Beer Cocktails to Help You Cool Off This Summer
When the temperature spikes in the summer, there is almost nothing better than an ice cold beer (no, not Coors) to cool you off. Sometimes, though, you might want to mix it up a bit and try out something a bit different without giving up that refreshment. No! Not Mike’s Hard Lemonade! Stay with me. I am talking about beer cocktails.
Let’s take a look at a couple of the base beer cocktails that you can enjoy during the hot summer months:
The first is the Shandy, a popular choice that will taste absolutely refreshing. The shandy traditionally is just a mix of beer and lemonade, but here’s a fancier version from Epicurious.
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 cups water
- four 3-inch strips lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 fresh mint sprigs
- chilled beer, such as pale ale
In a small saucepan bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and stir in zest. Cool sugar syrup to room temperature.
Transfer syrup to a small pitcher and stir in remaining 2 cups water, lemon juice, and mint. Chill lemonade until cold. (Makes about 4 1/2 cups lemonade.)
Pour 1/4 cup lemonade, or to taste, into each of 4 chilled beer glasses and top off with beer.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Shandy-200681#ixzz1zDJpyrcQ
Next, we will look at the Happy Mich. Whipping up this cocktail will definitely make it seem like you know what you are doing behind the bar, and will keep your guests refreshed on a hot day.
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon plus 1 pinch Pico Piquin seasoning (see chef’s notes, below)
- 1 lime wedge
- 2 2-by-2-inch cubes watermelon plus 1 slice for garnish
- 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) hibiscus concentrate (see chef’s notes, below)
- 2 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
- 2 dashes Tajin regular snack sauce (see chef’s notes, below)
- About 2 cups ice cubes
- About 6 ounces lager, such as Dos Equis
In small saucer, stir together salt and 1 teaspoon Pico Piquin. Rub lime wedge around rim of pilsner glass (12 or 16 ounces). Invert glass and dip part of rim into salt mixture, coating outside of glass only. Rotate to coat halfway around rim.
In blender (or using a muddling tool), combine watermelon cubes and remaining pinch Pico Piquin. Purée until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add lime juice, hibiscus concentrate, hot sauce, and Tajin sauce and stir until combined.
Fill prepared pilsner glass with ice cubes and pour in watermelon mixture. Top with beer, stir until combined, and garnish with watermelon slice.
Cook’s notes:•Pico Piquin seasoning is a variation on pico de gallo.
•Hibiscus concentrate is sometimes labeled as Jamaica concentrate.
•Tajin regular snack sauce is a chili sauce with lime and salt.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Happy-Mich-352709#ixzz1zDKHgmaN
If you want more beer based cocktails for the rest of summer, there is a great book of 50 available on Amazon
. Get the paper version or the Kindle version.
