Friends, I need to let you in on a secret: Florida produce is having a moment. It might not sound super exciting, but hear me out. Right now, you can load up on many of the best fruits and veggies our local farms have to offer — and stock your bar with flavor-packed spirits for the inevitable pool day or porch-sipping sesh throughout the summer.
Do I have your attention?
Grapefruit, strawberries, oranges, papaya and — my go-to — guava are in season at the moment, and each makes for an amazing cocktail. You can find all of the above fairly easily (except guava... why is scoring fresh guava always so hard?) to infuse spirits to your heart’s content.
Here’s what I did, but feel free to tailor the recipe however you wish.
Start with your favorite liquor. I went with two bottles of rum and one bottle of tequila; vodka is also an obvious choice. Then gather a bunch of seasonal fruits. I nabbed the aforementioned bounty, with the exception of guava (again, why?). Infusions are as easy as slicing the fruits, dropping them into a jar and pouring the booze over top. Let it rest for a little bit and you’re ready to party.
This isn’t like baking where measurements need to be precise. Simply dice a papaya, or a handful of strawberries, and plop the pieces into that jar. Don’t overthink it — just have fun.
I know what you’re murmuring to yourself: Why go through the work when you can buy any flavored liquor from ABC? I’ll give you two reasons. 1) It’s really easy. My prep time was around 20 minutes. And 2) The store-bought is often artificially flavored to mask crappy spirits.
I made strawberry, papaya and strawberry-papaya rums to go along with my papaya tequila. If you haven’t tried a papaya margarita, get ready for your world to change. I used freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juices while experimenting, as well as bottled guava juice. However, you can definitely save some of the citrus and infuse it into more booze. Grapefruit vodka, anyone?
Also, I don’t know if it’s a Florida thing or what, but the fruits I’ve told you about pair so well together. No, really. I was playing around with different combos during a recent trial run, and every cocktail was better than the last. You can’t go wrong by tinkering with these flavor powerhouses and putting an emphasis on freshness. A complementary splash of ginger beer helps lighten up whatever libations await your taste buds, too.
In under half an hour, I was able to prepare myself for what’s sure to be an eventful summer. What are your plans?
Strawberry Cooler
Strawberry-Infused Rum:
Makes 750 milliliters
1 750-milliliter bottle white rum
1 cup strawberries
First off, pour yourself a drink. You must make room for the strawberries you’re gonna add to your rum, after all. Slice the berries into long, skinny strips, then slip them into the bottle. Let sit for a minimum of two days (the fruit, BTW, can stay in the bottle until you finish it).
Cocktail:
Makes 1
1 1/2 ounces strawberry-infused rum
3 ounces guava juice
Squeeze of lime
1/2 ounce Lillet Blanc (optional)
1 ounce ginger beer
Add strawberry-infused rum, guava juice and lime (and Lillet Blanc if you want) to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until well-chilled. Strain your cocktail into a rocks glass filled with ice, then top with ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Connect with CL columnist Chris Fasick (@cfasick) on Twitter, or email him at [email protected] if there's a cocktail or recipe you'd like featured.
