Author: Thomas Henry Strenk
Brooklyn-based writer specializing in all things drinkable
You’ve changed up your food menu for the summer. Don’t forget to refresh your beverage list, update wine, beer and cocktails selections for the warmer months. Drinks should match summer dishes. Follow the same tenets: lighter, refreshing, easy to drink and seasonal.
Wine. Roses are perfect summer wines. Refreshing as a white but with a touch of tannic structure from the red grapes, roses pair equally well with chicken and fish or burgers and barbecue. Virtually every wine region makes rose; I prefer Spanish varieties for their gutsiness; a Tempranillo-based rose from Rioja or a pale Garnacha from neighboring Navarra.
Sparkling wines are also versatile food wines and a great way to celebrate summer. Look for sparklers with a touch of residual sugar–not too dry, like a good Spanish Cava. Washington State makes excellent low-priced sparkling wines. Italian Proseccos are justly popular, but you see them everywhere these days. I tasted another tasty Italian sparkler recently at ReBar in Brooklyn; hailing from the Piedmont, Brachetto d’Acqui is a spumante made from the red Brachetto grape.
White Wines should be crisp with plenty of acidity not big and oaky or overly fruity.
Red wines are usually cool-weather quaffs, especially heavier Bordeaux and Cabs. Instead try an Italian Barbera, a Cabernet Franc from Long Island in New York or the Loire Valley in France, or a lighter-style Pinot Noir from Oregon or New Zealand. Give red wines a slight chill before service; after all, it’s pretty warm in the store room in summer, not quite “cellar temperature,” and cooler reds will taste livelier.
Beer.Wheat beers are naturals for summer–don’t forget a lemon (or lime) wedge garnish. Offer a Belgian Witbier, spiced with coriander and orange peel; a German Hefeweisse, with fruity bubblegum notes; or an American craft wheat, which could be any of those styles. Cold, crisp Pilsners are refreshing and easy to drink; venture to the Czech Republic for the original style.
Brewtinis are mixed drinks made with beer. Perfect for summer is the Shandygaff, a tall glass of lemonade and lager. Micheladas or cervezas preparadas are popular throughout Latin America; think of them as a Bloody Mary that substitutes beer for vodka. A Chelada adds a shot of fresh lime juice to Pilsner served in a pint glass with a chili-salt rim.
Cocktails.The key to successful summer cocktails is using local produce in season. Feature fresh fruit and herbs– berries, peaches, rhubarb, melons; basil, mint, verbena–at their peak of flavor and you have the elements for a hit signature.
Summer fashion is white: vodka, gin, blanco tequila, white rum all those white spirits make for lighter cocktails. Highballs like Collins and G&Ts with plenty of ice and soda water or tonic are thirst-quenching; high-quality products are especially critical in drinks employing just a few ingredients. Available for most of the summer, cucumbers add interest to several cocktails. Cucumber is the traditional garnish for the classic Pimm’s Cup. Try muddling a few slices in a Mojito with sugar lime and mint, or with a bit of fresh jalapeno chile for a unique take on the standard Margarita.
Contact www.cardinalglass.com to help you find the glasses to go with your summer drinks! Phone: 973-628-0900
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