Friday Favorites: Summer Cocktails

Summer is here and the panther is craving something fresh and light with a little kick... Summer Cocktails!  The heavy red wines, coffee drinks and brown liquor cocktails, as wonderful as they are, will be retired until fall.  Now is the time for something fresh, fruity and fun.  Here are some of the panther's favorite summer cocktails and who makes them best around town.

The Paloma:  This is a lovely refreshing cocktail.  If you like margaritas, you'll probably like this one.  A Paloma is blanco tequila with grapefruit soda and a salted rim.  The fizz of the soda makes it so refreshing on a warm summer afternoon.
In our opinion Bunk Bar makes the best Paloma in town.  I do not know what type of grapefruit soda they use there but the flavor is divine!

Try a refreshing Paloma at Bunk Bar

http://bunkbar.com/

The Alberta:  This is a specialty cocktail created by the lovely bartenders at Binks on Alberta, and its flavor is the epitome of summer.  The Alberta consists of fresh basil (grown in the garden behind Binks), muddled with oranges, lemons, and limes, a slight splash of simple syrup, and vodka.  Not only is it so fresh and delicious, it is beautiful!  I like to order mine with tequila instead of vodka, but either way, it is delicious!

Mmmmm... The Alberta from Binks

http://www.binksbar.com/

Hot Monkey Greyhound:  We've blogged about Hot Monkey Vodka, by our friends at New Deal Distillery before.  We love the stuff!  It is a firey hot-pepper infused vodka and it is fabulous.  Try it with grapefruit juice for a greyhound like no other.  The spicy goodness of the vodka with the fresh, slightly sweet, slightly tart flavor of the grapefruit juice is an amazing combination.  I was introduced to this drink by the bartenders at rontoms and they know how to make it right!

Hot Monkey by Portland's own New Deal Distillery

http://newdealdistillery.com/

Have a spicy Hot Monkey Greyhound on the patio at rontoms!

http://www.rontoms.net/

Going Up?:  This is my all-time favorite cocktail.  I crave it!  I dream about it!  The Going Up? is a specialty cocktail made at the lovely Sapphire Hotel.  It consists of serrano pepper infused vodka, muddled with fresh cilantro, lime and sweet & sour with a salted rim.  The drink is sweet, spicy and savory.  The flavor is unbelievable.  I highly recommend this one.  I've tried to recreate it at home but nothing I've made has come close to the deliciousness that is the Going Up? at the Sapphire Hotel.

The FABULOUS "Going Up?" from the Sapphire Hotel

http://www.thesapphirehotel.com/

Enjoy the summer with one (or all) of these cocktails.
Bottoms up!

-The Panther