Spring and Summer Recipes
Cool yourself down with one of these Summer recipes.
Aqua Vitae
If Spring has well and truly sprung, and you cannot wait for the Summer to really get going, grab some ice, a few ingredients and try one of our Spring and Summer recipes.
We have discovered that Aqua Vitae is an incredibly versatile drink that can be used to make the most amazing summer cocktails and drinks which are perfect for BBQ’s and entertaining. What better way to celebrate the Summer than with an Aqua Vitae and Hibiscus Tonic in your hand?
The Bramble
A twist on the classic gin cocktail created by Richard Arthur “Dick” Bradsell (4 May 1959 – 27 February 2016). Dick was a London bartender noted for his innovative work with cocktails, including the creation of many new drinks now considered to be modern classics.
To make your own version add 37.5ml of Aqua Vitae, 20ml Lemon Juice, and 10ml Sugar Syrup over crushed ice in an old-fashioned glass or balloon. Churn all ingredients with a bar spoon and top with a drizzle of Crème de Mure. Garnish with 2 blackberries and a twist of lemon.
Pineapple Punch
The perfect party drink! This has to be one of the best summer recipes you can make at home.
Ingredients – Aqua Vitae, Pineapple Juice, Lemon Tonic, Rhubarb Bitters | Garnish – Rhubarb Peel and Pineapple Leaf
Method – Build in a Wine glass or batch into a punch bowl. Each serve asks for 50ml of Aqua Vitae, 50ml of Fresh Pineapple Juice, 3 dashes of Rhubarb Bitters, 100ml of Lemon tonic.
Aqua Vitae, White Port and Tonic
Ingredients – Aqua Vitae, White Port, Tonic Water | Garnish – Lemon peel and Rosemary
Method – Fill an Old-fashioned glass with cubed ice. Add 25ml of Aqua Vitae and 25ml of White Port. Top with a good tonic water. Give the ingredients a gentle stir to mix and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a twist of Lemon.
See The Stars
This tiki style serve plays on the delicious banana and tropical notes.
Ingredients – Aqua Vitae, Banana Liqueur, Lime Juice, Chamomile Syrup, Pineapple Juice | Garnish – Chamomile Flowers
Method – Into a cocktail shaker add 35ml of Aqua Vitae, 15ml of Banana Liqueur, 20ml Lime Juice, 10ml Chamomile Syrup, 25ml Fresh Pineapple Juice. Shake all ingredients with cubed ice and double strain into a chilled martini glass or coupe. Garnish with chamomile flowers
(To make the syrup add 1 heaped dessert spoon of chamomile flowers to a 2:1 sugar syrup, 2 parts sugar to 1 part water. Stir until sugar is fully dissolved. Leave the mixture to infuse for 48 hours and then fine strain to remove the flowers.)
Aqua Vitae Bloody Mary
There are so many great recipes for bloody mary’s around and it is the classic Sunday brunch cocktail.
The Bloody Mary was invented in the 1920s or 1930s; and there are various theories as to the origin of the drink, as well as the origin of its name. We use our Aqua Vitae as it is packed with herbs and spices which compliment this classic cocktail.
Ingredients – Aqua Vitae, Tomato Juice, Fino Sherry, Worcester Sauce, Tabasco, Lemon Juice, Sugar, Celery Bitters, Pinch of salt | Garnished with Black Pepper, Sweet Cicely, Cherry Tomato, Lemon Twist
Method – Into a cocktail shaker add 50ml Aqua Vitae, 10ml Fino Sherry, 60ml Tomato Juice, 15ml Lemon Juice, 7ml Sugar Syrup, 5 dashes of Tabasco, 2 dashes of celery bitters, 10ml of Worchester sauce and a pinch of salt. Add ice and throw between cocktail shakers to chill, aerate and add dilution. Pour into a highball glass over cubed ice and garnish with a lemon twist, cherry tomato and sweet cicely. Finish with a good twist of cracked black pepper.
Aqua Vitae and Rhubarb Highball
Ingredients – Aqua Vitae, Rhubarb Vodka, Lemon Juice, Vanilla Sugar, Soda | Garnish – Rhubarb peel and a lemon twist (discarded)
Method – Into a cocktail shaker add 25ml Aqua Vitae, 25ml Rhubarb Vodka, 15ml Lemon Juice, 10ml Vanilla sugar. Shake all ingredients and fine strain over cubed ice into a highball glass. Top with Soda and garnish with a peel of rhubarb tied in a knot and a zest of lemon (discarded).
Aqua Vitae Sbagliato
Sbagliato means “bungled” or “muddled”
The drink was invented in 1968 when a bartender at Bar Basso in Milan accidently used sparkling wine to make a Negroni rather than Gin. Our twist uses lighter ingredients than a classic Negroni as the base Aperol rather than Campari and Lillet Blanc rather than Rosso Vermouth.
Ingredients – Aqua Vitae, Aperol, Lillet Blanc, Prosecco | Garnish – Grapefruit twist
Method – fill a mixing glass with ice and add 10ml Aqua Vitae, 10ml, Aperol, 10ml Lillet Blanc. Stir with a bar spoon until drink is sufficiently chilled and diluted. Single strain into a champagne flute and top with prosecco. Garnish with a twist of pink grapefruit.
Aqua Vitae Vigroni
The classic Negroni cocktail originated in Italy around 1919 when Count Camillo Negroni went into the Caffe Casoni in Florence and asked the bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to make him his favourite cocktail – “The Americano” – using Gin rather than soda.
We use Aqua Vitae as the base for our “Vigroni” to create a unique twist on the aperitivo cocktail classic.
Ingredients – Aqua Vitae, Campari, Sweet Vermouth | Garnish – Orange Twist
Method – to a mixing glass add 25ml of Aqua Vitae, Campari and Sweet Vermouth. Stir down with cubed ice and strain over a block of ice into old fashioned glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Strawberry Aqua Vitae Fizz
Ingredients – Aqua Vitae, Strawberry Puree, Lemon, Sugar, Soda | Garnish – Basil and Black Pepper
Method – Fill a cocktail shaker with cubed ice and add 30ml Aqua Vitae, 50ml Strawberry Puree, 15ml Lemon Juice and 10ml sugar syrup. Shake and fine strain over cubed ice into an old-fashioned glass or balloon. Top with soda and garnish with a basil leaf and black pepper.
The Secret Garden
Inspired by a drink from an old menu at Bramble, Edinburgh called “The Fugazi” which was created by Sam Baxendale now of KIN, Edinburgh. Our twist is the addition of Aqua Vitae and Prosecco for a light, crisp and refreshing serve.
Ingredients – Aqua Vitae, Absenteroux Vermouth, Elderflower Cordial, Celery Bitters, Prosecco, Lemon | Garnish – Lemon twist (Discarded)
Method – Fill a mixing glass with ice and add 25ml of Aqua Vitae, 12.5ml Absenteroux Vermouth, 12.5ml Elderflower Cordial, 3 dashes of Celery Bitters. Stir until sufficiently chilled and diluted. Strain into a champagne coupe and top with prosecco. Garnish with the zest of a lemon and discard.
Aqua Vitae Sazerac
The original Sazerac is most traditionally a combination of cognac or rye whiskey, absinthe, Peychaud’s Bitters, and sugar, although bourbon whiskey or Herbsaint are sometimes substituted.
Some claim it is the oldest known American cocktail with origins in pre-Civil War New Orleans. Using Aqua Vitae rather than brandy works perfectly alongside the herbaceous absinthe rinsed glass. The dryness from the rye pairs well with the natural sweetness which the Aqua Vitae brings to this serve.
Ingredients – 1 white sugar cube, 3 dashes of La Fee Absinthe, Rye Whiskey, Aqua Vitae, Angostura Bitters, Peychaud Bitters | Garnish – Lemon Twist
Method – Firstly take an Old-Fashioned glass and rinse with 3 dashes of Absinthe then discard. Into a mixing glass add the white sugar cube and the bitters. Add a splash of water and dissolve the sugar cube with a bar spoon. Add 30ml of Rye and 30ml of Aqua Vitae and fill the Mixing Glass with cubed Ice. Stir all ingredients until the drink is suitably diluted and chilled and strain into your absinthe rinsed old fashioned glass. Garnish with a Lemon twist.
The Last Word
Genuinely one of our favourite Aqua Vitae cocktails.
The Last Word originated in the prohibition era, but has found its popularity now came from its revival in 2004 when it became a favourite on Murray Stenson’s menu at Zig Zag Café, Seattle. For our twist we use Aqua Vitae to replace gin, complimenting the herbaceous green chartreuse. To further soften out this serve, infuse the Green Chartreuse with Strawberries for 48 hours. This strawberry twist was introduced to Murray and Andy, our Brand Ambassadors, at the Adamson in St Andrews in 2019. Thank you to David Montgomery and the Adamson team for their creativity and hospitality.
Ingredients – Aqua Vitae, Strawberry infused Green Chartreuse, Maraschino Liqueur, Lime Juice | Garnish – No garnish
Method – To a cocktail shaker add 25ml Aqua Vitae, 20ml Strawberry infused Green Chartreuse, 20ml Maraschino Liqueur and 20ml of Lime Juice. Shake and fine strain into martini glass or coupe.
