As we usher in longer days and warmer weather, guests will be looking for lighter and refreshing cocktail recipes. Think spritzes, clear spirits, and floral and fruit inspired cocktails. If you’re looking to do some spring cleaning to your menu, we’ve rounded up a collection of spring cocktail recipes to help you welcome the new season.
For the Pink Enthusiast
Ingredients:
0.5 oz fresh lime juice
2 oz Pink Lemonade
1 bar spoon agave syrup
0.75 oz triple sec
Top with soda
Garnish: Raspberries, edible flowers, and a cucumber ribbon
Directions:
Add all ingredients except soda to a shaker over cubed ice. Shake until ice cold. Strain into a highball glass over cubed ice and top with soda. Garnish with raspberries, edible flowers and a cucumber ribbon.
The Café Crimson
Ingredients:
1.5 Ketel One Vodka Family Made Vodka
1.5 Black Cherry Kenyan Cold Brew*
.5 oz unrefined coconut sugar syrup (1:1 ratio sugar to water)
.25 oz St. George Raspberry Liqueur
15 drops saline solution (1:5 ratio salt to water)
Top with Salted-Vanilla Oat Milk*
Garnish with Lemon Twist
*Black Cherry Kenyan Cold Brew
Chill 60g coarse ground coffee steeped in 500ml black cherry juice for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Strain and keep refrigerated.
*Salted-Vanilla Oat Milk
500ml Oatly Oat Milk, Full Fat (about 2 cups)
¾ tsp Vanilla Extract
¼ tsp salt
Whisk oat milk, vanilla extract and salt together in a cold bowl until creamy.
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain the contents of shaker into a chilled coupe glass. Carefully layer salted-vanilla oat milk on top. Express oils from lemon twist and place decoratively on rim of glass.
Peaches & Cranberry Spritz
Ingredients:
1½ ounces Ketel One Botanical Peach & Orange Blossom
2 dashes cranberry bitters
3 ounces Fever Tree soda water
Garnish with cranberries
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and serve in a wine glass over ice. Garnish with a cranberry.
Dirty Laundry
Ingredients:
and long-time LA bartender.
Photo: Little Lane Media.
2 oz. vodka
1 inch slice cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
3 lemon wedges
1 oz agave nectar
1/4 oz Dirty Sue Premium Olive Juice
1 slice serrano pepper (1/2 inch)
1/2 oz grapefruit juice
Dash of grapefruit bitters
Directions:
Muddle cucumber and bell pepper. Add lemon and muddle. Add all other ingredients and shake well. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cucumber slice.
Raspberry Rosé Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 lime, cut into wheels
½ part raspberries
Sugar, to taste
1 bottle Mumm Napa Brut Rosé, chilled
Fresh raspberries & lime wheels for garnish
Directions:
Muddle lime wheels, raspberries, and sugar. Rest until sugar is dissolved. Strain using fine mesh strainer. Add 1 part compote & 5 parts Mumm Napa Brut Rosé to a glass. Garnish with additional raspberries & lime wheels.
Lavendar Balsamic Spritz
Ingredients:
1 oz. Vodka
1 oz. Monin Lavendar Syrup
½ oz. Fresh lemon juice
⅛ oz. Balsamic Vinegar
Top With:
4 oz. Prosecco
2 oz. Club soda
Directions:
Combine ingredients in shaker in the order listed, except prosecco and club soda.Cap and shake vigorously.Pour into serving glass and add any needed ice. Top with prosecco and club soda. Garnish with lavendar sprig and lemon wheel.
Cherry Blossom Gimlet
Ingredients:
2 oz. District Made Ivy City Gin or Vodka
1/2 oz. Pratt Standard Cherry Blossom Syrup
1/4 oz. simple syrup
1 oz. lime
Directions:
Shake with ice & serve up in a coupe.
Cowboy Couloir
Ingredients:
1oz Del Maguey Vida Mezcal
1oz Lunazul Silver Tequila
.5oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
.5 White Simple Syrup
2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Dehydrated Lime Wheel
Brand East Coast Ambassador
Flora Adora Bubble Bees
Ingredients:
1-1/2 Parts Flora Adora
3/4 Part Lime Juice
3/4 Part Honey
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Splash Sparkling Wine
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and stir well to incorporate honey. Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled stemmed glass. Top with a splash of sparkling wine and garnish.
Blossom Sour
Ingredients:
2oz iichiko Silhouette
1oz Lemon Juice
1⁄2 oz Cherry blossom Syrup 1⁄2 oz Plum Wine
1 Egg white
Directions:
Glassware: Coupe
Directions:
Mix all ingredients into a cocktail shaker without ice, dry shake for 1 min, add ice and shake again. Double strain into sour cocktail glass or coupe.
Plan to Attend or Participate in the 2024 Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 18-20, 2024
To learn about the latest trends, issues and hot topics, and to experience and taste the best products within the bar, restaurant and hospitality industry, plan to attend Bar & Restaurant Expo 2024 in Las Vegas. Visit BarandRestaurantExpo.com.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at the 2024 Bar & Restaurant Expo, contact:
Veronica Gonnello (for companies A to G) e: vgonnello@questex.com p: 212-895-8244
Tim Schultz (for companies H to Q) e: tschultz@questex.com p: 917-258-8589
Fadi Alsayegh (for companies R to Z) e: falsayegh@questex.com p: 917-258-5174
Also, be sure to follow Bar & Restaurant on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest industry news and trends.