Chill Out

There's no mistaking July, the zenith of summer. Baseball takes its All-Star break. Heat waves penetrate the sand, turning beachgoers into Club MTV dancers. And you frequently fill your tall collins glass with an ice-cold mixed drink. But whether you choose vodka, gin, light rum or tequila—or even bourbon or dark rum—as your base, keep one mixing rule of thumb in mind: the better the spirit, the better the result. For a few extra dollars, the top-of-the-line brands will intensify the flavor of such summer sips as gin and tonic, rum and Coke and the assorted daiquiris, coladas and margaritas. For example, two ounces of a superpremium tequila, such as Cuervo 1800 or Sauza Conmemorativo, mixed with one and a half ounces of lime juice and a half ounce of triple sec and served in a glass liberally rimmed with coarse salt will result in a margarita legendaria.

Tropical drinks are as eye-catching as they are refreshing. One can only imagine how some of their names; such as Trader Vic's famous Suffering Bastard, came about. For example, Swimming Ashore for the Songs of Sunrise is made by blending three ounces of grapefruit juice, half-ounce portions each of orange juice and triple sec, one and a half ounces of dark rum and two teaspoons of grenadine. Another drink, created at the Grand Hyatt Wailea Resort and Spa's Humuhumunukunukuapua'a restaurant (try saying that after two), is the Beach Bummin', which combines three quarters of an ounce each of vodka and Chambord with three to four ounces of passion-fruit juice and lots of ice.

The venerable gin and tonic has been a warm-weather choice since the days when the sun never set on the Union Jack. G & Ts are dramatically improved by the herbal flavors of top London dry gins such as Beefeater's, Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire. The original Singapore sling, a gin-based long drink appreciated around the globe, contains one ounce each of gin, cherry brandy and Benedictine and four ounces of club soda over ice. It's perfect for that slow boat to Catalina on a sunny day.

Vodka, eastern Europe's crystalline calling card, has gained deserved fame as the foundation of such summertime standards as screwdrivers and bloody marys. But an adventurous new generation of vodka aficionados has given rise to this bone-dry crowd pleaser: Mix a premium or (concluded on page 146)Chill Out(continued from page 116) superpremium brand, such as Absolut, Finlandia, Stolichnaya Cristall, Wyborowa or Tanqueray Sterling, with tonic water and a twist of lemon.

There's also the Long Island iced tea, considered by many to be the ultimate antidote for a hot day. It is composed of one teaspoon of superfine sugar blended with an ounce each of vodka, gin, light rum, tequila and lemon juice, plus four ounces of cola. Sip this drink slowly; it packs a powerful punch.

The mint julep is a long drink closely associated with Kentucky Derby Day. To make it, muddle four mint sprigs, one teaspoon of sugar and a few drops of water in the bottom of your collins glass. After the inside of the glass is liberally rubbed with the mint, toss the sprigs aside and fill the glass three quarters full with crushed ice. Add three ounces of top-grade bourbon, such as Booker Noe's True Barrel Bourbon, Wild Turkey Rare Breed or Maker's Mark, and place fresh mint sprigs on the top. Then drink it with a short straw.

Many of the most popular summertime mixed drinks are concocted with liquors lower in alcohol content (17 to 25 percent), such as aromatized wines and aperitifs. The former, including dry and sweet vermouth (Cinzano, Noilly Prat, Martini & Rossi), Lillet, Dubonnet, St. Raphaël and Punt é Mes, begin as normal wines but are flavored with natural ingredients such as herbs, fruit liqueurs or brandy. Aromatized wines are relatively low in calories. Martini & Rossi Extra Dry vermouth, for example, contains a measly 38.6 calories per ounce, making it ideal for the weight-conscious crowd.

Some exotic concoctions combine aromatized wines. To mix a Lady Madonna, for example, blend one and a half ounces of Dubonnet Rouge with one ounce of a dry vermouth such as Noilly Prat White. Then garnish with a lemon twist.

On the stylish end of the scale is the Lillet champagne royale, which mixes two ounces of Lillet Blanc with two ounces of chilled champagne plus a dash of cassis. Serve it in a fluted champagne glass with a twist of lemon.

Also look for pineau des charentes, an aromatized wine that's produced in the Charente region of southwestern France, where cognac is made. What makes pineau des charentes so sublime is its subtle enhancement with fine cognac. It's best chilled to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and served neat in a wine glass. Try the light and smoky Pierre Ferrand Pineau des Charentes Reserve.

Campari, a bittersweet Italian aperitif, tastes best when mixed with orange or grapefruit juice, club soda or even iced tea. It's also a key ingredient in the negroni, a drink named after a Florentine aristocrat. Legend has it that Count Negroni regularly stopped by his local café to enjoy a mixed drink named the americano, made from equal parts of Campari and sweet vermouth served chilled and garnished with a twist of lemon. When the americano became the neighborhood rage, the count insisted that the bartender add another element to make a different drink just for him. The obliging bartender added one part of gin and an orange slice instead of a lemon twist. The new drink was dubbed the negroni. Much to the count's chagrin, the negroni soon became the height of fashion. Of course, the americano has remained a popular drink on both sides of the Atlantic, despite the fact that it was temporarily down for the count.

Summer wouldn't be summer in Great Britain without Pimm's No. 1 Cup. This amber-colored creation of English restaurateur James Pimm is the main ingredient in one of the most satisfying cold mixed drinks, the Pimm's Original. Start by rubbing the inside of your collins glass with cucumber, then put in ice and add two ounces of Pimm's Cup, six ounces of lemonade, a cucumber rind and a slice of lemon.

Gary Regan, author of The Bartender's Bible, likes to include the American summer staple, ice-cold beer, in his warm-weather mixed-drink repertoire. He suggests that beer enthusiasts try making a lager and lime by pouring one and a half ounces of Rose's lime juice into 12 ounces of a premium lager such as Samuel Adams, Harp or Samuel Smith's. The ginger-beer shandy involves mixing four ounces of ginger beer with 12 ounces of lager. If you're spending lots of time in the sun, mix a nonalcoholic beer, such as Sharp's or O'Doul's, with the lime juice or ginger beer.

In this era of moderation, nonalcoholic cold mixed drinks have advanced far past the rudimentary virgin mary. The Brooke Shields, for example, is a Nineties version of the Shirley Temple that includes four ounces of lemon-lime soda, two ounces of ginger ale, one teaspoon of grenadine and one slice of orange.

Ahh, summertime!

"Summer wouldn't be summer in Great Britain without amber-colored Pimm's No.1 Cup."