Cooling It by the Numbers

The man about bar who in other months professes no more than a passing interest in the alcohol-by-volume content of his drinks often becomes keenly proof conscious in the summer. 'Tis the season when "cool" and "kick" have to be weighed carefully in the balance, so that the potable fits the clime.

There are times, after four or five torrid sets of tennis, say, when nothing will assuage a dehydrated body better than missile-size glasses filled with freshly squeezed lemonade made with club soda, on the dry side--its proof a chaste zero. On sweltering August days, languid appetites everywhere welcome the sharp stimuli of hot curries or skewers with soy-drenched chunks of beef or chicken grilled over charcoal. But curries and other spice-laden dishes are notorious for kicking up thirsts. An hour or two after a curry dinner, the most welcome sight in the world is a sparkling mixture of fresh orange juice, lime juice and passion-fruit syrup, (continued on page 153) Cooling It (continued from page 99) in an immense pitcher rattling with cracked ice, a post-prandial drink also registering exactly zero on the spirit hydrometer.

Certainly the easiest formula for cheering the mouth and throat and for cooling ruffled brows in the broiling days ahead is cold beer or any other member of the Gambrinus clan, including malt liquor, ale or stout. American beers range alcoholically from 2.9 to 4.4 percent, with the average about 3.6 percent. In some states, brewers aren't required to print alcoholic strength on their labels, and this makes sense; because for party purposes, brews are quibble-proof. Whether a beer is 3.7 or 4.1 percent in alcoholic content makes little difference in launching the big platter of cold sliced ribs of beef. The foamy benediction--at whatever strength--blesses cold split lobsters and pasta salads alike.

At this time of year, especially, any wine buff whose air-conditioned penthouse is his castle will be sure to keep his wine rack generously stocked with white wines from the Alsace or Germany or with the winsome rieslings from California. The tall bottles called flutes contain wine in the low 9-to-14 percent alcohol range. They're fruity, zesty but never cloying, even when they're slightly sweet. Most of them are dry, but what makes them so magnificently dispatchable are the grapes from which they're pressed. Wine makers say these grapes have a tail--they're not finished when you swallow them; the pleasant acidity of the fruit leaves a tingling, unforgettable aftertone. Spritzers are but chilled wines of this type mixed with iced club soda and sometimes with a single chunk of ice. In the old days, one would pour a splash of Rhine wine into the glass and add a long stream of soda. Nowadays, the tendency is to add only a splash of soda to a tall glass generously filled with cold white wine.

For on-the-spot relief, the no-proof drinks, as well as the low-proof beers and table wines, cover themselves with glory. But after a dip in the pool, the higher-proof collinses, fixes, coolers and cobblers become the invigorating bracers that keep an alfresco party going until the well-spread buffet table is ready. And there are always those after-dinner sessions where some form of coffee is derigueur. For summer mocha addicts, we recommend a tray of tall glasses filled with iced coffee, flavored with light rum and Galliano, a float of heavy cream on top, its proof 14. There are, of course, lazy summer episodes after thirsts have been slaked and temperatures lowered. For instance, on a Sunday night, when a weekend cruise is over, a clique of boat-owners will often decide to meet at a late hour on someone's afterdeck or at the club marina. Ponies of cold green Chartreuse, 103 proof, become dreamy liquid islands under the moonlight and alongside the lapping waters. But our concern here is with how to both quaff and cool off.

In getting to know the proofs of mixed drinks, one must first understand that the proof on a bottle of spirits in this country--as well as in Italy, Austria and Russia--simply means twice the volume of alcohol. Exporters from countries such as France, Scotland and Germany, who use other proof designations at home, still must follow U.S. rules when they send liquor to this country. Thus, a bottle of Turkish raki bought in the States and indicating 92 proof must contain 46 percent alcohol. When you buy a bottle of wine or an aperitif such as vermouth, the alcoholic percentage is shown--not the proof. Simply multiply by two in order to get the proof. For instance, the tawny port that seems so amiably mild when you first taste it actually contains 20 percent alcohol and is, therefore, a 40-proof drink, almost as strong as some liqueurs. But an extended course in the finer points of alcoholometry isn't necessary for an afternoon's or an evening's drinking sport. Nor is it necessary to go into the intricacies of distilling proofs and bottling proofs. Vodka can be made up to 193 proof. But almost all vodkas are cut to 100 or 80 proof before they're bottled. Rums run all the way from the most popular 80-proof specimens to demon rums at 151 proof.

What really matters, when a summertime host prepares mixed drinks, is the drinking proof or proof per gulp, and this equation is filled with all kinds of surprising fluid information. If a barman, for example, pours a 94-proof gin into his cocktail shaker for a gin sour, one might expect a brutally strong drink. Now, if you'd drink the 94-proof gin, the lemon juice and sugar mixed but undiluted with ice, the gin sour would be just that. But the moment the barman adds ice to his mixing glass, the proof goes down. The 2 ounces of gin and 1/2 ounce of lemon juice grow to a 4-ounce cocktail--and a pleasant summer cocktail it is. Its drinking strength is about 35 proof. Let the barman add a huge avalanche of rocks to his mixing glass for a single drink, and let him stir and stir, as though there were no tomorrow, and the proof will be even lower. Let him add club add club soda and a few ice cubes to the gin sour for a tom collins and the cooler might be a leisurely 17 proof.

The history of "proving" liquors is centuries old. We'll make it concise. Long before the modern alcoholometer was known, an old edict referred to the cloth-burning procedure. "Wet a small lynen clothe and hold it in the flame of the candell, and if the water bren-neth not of, then it is not goode nor ryghtfull, and is of lytell vertue." The cloth test was followed in the 1600s by the olive-oil test: You simply poured your spirits into a container and added olive oil. If the oil rather than the spirits floated on top, the spirits were below proof. Finally, there was the gunpowder test, with its sometimes unexpectedly brilliant visual effects. You poured your spirits onto gunpowder and touched the combination with a flame. If the powder only sputtered fussily for a few seconds, the spirits were underproof. If the fire burned steadily like the blue flames in a chafing dish, the mixture was proved--we'd call it 100 proof today. If it exploded like a cherry bomb and then vanished it was overproof.

Any man can calculate volumetrically the proof in his summer drink simply by draining and measuring the total liquid after the drink has been mixed with ice and then making a small calculation. It goes like this: Multiply the total ounces of spirits by the bottle proof and divide by the total ounces of drained liquid to get the drinking proof. Thus, if your gin and tonic was made with 1 ounce of gin at 90 proof and the finished drink was 9 ounces, you'd divide 9 into 90, for a drinking proof of 10. If you used 1-1/2 ounces of gin at 90 proof (135), you'd divide 9 into 135, for a drinking proof of 15.

But who needs mathematics when his throat feels like a desert? The following drinks provide splendid proof against the heat. Each recipe makes one drink.

[recipe_title]Citrus Surprise[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. iced fresh orange juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. passion-fruit syrup[drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. fresh lime juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. frozen pineapple juice, undiluted[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. iced club soda[/drinkRecipe]

Pour orange juice, passion-fruit syrup, lime juice and pineapple juice into pre-chilled tall 12-oz. glass. Mix very well. Add club soda and stir gently. Add ice to fill glass to rim. For filling a 2-quart pitcher, multiply ingredients by 5 and fill pitcher to rim with ice. Drinking proof: zero. Thirst-quenching potential: infinite.

[recipe_title]Punt E Lemon[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]3 ozs. iced Punt e Mes[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]5 ozs. iced bitter lemon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 wedge old fashioned cocktail orange in syrup[/drinkRecipe]

Pour Punt e Mes and bitter lemon into prechilled tall 12-oz. glass. Add ice to fill glass and stir very well. Pierce orange wedge with cocktail spear and rest across top of glass. Drinking proof: 10.

[recipe_title]Mocha Cooler[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]6 ozs. cold freshly brewed strong coffee[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. 80-proof light rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. Galliano or Roiano[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 teaspoon sugar or more to taste[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Heavy sweet cream[/drinkRecipe]

Pour coffee, rum, Galliano and sugar into tall 12-oz. glass. Stir well until sugar dissolves. Add ice to nearly fill glass and stir again. Float heavy cream on top by pouring it over the back of a spoon, so that cream flows to rim of glass. Drinking proof: 14.

[recipe_title]Hazelnut Horchata[recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]3 ozs. strained hazelnut syrup[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. 80-proof light rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 slice lemon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 lemon blossom, if available[/drinkRecipe]

Horchata is a Caribbean sweet cooler made from a syrup of chopped nuts or melon seeds. In the States, it often takes the place of dessert at the end of a summer dinner. To make the syrup in this recipe, grind in the blender--in small batches--1/2 lb. shelled hazelnuts, available in nut specialty shops. (Ground blanched almonds may be used in place of hazelnuts for an almond horchata.) Heat 1 quart water to a boil. Turn off flame; add 1/2 cup sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Combine ground nuts and syrup, mixing well. Store in refrigerator overnight. Strain syrup in small batches through cheesecloth, squeezing well, to extract all liquid. There will be about 1 quart of hazelnut syrup, enough for about 10 drinks.

Pour syrup and rum into prechilled tulip wineglass with at least an 8-oz. capacity. Add ice to fill glass almost to rim and stir well. Add lemon slice and lemon blossom. Drinking proof: 16.

[recipe_title]Cranbourbon[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]2 ozs. 86-proof bourbon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Dash Angostura bitters[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 teaspoon sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Iced cranberry juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 long strip cucumber rind[/drinkRecipe]

Pour bourbon, bitters, sugar and lemon juice into cocktail shaker with ice and shake very well. Pour into prechilled tall 12-oz. glass. Add 3 ice cubes. Fill glass with cranberry juice and stir very well. Place cucumber rind in glass. Drinking proof: 20.

[recipe_title]Caribbean Mule[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1 1/2 ozs. 80-proof light rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. 84-proof dark Jamaica rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. lime juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/4 oz. 80-proof triple sec[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/4 oz. 60-proof maraschino[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Iced ginger beer[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 slice lime[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 sprig mint[/drinkRecipe]

Pour both kinds of rum, lime juice, triple sec and maraschino over ice in cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into prechilled tall 12-oz. glass. Add 2 ice cubes. Fill glass with ginger beer and stir. Decorate with lime slice and mint sprig. Drinking proof: 22.

[recipe_title]Cuernavaca Collins[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. 90-proof tequila[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. 90-proof gin[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. fresh lime juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 teaspoons sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Iced club soda[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 slice lime[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Salt[/drinkRecipe]

Rub the outside rim of a tall 12-oz. glass with a slice of lemon or lime. Sprinkle the moist edge lightly with salt from a salt shaker. (Don't dip the glass into a dish of salt; you don't want the rim of salt to gag you.) Pour tequila, gin, lime juice and sugar into cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into prepared glass. Add 3 ice cubes. Fill glass almost to rim with iced club soda and stir gently. Add lime slice. Drinking proof: 23.

[recipe_title]Cherry Rum Cobbler[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1 1/2 ozs. 80-proof rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 oz. 49-proof cherry heering[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon sugar[drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 slice lemon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 maraschino cherry[/drinkRecipe]

Fill a tall 12-oz. glass with coarsely cracked ice. Ice from a "chipper" tray is good for this drink. Add rum, cherry heering, sugar and lemon juice and stir well until sugar dissolves. Add ice to fill glass to rim and stir. Add lemon slice and cherry. Drinking proof: 30.

[recipe_title]Canadian Blackberry Fix[/recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]1 1/2 ozs. 86-proof Canadian whiskey[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. 70-proof blackberry liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon sugar[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 slice lemon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 fresh blackberry, if available[/drinkRecipe]

Pour whiskey, blackberry liqueur, sugar and lemon juice into tall 8-oz. glass. Stir very well until sugar dissolves. Fill glass with coarsely cracked ice or ice from an ice-tray chipper and stir well. Add ice to fill glass to rim and stir. Garnish with lemon slice and blackberry. Drinking proof: 40.

[recipe_title]Scotch Apple[recipe_title]

[drinkRecipe]2 ozs. 86-proof Scotch[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 1/2 ozs. 84-proof calvados[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]4 ozs. hand cider, 14 percent alcohol[drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. orange juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 oz. lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Orange peel[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Lemon peel[/drinkRecipe]

American hard ciders, sometimes called apple wines, are usually sweeter and higher in alcoholic content than imported ciders. Chill Scotch, calvados and cider in refrigerator at least three hours before serving; they must be ice-cold. Pour Scotch, calvados, hard cider, orange juice and lemon juice into prechilled tall 12-oz. glass and stir. Add one or two large ice cubes. Twist orange peel and lemon peel over drink and drop into glass. Like a mint julep, it's enjoyed in slow nips. At whatever speed it's taken, you can be sure no one will be in Scotland afore ye. Drinking proof: 50.

The preceding recipes should supply satisfying proof that there's more than one way to cool it this summer.