By Jay Erisman, EQ Wine and Spirits Manager

Perhaps after this early heat wave, dear reader, you are ready for a summer cocktail. Last week we talked about Italian bitter liqueurs, and how refreshing they are in this Cincinnati heat. And Tequila margaritas and gin and tonics will surely hit the sun deck any day now. But don’t forget the other white spirit: rum. No other spirit—except our native Bourbon whiskey—is so closely connected with American history as rum. And nothing mixes up a summertime sip like great white rum. We have some terrific rums that stand out from the pack, imported for us by Mr. Ed Hamilton, the “Minister of Rum�. La Favorite and Neisson distilleries are rhums agricoles from the French island of Martinique. Protected by the same laws that govern French wine, these ultra-pure, small-batch rums are some of the best we’ve ever tasted.

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By Jay Erisman, EQ Wine & Spirits Manager

With the thermometer soaring to a ridiculous 96 degrees this weekend, I know what I’ll be reaching for in the shade: a bottle of Aperol, Italy’s amazingly appetizing rhubarb bitter liqueur. Aperol claims that over three million Italians drink it every day. I think they’re on to something…

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By Jay Erisman, EQ Wine and Spirits Manager

We had our friends the Haltons over for dinner a while back. We of course enjoyed some nice wine with the free-form wild mushroom lasagna. All of us, that is, except Charles. Charles has a terrific job at a nice Baptist seminary. He loves his co-workers, but the job does require that he abstain from alcohol. Poor fellow. I wanted to serve Charles a non-alcoholic but grown-up cocktail, and came up with a bittered tonic. And it was Special.

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This wonderfully refreshing drink is reminiscent of a light summer fruit salad. Fresh basil adds some nice aroma and flavor to this cocktail, but make sure you don't overdo it with the basalmic vinegar, a little bit goes a long way.

This recipe was featured in the EQ at the Party Source podcast, Slide into a Seat at Vinyl.

Bar tools can be found in Aisle 9B at the PartySource.

• 1-¾ oz Jigger
• Muddler
• 12 oz Collins glass

The location of these ingredients at the PartySource is listed in parentheses.

• 1 oz Stoli Vodka (Aisle 12B)
• (2) fresh strawberries
• basil
• ½ oz simple syrup (Aisle 7C)
• balsamic vinegar (Aisle 2B)
• soda water (Aisle 10C)
• ice

• Add strawberries to glass and muddle well (if you don't own a muddle, the handle of a wooden spoon will work). Make sure to use a glass with a sturdy base, you don't want to break the glass.
• Add ice, vodka, and a dash of basalmic vinegar.
• Top with soda water and garnish with some fresh basil.
• Enjoy!

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Using Bluegrass State's signature drink, bourbon, the Kentucky Cobbler is almost like drinking a luscious summer pie (with a kick!). The key is muddling the berries to really release a burst of flavor.

This recipe was featured in the EQ at the Party Source podcast, Slide into a Seat at Vinyl.

Bar tools can be found in Aisle 9B at the PartySource.

• 1-¾ oz Jigger
• Cocktail Shaker (traditional or Boston)
• Muddler
• Sugar & Salt Glass-Rimmer
• 8 oz rocks glass

The location of these ingredients at the PartySource is listed in parentheses.

• 2-3 fresh blackberries
• 2-3 fresh raspberries
• 1 oz Jim Beam bourbon (Aisle 10B)
• 3 oz ginger ale (Aisle 10C)
• lavender sugar (try Col. De Ray's available from Herbs & Spice & Everything Nice at the Findlay Market)
• ice
• lime wedge

• Drop blackberries and raspberries in shaker and muddle well (if you don't own a muddler, the handle of a wooden spoon will do).
• Add ice, bourbon, and ginger ale and shake well.
• Wet the outside rim of the glass with lime wedge. The lime juice helps the sugar stick to the glass.
• Holding the glass parallel to the bar surface, dab the rim into glass-rimmer while slowly turning the glass to cover the glass’ rim with lavender sugar. If you do not own a glass-rimmer, a saucer or bowl works well.
• Pour into a rocks glass and enjoy!

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A great summer sipping drink, the key to this drink is homemade infused black tea. If you don't have the time to make your own tea, a store bought infused tea, like Republic of Tea's Glass Bottled Iced Teas, will work in a pinch.

This recipe was featured in the EQ at the Party Source podcast, Slide into a Seat at Vinyl.

Bar tools can be found in Aisle 9B at the PartySource.

• 1-¾ oz Jigger
• 12 oz Collins glass

The location of these ingredients at the PartySource is listed in parentheses.

• 1 oz Stoli Vodka (Aisle 12B)
• Infused black tea like the Republic of Tea's Ginger Peach or Ginger Currant Black Tea (Aisle 2B)
• mint leaves
• (1) raspberry
• lime slice
• ice

• Fill Collins glass with ice.
• Add 1 oz of Stoli vodka and top with infused black tea.
• Garnish with mint, raspberry, and lime.
• Enjoy!

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This week we sat down with Vinyl co-owner, Roula David, to learn how to make some of this Over-the-Rhine eatery's signature summer drinks. Located in the old Sycamore diner and recently recognized as best Cocktail Menu by Cincinnati Magazine, Vinyl seeks to bring big city sensibility and sophistication to the Queen City. Chef Steven Hubbell will be a guest instructor at EQ at the Party Source this fall, so keep an eye on the EQ calendar for more info. Roula showed us how to make three of their signature drinks – the Icepick, the Kentucky Cobbler, and the Strawberry Fizz.

Click the links below for drink recipes, or visit our recipes archive for more.

• Icepick
• Kentucky Cobbler
• Strawberry Fizz

You can purchase ingredients for making these great summer drinks at the Party Source, but if you'd like to have a professional like Roula mix these drinks for you, jump in your jalopy and head over to Vinyl!

Vinyl
1203 Sycamore Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(513) 898.1536

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You can also download individual episodes of the What's Cooking At EQ podcast in video or audio format using the links below.

 

 Slide into a Seat at Vinyl [9:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Slide into a Seat at Vinyl [9:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Straight from from the bar at the Hugo, the Kurious Orange is a refreshing summer spritz that derives a bit of sweetness and citrus from a fruit not often seen behind the bar, the kumquat.

This recipe was featured in the EQ at the Party Source podcast, Southern Comfort at Hugo.

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Straight from from the bar at the Hugo, the Salad Shooter is a whimsical and refreshing take on the mojito, using vodka instead of rum. Known by the bar staff at Hugo as the “Mrs. Wormer,” in honor of the classic movie National Lampoon’s Animal House (Marion Wormer was the dipsomaniac wife of Faber College Dean, Vernon Wormer – late in the movie she succumbs to Eric “Otter” Stratton’s charms).

This recipe was featured in the EQ at the Party Source podcast, Southern Comfort at Hugo.

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