I don’t know who first quipped “you can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning,” but I’ve had enough experience with that mantra and its possible outcomes to know how fast a picnic or cookout can go south under its influence. Beer isn’t always the answer to a long day of drinking, either — a cold, tart pastry sour tastes wonderful in the late summer sun, but too many can make you feel like you just ate half a pie.
I prefer a low-alcohol base for day drinks, especially for those long, end-of-summer and holiday cookouts and picnics. You can dress these cocktails up or down; they’re simple to make with few ingredients and no special equipment. With a couple of little flourishes, you can make a drink that tastes complex and is refreshing, easy to sip and won’t get you hammered before the grill heats up.
The following recipes vary in their alcohol content, but all are going to be less than a cocktail made with hard liquor (gin, rum, whiskey et al. typically start at 40% ABV and go up from there). Campari and Carpano Botanic Bitter, for example, are on the higher end of the offerings here, at 24-25% ABV, while Aperol clocks in at about half that weight, and most vermouths and aperitifs fall in between.
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A tip if you’re on the go: Pre-mix your non-carbonated ingredients — scaled up to make a batch — in a lidded jar. Throw the jar and any needed bubbles — seltzer or sparkling wine — in your picnic basket and go. When you arrive, shake one more time, then pour a round over ice and — if called for — top with bubbles.
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The Pigeonnier
Not too sweet, not too sour — this flavorful, fruity and floral spritz is just right.
1.5 oz. French dry vermouth (you can also sub in vermouth blanc — different flavor, still good)
0.5 oz. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
0.5 oz. lemon juice
Angostura bitters
Grapefruit soda to top (I like Fever Tree)
Lemon to garnish
Add vermouth, lemon juice, St. Germain and a few dashes of bitters to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until frosty. Strain into a glass over fresh ice, then top with soda.
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Poor Little Rich Mule
Pear, ginger, cinnamon, lime — pack this one in a thermos for apple picking and other fall daytime excursions, too.
2 oz. Mathilde Poire (or other pear liqueur — not the spiced kind)
0.5 oz. Lime juice
3 oz. Ginger beer
Smoked cinnamon bitters
Cinnamon stick and lime wedge to garnish
Fill a shaker with ice. Add pear liqueur, lime juice (fresh squeezed is best) and bitters. Shake and strain over ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish.
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Orange Siciliano
An eye-opener for the day after a long night — my variation on the Sicilian is inspired by this delicious flavor combination. Pour over ice and stir gently.
2 oz. Italian vermouth, like Cochi Torino
1.5 oz. Amaro Montenegro (or Averna)
1.5 oz. Cold brew coffee
Italian orange soda, like San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa, to top
Chocolate bitters
Orange wheel garnish
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Lillet Blanc Spritz
This basic spritz is infinitely adaptable, flexible enough to take on different infusions as well as fanciful bitters and garnishes. Here’s a simple citrus version that’s perfect for a holiday picnic.
2 oz. Lillet Blanc
1 1/2 oz. fresh pink grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
Orange bitters
Club soda
Add Lillet, juices and a few dashes of bitters to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until frosty. Strain into a glass over fresh ice, then top with soda.
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Aperol Spritz
It’s a standard for a reason. Pour over ice and stir gently.
3 oz. Aperol
3 oz. Dry prosecco
Club Soda
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LIGHTER-WEIGHT NEGRONI FAMILY DRINKS
Negroni fans, these are for you. Want to branch out a bit? Try subbing Carpano Botanic Bitter for Campari. It’s familiar enough to work while introducing a little novelty. Pour over ice and stir non-sparkling ingredients first, then top with bubbles. (The Americano, with club soda instead of sparkling wine, is going to be your lightest option.)
Classic Sbagliato
This drink created by mistake — a Negroni with sparkling wine instead of gin — has become a classic in its own right.
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. Italian vermouth, like Carpano Antica Formula or Punt e Mes
Prosecco or other dry sparkling wine
Orange wheel or peel
Paolo’s Boutique
This variation comes to us from Taylor Oliver, co-owner of Via Mare at Greydon House in Nantucket.
1.5 oz. Cocchi Americano Rosa
1 oz. Braulio Alpine Amaro
1 dash Bitterman’s Burlesque Bitters
Prosecco to top
Orange twist
Americano
1.5 oz. Campari (or Carpano Botanic Bitter)
1.5 oz. Italian vermouth, like Carpano Antica Formula or Punt e Mes
Club soda
Orange wheel or peel