Ladle Me This

Photo: Hannah Whitaker

From left:

Eva Marie
By Lawrence Green of Minetta Tavern

“I named this after Eva Marie Saint because of the many photographs of her that we found (and still have) hanging on the walls of Minetta Tavern. The recipe is fairly simple, so anyone can reproduce it. The colder the ingredients are to begin with, the better!”

The Recipe
1 l Charbay ruby red grapefruit vodka, chilled
750 ml. Roi René Rouge cherry liqueur, chilled
2 tbs. Regans’ orange bitters
1 l freshly squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice
2 l Taittinger Champagne, chilled
1 large block of ice (not cubes, which can dilute the punch quickly)
Fresh grapefruit, sliced into rounds, and/or cherries, for garnish

Pour all ingredients into a large punch bowl and stir gently. Add the block of ice. Garnish with fruit.

Lilac Wine

By Philip Ward of Mayahuel

“This drink is like the past and the future at a crossroads. It’s a variation on what most good bartenders recognize as the granddaddy of all Champagne cocktails, the French 75. But here, we’re using a more recently recognized base spirit—mezcal—rather than gin, and adding a classic ingredient, Crème Yvette.”

The Recipe
1/2 cup sugar
10 oz. Del Maguey San Luis Del Rio mezcal
5 oz. lemon juice
5 oz. Crème Yvette
1 large block of ice
1 bottle cava (sparkling wine from Spain), chilled
1 lemon, sliced into rounds
Fresh mint (optional), for garnish

Make simple syrup: Combine the sugar with ∏ cup water and bring to a boil. Let cool. Chill mezcal, lemon juice, Crème Yvette, and simple syrup by stirring in a pitcher set on ice. Strain into a punch bowl over the block of ice. Top with cava. Garnish with lemon rounds and mint, if using.

Summer Berry Champagne Punch

By Julie Reiner of Clover Club

“I created this light drink for our brunch menu about a year ago, but ended up adding it to the evening menu because it’s great for afternoon imbibing.”

The Recipe
1 lemon
20 raspberries
4 strawberries
5 blackberries
1 tsp. sugar
1 oz. cassis
1 oz. St-Germain
1 oz. sloe gin
1 large block of ice
1 bottle rosé Champagne, chilled

With a peeler, take the outer skin off the lemon. Slice the lemon into rounds. In a mixing glass, muddle 8 raspberries, the strawberries, the blackberries, and the lemon peel in the sugar. Add cassis, St-Germain, and sloe gin. Shake and strain into a punch bowl over the block of ice. Add Champagne. Garnish with lemon slices and remaining raspberries.

Ladle Me This