if I am not serving 10 guests, but I really want to make these cocktails?
Ok, it’s truth time. The day I shot this it was the hottest day of the year here. I actually captured all of these images at 6:30 in the morning. Our plans that day did not allow for us to have guests, so my husband and I enjoyed a cocktail or two, and we got creative with the rest.
Two of the cocktails became gifts for our friends at Haus Theory, finished with dried citrus (thank you my precious dehydrator) to garnish with when they enjoyed them.
The rest we placed into large mason jars and stored them in the freezer. I had an impromptu dinner a week later and I pulled Reina Punch out of the freezer and took it with me. It de-thawed into a lovely cocktail slush–a perfect pool-side refreshment.
Wow this sounds soooo good I need to make that bell pepper hibiscus syrup
Could use some of that honeydew limeade right now!!!