The best cocktails for the summer
A summer without cocktails is like a vacation without sunshine. Mixing the perfect drink is simple – just combine a sparkling filler with a touch of lightness.
Of all the cocktail categories, the long drink is the one that Austrians are most familiar with. Basically, it works like a spritzer, only with a spirit, even if the mixing ratio is not one to one as with wine and soda, but usually one to two or one to three. As with spritz wine, it's all about the quality of the ingredients, because a lax long drink is pure disappointment. In terms of quantity, the focus is therefore on the sparkling filler: tonic, soda or lemonade make up at least two thirds of the glass.
Bar professionals refer to the long drink as built in glass, meaning it is prepared without a mixing glass or shaker. However, there are still a few things you can do wrong. The cardinal mistake would be to start with the filler. Some physically denser spirits (such as liqueurs) would float this way instead of mixing well. The best sequence is: ice, spirit and then tonic, ginger ale, soda, etc. The ice is then lifted again with a spoon to encourage mixing without losing the carbonation.
In addition to carbonation, pay attention to the temperature. For domestic use, double-frosted ice cubes are sufficient (study the packaging label!), which melt much more slowly. As a general rule, the larger the ice mass, the less quickly it will water down. Crushed ice with its small ice particles is therefore not recommended. They are only justified if dilution is explicitly desired or the drink is consumed quickly, but that's not for our recipes, which you can savour just like summer: until the very end!
Recipes for summer cocktails:
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