Spring drinking requests that your beverages be perhaps light and definitively refreshing. It is the season for simple sours, low-ABV drinks with punchy herbaceousness and maybe some cheeky infusions with, yes, bubble gum.
AJ Johnson’s Gin Rickey
The citrusy, basil allure of a gin rickey
(Image credit: Reema Desai / PUNCH)
Gin; club soda; lime juice; sweetener: At its core, the gin rickey is a simple, essential cocktail. This version from Washington, D.C., bartender Andra “AJ” Johnson amplifies the sweet element by infusing simple syrup with Buddha’s hand citron, makrut lime leaves and lemon juice.
Mezcal Sour
Smoky, sharp, smart: a well-made mezcal sour
(Image credit: Isa Zapata / Bon Appétit)
A sour is a school of drinks that turns on the trinity of spirit, citrus and sweetness. This recipe is classic as can be, its only curveball being the less-common inclusion of smoky, kicky mezcal as the drink’s keystone.
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Sparkling Tangawizi
Green is very good with the bold zip of ginger and fresh lime juice
(Image credit: Yudi Ela Echevarria / Bon Appétit)
A play on Stoney Tangawizi, a ginger beer from East Africa, this booze-free drink starts with a base of fresh finger, salt and sugar. Then in goes a bunch of sparkling water to complement and lighten the impact of the sharp, salty base.
Bubblegum Daiquiri
Everything is sweeter when it’s pink
(Image credit: Bad Birdy / Imbibe)
Bear with us: Yes, bubblegum can have a chewy, poppy place in the glass. This daiquiri begins by tossing a bunch of Hubba Bubba gum with the contents of a bottle of light rum. 24 hours later, you are armed with your daiquiri base. Add lime and simple syrup, shake and bust out the Cracker Jack.
Soft Arms
Big flavors deserve to be served in bright glassware
(Image credit: Matt Taylor-Gross / Food & Wine)
This nonchalant low-ABV cocktail has an all-star roster of personality-driven components. Riesling adds its zippy edge; fino sherry walks in with its dry oxidation; white vermouth and aquavit are all herby tension. A touch of yuzu vinegar provides acidity.
Maple-Bourbon Smash
Infuse your spring with a little autumn
(Image credit: Julia Hartbeck / Food & Wine)
Maple need not be relegated solely to autumn. Its edgy sweetness has boundless uses. One fine example: its appearance in this effortless drink, in which maple syrup is muddled with orange and lemon juices and an orange wheel, then finished with Angostura bitters, bourbon and a few fingers of seltzer.
French Martini
A little froth up top makes a French Martini all the more satisfying
(Image credit: Lizzie Munro / PUNCH)
Very much not a Cosmo but also not exactly not a Cosmo, the French Martini merges vodka, Chambord raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice. It has all the bright appeal of the Cosmopolitan but can live life on its terms, without all the “Sex and the City” baggage of its pink cousin.
