Cocktail of the Month: Triple Lemon for the Summer

This summer, sunshine has not always been a consistent theme, even though everyone longs for it. It feels like the lemon is the only constant for a summer feeling this year.

Light Spirit

But we want more from summer than just a few rays of sunshine, so let’s create a drink with it. Lurisia Gazzosa with Amalfi lemons, a product from The Coca-Cola Company’s portfolio, is perfect for mixing up refreshing summer beverages or simply enjoying chilled over ice.

For the summer, it should be a light spirit. Since I was significantly involved in the gin recipe for a Scottish distillery a year ago, we use The Aberturret Gin with a very classic flavor profile.

Gin Remains King

We have three citrus fruits – lemon, lime, and pink grapefruit – in the recipe. Even though the gin hype has subsided a bit recently, the spirit remains a very important part of bars around the globe.

The classic long drink, the gin tonic, is still among the top 5 in many bars. This was confirmed by Dennis Keiner, a Berlin bartender, during our last gin talk.

Diversity as a Trademark

Dennis worked behind the bar at the Provocateur Hotel for a long time, saw the gin trend coming, and experienced the change in the spirit up close.

Consumption behavior has slowed down, and brand loyalty has waned. People are now content with a generic gin and tonic, without the need for a specific brand. This applies to most bar concepts, but not to the recently opened The Dry Gin and Beef Club in Berlin, where gin diversity is part of the concept. Guests go there to experience the full range of gin flavors. A great concept for any gin lover, and the food offering is convincing too, comparable to that of Little London in Munich – meat, a bit of fish, and lots of gin.

Especially Good in Lehmann Glasses

Our summer cocktail should be full of sunshine, so we make our base, a lemon cordial, ourselves. This way, we create a triple freshness in the glass – cordial, gin, and Lurisia Gazzosa as a topping. Many people like lemon, so the drink will appeal to many, except of course those who do not drink alcohol...

From my last visit to Champagne, I brought back the latest cocktail glass series from Lehmann. Our Triple Lemon summer cocktail should not only taste good but also be served in style.

How to Make the Triple Lemon Summer Cocktail

For our long drink, we first shake the base with the spirit and then top it with Gazzosa from The Coca-Cola Company.

You will need for the drink:

For the Cordial
...3 lemons
...150 grams of sugar
...50 cl of water
For the cordial, first zest the lemons. Then, squeeze the juice and mix it with sugar and water in a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, remove the pot from the hot plate, and add the zest (more zest for multiple drinks) to the boiling liquid. Let the zest steep for over 3 minutes and then remove it. Allow the liquid to cool, fill it into a bottle, and refrigerate. By the way, it also tastes great with soda water.

For the Triple Lemon – Summer Cocktail

... a shaker
... a jigger (a measuring cup)
... a perfect glass (in our case, the Dubai glass from the new Lehmann Collection)
... zest to garnish
... gin, in our case The Aberturret
... Lurisia Gazzosa with Amalfi lemons
... ice cubes

Here's what goes into the shaker...
... Ice cubes
... 5 cl The Aberturret Gin (or a classic gin)
... 5 cl cordial
Shake well and double strain (strainer in the shaker/fine sieve over the glass) into a long drink glass filled with ice cubes.
... top up with Lurisia Gazzosa with Amalfi lemons as desired
... garnish the drink with the lemon zest.

And your Triple Lemon Summer Cocktail is ready.

I wish you lots of fun recreating it and above all, a wonderful summer holiday.

#cheers

About Peter Jauch…

… a Spirit sommelier with a penchant for high-class cocktails, often paired with the best food.
… Author of coffee table books on gin and champagne.
… an experienced host of spirits and champagne tastings.
… Organizer of an experiential festival with friends.