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‘Tis the Season for Citrus

Jack Bettridge
Posted: January 20, 2012

The anomaly of wintertime drinks is that we tend to rein in our consumption of cocktails with fruit just when the citrus produce that informs most of them are ripe.

Oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, even tangerines and passionfruit are all in season in the United States, so maybe it's a good time to take a second look at the drinks that they make so delicious.

Daiquiri

The great theorist of libations David Embury—who divided cocktails into two types: aromatic and sour—named the Daiquiri as one of the six basic drinks. And he’s right. It walks a fine balance between the tang of limes and the sweetness of rum. Mix a traditional white rum version (hint: Bacardi is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year) or experiment with the many dark rums that are dazzling the market.

1 1/2 oz. rum
1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
4 tsp. simple syrup
Twist or slice of lime

Pour all ingredients in a shaker over ice and shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with lime.

Whiskey Sour

Whiskey makes a slew of great cocktails, but when it comes to citrus drinks, lemon is the best thing for tarting it up. Be wary, however, this is a strong drink even though they go down easy. And avoid the frozen kind, as the crushed ice melts too quickly and drowns a beautiful thing.

1/2 oz. simple syrup
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
2 oz. bourbon or straight rye whiskey
1 tbsp. egg white (optional)
1 maraschino cherry
1 lemon slice

Combine syrup, lemon juice and whiskey over ice in a shaker. Shake well. (If you add egg white for its froth, shake until your arms tire and then shake some more.) Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with cherry and lemon slice.

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